How to primer the ceiling: we understand in stages

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Do I need to prime the ceiling before painting?

Do I need to prime the ceiling before painting, this question interests everyone, before starting this work. Then we think whether it is necessary to prime the ceiling skirting boards, how to properly prime the ceiling, these are exactly these issues that we will consider today.
All work is completely done by hand. And so the price is not very scary.
Before starting work, it is best to watch photos and videos and make a work plan. Let's look at all these issues in detail.

What functions does the primer

The primer is designed to prepare the ceiling or other surface for finishing work - painting, puttying, applying liquid wallpaper.
This necessary construction operation performs a protective function:

• Makes the surface more durable by impregnating and gluing its layers.
• In addition, due to the primer, the surfaces become more moisture resistant, while not ceasing to “breathe”.
• The consumption of paint or other decorative and decorative material is significantly reduced on a primed surface.

Can I use liquid paint instead of primer?

In some cases, during construction work, instead of a primer, paint diluted to the maximum liquid state is used. How appropriate is this?
At first glance, liquid paint impregnates and compacts the surface no worse than specially designed primers. But this is only what can be seen with the naked eye.
In fact, liquid paint contains a considerable amount of large particles of solvents and fillers, which are part of it. Therefore, the paint interacts only with the top layer of the surface, practically sticking its micropores and not penetrating inside.

Why is a primer better

The primer is the smallest suspension of polymer resins:

• The deep penetration primer seeps into the processed material ten centimeters deep, polymerizes and glues its layers together.
• Its microparticles are almost ten times smaller than paint particles, and its permeability is even higher than that of drinking water.

Attention: So, it becomes clear that liquid paint is not suitable as a primer, and even more so for priming a ceiling surface. By gluing its upper layer, it does not give strength, but only creates a thin film, which cannot provide reliable support for subsequent decorative layers.

How necessary is a ceiling primer?

Some people do not primer the surface. But this is a mistake.
There are several factors that will convince you:

• Whatever the ceiling is finished, the finish is subjected to pressure from top to bottom and bears a considerable load. Therefore, over time, the unprimed base of the ceiling will begin to crumble and crumble.
  Even if the ceiling is glued with ceiling tiles with good glue.
• Strength and durability of the ceiling coating directly depends on the ability of the surface to adhere to the paint or other coating. The primer ideally gives the surface this property.

Loose microparticles and dust

Construction and repair work is one of the most dirty, during which a huge amount of dust is generated.Even after moving to a new renovated apartment, you have to clean more than once or twice before you manage to get rid of building dust.
Moreover, it is impossible to remove all dust during finishing work, even with a vacuum cleaner.
The surface of the ceiling is no exception, dust particles also settle on it. Getting between the surface and the paint, they reduce the adhesive properties of the coating.
Neither glue, nor paint, nor even putty can cope with them. Pretty fast ceiling decoration begins to exfoliate due to small loose particles.

How to primer the ceiling

This is not a difficult question, but it is solved in several stages. Each of which is extremely important. Let's look at them in more detail. Now we will figure out how to apply a primer to the ceiling in more detail.

Surface preparation

We will begin with this work. If it is not done, then the grip will not be strong enough and the coating will not last long.

Remove the old coating

So:

• We do a surface inspection. Remove the old coating. If this is a wallpaper, then it is worth reading an article on this topic on our website, then you will do it quickly enough;
• If we have plaster, then we look for delaminations, if they take place, then we just take a chisel and a hammer and knock them down;
• If there is paint, then it can simply be removed with a brush for metal.

Putty putty on the ceiling

Note: if the plaster is old and loose, then it must be removed exactly. Even deep penetration soil will not solve the issue of adhesion of surfaces.

• After removing the wrong layer, you will have an uneven surface. It must be putty. We put a layer of putty and wait for complete drying.

Priming

Before starting work, the instruction should be fully studied, which necessarily indicates the consumption of material per square meter and the drying time of the primer. This is important because these parameters can vary significantly depending on the type of soil.
So:

• The surface needs preliminary dust removal with brushes or a vacuum cleaner.
• Then apply a primer, while making sure that there are no primed sections of the ceiling left. For work, it is best to use a spray gun.
  However, if it is not, then you can apply the roller. Traces of the brush will remain and it will be difficult to hide them with paint;

Application by roller

Caution: Sometimes porous surfaces require a double coating of soil. For example, putty and sanded. In this case, drying of each primer layer is expected.

• When working with the primer, protective gloves and a respirator are necessary, since when interacting with any chemicals, allergic reactions cannot be ruled out.

What type of primer to choose?

There are many types of soil, the choice depends on the purpose of the application, on the surface to be primed. There are universal primers suitable for any surface.
Specialized primers are used for a specific purpose, for example, primers for ceilings or floors, for rough finish, antifungal primer. Now let's figure out how to prime the ceiling before painting.

So:

• Mineral-based primers are most often used for ceilings. They include cement as a binder. Are applied on surfaces from concrete, a brick, silicate blocks for rough finishing.
• Alkyd-based primers are a universal compound that is perfect for wooden products. In addition, such a primer is used to cover hardboard and particleboard, galvanized and even glass.
• Specialized primer for wood preserves surfaces from moisture and fungus, reduces paint consumption.
• Acrylic primers provide excellent adhesive properties of any surface, are also universal.Brick, concrete, drywall, plaster and putty - this is an incomplete list of materials on which acrylic soil ideally lays. Therefore, acrylic based primers are very popular.
• Primers for metal resemble paint in appearance, create conditions for adhesion to metal. These are specialized primers.

Soil corresponds to the surface

Do not save on the primer and abandon this type of work. In material terms, this does not justify itself, and the cost of fixing problems with the ceiling will cost more.
It is worth choosing a specialized primer for ceilings or a primer on a mineral basis. Sometimes universal primers are used for ceilings.
It is important to carefully read the instructions and purchase a product that matches the surface. Whether the ceiling baseboard is to be primed, this is decided on the spot, if it can be easily removed, then it is better to simply remove it.