Do I have to use two coats of primer when painting my panelling?

Question

I am painting the living room in our 70's mobile home. So far, I have sanded it, used the KSP? wash, and one coat of primer.

I am wondering if I need two coats of primer. Now that it's drying, the primer looks very light on there. My sister had painted panelling, and she said that her paint job peeled because she did not use two coats of primer. I've been reading through Y/A questions, and the consensus seems to be that only one coat of primer is necessary.

Do you think the peeling was causd by used by only using one coat of primer, or could there have been another cause?

Answer 1

There was another cause, most likely.  Since you have sanded and used TSP on the wall, one coat of primer will suffice.  2 coats of finish may or not be needed, depending on the coverage.  Proper prep is the key to a successful paint job, and it sounds like you've done that.  Good luck.

Answer 2

I probably would have done just what you did or some form of it.

~ lightly sanded it

~ TSP cleaner

~ washed it down

~ made sure it was dry

~ used one coat of Kilz primer (probably the water-based kind)

~ painted with latex paint

Your sister's paint job may have been due to not sanding or making sure any wax or varnish was removed or roughed up.  That primer has to stick to the surface.  If that's done right, the paint will stick to the primer.

Answer 3

I prefer to use 2 coats of primer in most situations.  Why?  Because primer is MUCH cheaper than paint!  And it's amazing how much better the finish coat looks with a well primed surface!  In a lot of cases by using 2 coats of primer, you can then get away with using only 1 coat of the top coat.  

On a lot of materials, the first coat of primer really soaks in.  The second coat then fills in the gaps and really makes the area ready for  a nice, smooth, tough painted surface.  One of the keys is using a good quality primer!  I use Bulls-Eye 123 from Zinser on nearly everything.  It's a primer/sealer, blocks stains, works with oil or water based paints and can be used inside or out.  

As far as the peeling, it could have come from a number of things. (1) A surface that was not well cleaned before painting.  (2) Not using a quality primer or a primer that was appropriate for the project. (3) Or even inadequate drying time before the finish coat was applied.  But it sounds like you've cleaned and prepped the surface well which is wonderful!  And I think if you use that 2nd coat of primer, allow it to dry well and put the topcoat on, you'll be quite pleased with your results!

Answer 4

One coat of primer is sufficient.  I've painted paneling lots of times and didn't use primer and never had problems with peeling.  This wasn't the cause of the problem with your sister's paint job.

Answer 5

It depends on what kind of primer you use. You want to use one that bonds with the specific material you're trying to cover.

As far as the number of coats, well there's no law against it. Paint peeling can happen for a number of reasons basically because the wrong stuff is on the surface. Like latex over oil.  

Answer 6

you should have used primer for wood paneling. but if you just used kilz or another primer it will be okay since you sanded and used tsp .