Do you have to use primer when painting color onto wood?

Question

I have a stained wood dresser that I would like to paint a bright pink, do I have to paint it with primer first?

p.s Being a broke and busy college student If its not absolutly nessisary I'd rather not spend the time or money =)

Thanks!

Answer 1

You should. Otherwise the color from the stain might leach through the coat of paint and discolor it. Use a good stain-blocking primer, like Kilz. It's fairly cheap (about $12 a gallon) and you may then get away with only one coat of paint (which is more expensive than the primer).

Answer 2

I would recommend priming first without a doubt.  Wood is very porous and the paint may take several coats to fully cover smoothly - costing more money that a small can of primer and one coat of well applied paint.  In addition, if the wood has been previously treated, the sealant may very well leech through the paint causing a discoloration of your paint.

I know you are on a tight budget, but it is best to do the job correctly the first time instead of having to do it twice - only correctly the SECOND time, lol!!

Best of Luck!!

Answer 3

me and my husband, paint houses for a living. best advice going cheap.  hit it sand paper to rough it up. use satin ,enamel, enam. is shiny, satin is very little shine. the more shine the tougher. like eggshell or flat will scratch really easy. you could always useenamel on top and satin on bottom. but if you do the shade may very alittle.oh by the way. wal-mart paint is made by sherwin  williams. iys good paint. the difference is your not buying s.w, name. good luck oh yeah. look in the ads call a painter. see if they have extra paint left over from jobs. people send paint home with us all the time.wal mart paint pretty cheap.