Primer coat looks awful. do i do a second primer coat?

Question

I am a terrible painter trying my best here... I am repainting some deep green baseboard to a beige. I am about half way through with a primer coat and it is all streaky and uneven. why? I cleaned it with tsp first. (it is on the wall.) do i need to do a second primer coat or will my paint probably cover it? The paint is satin enamel Behr Premium plus.

Help!! (some encouragement would also be helpful. I am afraid I am destroying my living room.)

Answer 1

Is the surface slick?  Sometimes if there's a gloss coat, even the primer won't adhere properly.  Try sanding lightly with a fine grit sandpaper (100-120 grit).

Answer 2

Primer has a tendency to be streaky and not cover well.  You might want to test paint a small section with your final coat (after the primer is dry) to see what the end result will look like.  If it's not the finish you want, then after the 1st coat of primer to dry, and lightly sand it with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, to smooth out the finish, and apply a second coat of primer.  You can sand the second coat, too.

You're doing fine, I'm sure--just think how great your place will look when you're done!

Answer 3

What primer are you using?  If it's one that won't cover the type of paint that is existing it will cause streaking.  When I repaint I use Zinser 123 - that stuff covers EVERYTHING!!  Including my daughters "wall drawing" section.  She used crayons, markers and ink pens and it took only one coat to cover it.  

Also try using a "good" brush.  One that is made of natural bristles.  Don't load the brush more than 1/2 inch from the tips of the bristles.  Do a light coat first, thin.  Then do a second coat when it's dry.

Since you are already in the middle of this - stop, let what you have done dry and do a test sight with a second coat and let that dry.  See how it looks then.  Should be fine.  Just remember to keep your layers thin.  Better to do 2 or 3 thin than one thick.  

Good Luck!  Run a fan in the room so you can clear out the fumes so you're not light headed when you're done!! :>)

Answer 4

sometimes the baseboards are painted with oil based paint even though the walls are painted with latex.  If that is the case then you will need to make sure the primer and paint you use are oil based as well.  If they are not then once your paint dries it will begin to bubble and peel off.   (you can paint oil over water bases but not water bases over oil)

Answer 5

The primer never looks like the real paint.  The paint will cover it fine.

Answer 6

Primer doesn't need to look good. It's only meant to help the colour coat bond to whatever you're painting, and needs to completely cover the old paint without drips or other uneven texture.  Is your primer meant to go over any type of paint?  If you don't know what type of paint is on your baseboards, you should be using a primer suitable for going on all types. Try some of your colour on what you've already done, and expect the colour to take two coats to cover completely. Let dry properly before the second coat. And ditch the foam brush, they're awful and take more time to paint with. Buy a good or better quality brush and look after it. Bristle for oil based paints, synthetic for latex. Bristle tends to absorb water from the latex paint, making the brush hold too much paint and be very heavy to use. An experienced painter could cope with it but that's not you.

When you are painting with a brush, paint towards the new paint, at least on the final pass of the brush. That's so you don't get brush marks in the paint where you start the stroke. Painting toward the new paint lets the brush feather in between the paint that's already on and what you're putting on .

Painting is almost all about prepping well and using good materials. You cannot get a good paint job if what the paint is going on isn't good to begin with. You're using a very good colour coat but a cheap primer. I would have done the reverse if I really needed to save money. If the primer doesn't work like it should, it's a waste of time and money to put good paint on top of it.