Are regular black, white and grey paints diffirent from paints labeled as “Primer”? Can I use paints like white,black and grey as a primer? Or will using paints specifically labled as a primer work differently?
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Primer is a special kind of paint that serves 3 main functions:
1) Helps paint stick to the surface. Some surfaces like metal or ceramics can be very ‘slippery’ and difficult for the paint to stick to. Primers acts as a sort of glue to help the paint adhere properly to the surface.
2) Prevents paint absorbing into the surface. Things like bare plasterboard or bare timber will absorb the paint, which can lead to a very blotchy and uneven finish. Primer acts to as coating to block the paint from soaking into the surface.
3) Prevents dark colours leaching through a light topcoat. If you paint (say) white paint over an existing black surface, you’ll often see the old black still visible the new white paint. Primer acts as a blocker to prevent the previous darker colours from coming through.
Chemically, primer is paint that is specifically formulated for its adhesive and blocking properties. Because it is NOT designed to be the main topcoat, it is not formulated to be ‘pretty’ and hard-wearing (in fact, most primer has a dull appearance and chalky texture).
So no, you cannot use standard paint as a primer, as it won’t do the job of primer very well. And you can’t use primer as the topcoat, as it (a) doesn’t look very nice, and (b) will quickly chip and flake away once exposed to the elements.
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