Primer has a few characteristics which separate it from finish paints. While finish paints are concerned with things like color consistency, color retention, sheen level, sheen consistency, durability and washability, primers have but three primary jobs. Primers are primarily (pun intended) designed to provide adhesion to substrates and previous coatings, to act as barriers between incompatible coatings, and sealing surfaces. Some specialized primers are also designed to block stains and wood tannins.

Recently, paint manufacturers have developed ‘self-priming’ finish paints, often marketed as ‘paint and primer in one’. Are they really up to the task? Can they do what both finish paints and primers used to do? Well, sort of, or at least some of them can, to some extent. Newer waterborne paints like Ben Moore Aura have modern, better resins that help with sealing and bonding to most surfaces. But there are noteworthy limitations and for many of the cheaper paints, it’s nothing more than a marketing slogan. So, setting aside the cheap paints, for which it is just a slogan, what are the exceptions?

Builders Mostly Get a Pass

Before we talk about the situational exceptions, let’s take a minute to acknowledge the ‘job type’ exceptions. There’s no reason to be all Pollyanna or naive about it. If you’re a builder, operating with tight budget constraints, you’ll need to use a builder’s grade paint for most of your jobs. Not just because it’s less expensive, but also because it hides minor blemishes and is much better with touch-up. This is just a fact of life for most builders, on most jobs. There are some exceptions of course. If you’re doing a custom home where the owners are truly willing to spend more for quality, or you’re doing a commercial job, where brand and line are specified.

There are some modern finish paints that were designed to provide some of the qualities of a primer, but it is often just marketing hype.

Mark Fuqua Founder, Remark Painting

However, in new construction, even when price is paramount, you can really improve quality with just a few low-cost changes. First, make sure your finish carpenters use pre-primed trim and doors. They are tiny bit more expensive, but you should get that back in savings from an astute painting contractor. As for drywall, it's pretty forgiving, just make sure to insist your painting contractor does a good job removing all the dust from walls and ceilings prior to painting (especially at the wall/ceiling joints).

Situational Exceptions, or When to Use a Primer

First, and this might be obvious, but it’s worth stating none the less: priming never hurts. However, if you’re using a high quality, modern finish paint, like Ben Moore Aura, then most times we consider it over kill, especially with interior repaints.

Here’s when we recommend priming:

A final note on primers and priming. There are a lot of different primers on the market, and some are highly specialized. As a general rule of thumb, primers that are specific for the substrate/condition in question, are often better than more general primers that claim to be good for most every situation. Do your research and make sure you read the primer’s label to make sure it is suitable for your needs.