Primer paint gives your finished paint job a smoother finish than if you did not use a primer at all because paint grips better and it will last much longer.

Primers will, even though relatively expensive, save you a lot of money in the long run.

What you use to prime depends on the surface that you are painting – wood, metal or concrete.

Modern primers are often water based primers and dry very rapidly. Some can be recoated with finish paint in less than an hour. Using a paint primer will actually speed up the job, not slow you down.

It is recommended you always use a primer before embarking on a painting job.

For best results use an oil-based primer if your top coat is oil based paint, or latex based primer if your top coat is latex-based paint.

If you like, the paint store can tint your primer to within a couple of shades of the paint being used for the top coat. 

Primer-sealer paint seals the surface of wood so the finished paint does not soak into it. This allows you to have even gloss over the wood that is painted.

Basically the difference between the two primers is: Water based primer is for acrylic or latex paints  and oil based primer is for enamel paints. Water based primer is usually used for walls and ceilings where there is new work and preparation is required, and oil based primer is primarily used for doors, windows, metal or woodwork. Enamel is hardier so surfaces that require heavy traffic or exposure to the elements are usually painted in enamel. Two coats primer-undercoat tinted in a similar colour as the top coat of paint,  and one top coat of colour on frames and doors and for acrylic ,one coat of primer and two coats of paint. Most primers are three- in- one: a primer, sealer & undercoat, and can be painted over old acrylic or enamel.

It is far easier to clean the water based primer as turpentine is not needed – just a good wash with warm soapy water.

Warrior Paints is the authority on all kinds of paint, paint techniques and paint applications in South Africa