What is 'Self Priming' paint and does it really work?
Smart Frenchic paints are quickly becoming the go-to choice for home painters and DIYers who want to reduce the time and effort involved in repainting their favorite furniture.
However, with so many paint options on the market, is Frenchic really what it promises?
Frenchic is manufactured in England, which has a long tradition and know-how in the manufacture of paints and wallpapers.
Frenchic paints combine traditional know-how and completely new innovations that have not been seen in other paint series.
For these innovations, Frenchic has been awarded numerous different prizes and mentions.
You can read more about them here.
Self Leveling - Frenchic paints are beautifully leveled to a smooth surface, almost or completely without brush marks. Yes!
Self Leveling is a feature of Frenchic paints praised by our customers, which amazes even an experienced painter.
In order for the smoothing feature to be realized, you should follow our instructions:
- The paint must be thoroughly mixed before starting, so that the composition becomes velvety creamy and thick. Frenchic paints do not need to be thinned, in fact over-thinning and painting with a brush can even remove this wonderful feature!
- When painting paint, you have to be 'normal'. So you shouldn't mess with the paint. In order for the smoothing feature to be realized, there must be something that smooths - layers that are too thin dry in an instant and do not have time to smooth. Non-drip Frenchic paint is a wonderful painting experience.
- You should follow the drying time of the layer. It varies per batch, so check the side of the jar in case you forget it. For example, in the Lazy Range series, the layer drying time is 1h and in the Al Fresco series, 2h. This is the time when leveling is realized.
- Self Priming - you don't need primers.
- Self Sealing - you don't need varnish or wax.
Read more and learn about the benefits of Self Priming paint and tips on using it in your own projects.
What is Self Priming paint?
Self Priming paint is above all designed to eliminate the need for a primer.
It's typically thicker than regular paint and has a higher solids content that helps cover imperfections, leaves a more durable surface, and ultimately makes the process faster and easier.
A primer can also be mixed with the paint, resulting in a two-in-one product that prepares and colors the surface at once.
What is the purpose of priming?
There are several reasons why the surface should be primed before painting. Priming smoothes rough surfaces and thus improves the finish of the painting.
It also helps the paint adhere to surfaces that do not take paint well, such as metal and porous surfaces such as raw wood, where the grain and knot variations of the wood cause the paint to absorb at a different rate.
Primer can also be used to seal surfaces to prevent the underlying screeds, liquids, grease marks or glue and putty stains from leaking through the new coat of paint and spoiling the finished look.
Some primers are only intended to increase adhesion and may not act as a barrier to unknown contaminants.
Advantages of Self Priming paint
If you're an experienced DIY builder, you know that the finishing touches always take longer than you originally planned.
Pre-treating the surfaces, waiting for each layer of paint to dry before you can move on to the next - finishing work is not a quick job.
The main advantage of Self Priming paint is that it shortens the duration of the painting process.
Unlike traditional paints, which first require a primer, which takes 24 hours to dry, Self Priming paint reduces the number of paint layers.
Also note the fast drying interval of Frenchic paints, which is 1-4 hours depending on the series.
Although some professional decorators prefer to use a separate primer + paint, most recycling projects and home repainting jobs really don't need it.
All Frenchic's natural chalk paints slide easily on surfaces and stick to furniture without the need to prime them beforehand. Thanks to its composition, it also helps to smooth rough surfaces and cover small imperfections.
You also don't have to worry about the old color leaking through, because the properties of our paints act as a barrier to liquids and they slow down, for example, the penetration and staining of tree branch leaks.
Frenchic paints are even washable so that accidental spills don't ruin your decor.
If you choose our wall paint , Trim Paint , Lazy Range or Al Fresco products, you'll save even more work, time and money, because you don't have to coat them separately either!
Self Priming paints are especially good for painters who just want to open a can of paint, dip a brush and start.
As with all Frenchic paint products, there is no need to thin them, but you can paint directly from the can - Start by mixing the paint carefully to get all the pigment to use. And what's even better is that since the paint is thicker than average, you can refresh darker items with a couple of coats.
How to use our Self Priming paint
All of Frenchic's non-toxic chalk and mineral paints are both Self Priming and Self Leveling, which guarantees a professional result and makes your life easier in your painting projects.
If you're a complete beginner or have never used our products before, we've put together some useful tips and tricks to get you started on your newest project. Start experimenting with our award-winning Lazy Range.
What about those exceptions? When is it good to prime or seal the surface before painting?
Since there are countless projects, there are also exceptions. Although in this article we mainly deal with the painting of furniture, we also bring up the painting of other surfaces.
Metal painting
For bare metal painting, you should use a suitable anti-rust agent. None of the paints in the Frenchic series contain toxic rust inhibitors.
Strongly knotted wood surface
Natural discoloration cannot always be avoided, but you can slow down the discoloration. Please note that not all primers on the market are intended to prevent punctures or other contaminants. You can slow down staining and leakage of knots, penetration, by sealing the surface before painting with Finishing coating.
Porous surface
A porous surface, such as a bare MDF board or a clean new wooden surface: there is no need to prime it due to adhesion, but it should be sealed before painting with Finishing coating , in order to save layers of topcoat.
Big color differences
When painting, for example, a reddish or orange surface - or from black to white - you don't need a primer for adhesion, but to neutralize the tone of the base. Choose a light grey, for example Swanky Pants or City Slicker shade, to make the tone difference. This way you can get by with fewer topcoat layers.
Blocking of various impurities
The walls of the renovation site may be full of putty, adhesives and smoothing agents that can react with the surface paint. The purpose of the primer in this case is to isolate impurities from the surface paint.
Some primers are only intended to increase adhesion and may not act as a barrier to unknown contaminants.
We always recommend first testing the compatibility of the products used in the project before a larger project.
1. Preparation
Although the surface to be painted does not need to be primed, it must be cleaned.
As with any painting project, you want to make sure the surface is in as good condition as possible before painting. This means removing excess residue such as grease and other dirt, which can form a barrier to the paint.
Dilute Sugar Soap detergent in warm water and clean the surface to be painted from grease and other dirt with a cloth or sponge.
When the surface has dried, it should be lightly sanded/roughened so that the paint sticks better.
Use coarser sandpaper on surfaces that have been previously coated or treated. Make sure you wipe off the dust with a lint-free cloth before painting. Only paint a clean and dry surface.
2. Painting
The beauty of Self Priming paint is that when the surface is pre-treated, you can paint the color of your choice directly on the surface.
You can do it with a brush, or if you want to cover large areas faster, all our paints can be used with a hand-held paint sprayer.
For best results, apply the first coat and wait at least two hours before applying the second coat.
The second layer guarantees even coverage and a durable surface, but always check if the paint you choose needs a coating.
All Frenchic paints can be painted at least twice.
Careful mixing of the paint before starting affects both coverage and durability.
Ready to get started?
If the tedious painting process is holding you back from starting your next project, you're in the right place.
Frenchic's intelligently designed Self Priming paint helps you get the job done much faster and potentially much cheaper too, because you don't need as many products.
Check out our entire selection of easy-to-use paints that are safe even for children's furniture online or find a retailer near you. For more DIY tips and advice, check out Frenchic Videos, which has step-by-step videos.
