---
title: "Prep Set Go! Everything You Need To Know About Priming Ep. 10"
description: In this video we will be going through the essentials of priming. Why is priming important, what are the roles of a primer, different types of primers, which primer to choose depending on your situation, and the risks of skipping priming a substrate.
url: "https://www.rlapolymers.com.au/docs/prep-set-go-everything-you-need-to-know-about-priming/"
updated: "2024-01-22"
category: "Prep-Set-Go Videos"
---

# Prep Set Go! Everything You Need To Know About Priming Ep. 10

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     Description   Transcript

## Description

In this video we will be going through the essentials of priming. Why is priming important, what are the roles of a primer, different types of primers, which primer to choose depending on your situation, and the risks of skipping priming a substrate. We will also take you through the range of RLA Primers and tips for a successful priming application.

## Transcript

0:00
 [Music]
 0:03
 Hello and thanks for joining us for today's episode of Prep Set Go where we take a look at an
 0:08
 important primary step in any coating or flooring system and that is priming. We'll be going through
 0:14
 what it is, it's function and choosing the right primer for your project. So first up what is
 0:20
 priming? Priming is a foundational preparatory step that lays the groundwork for the successful
 0:26
 overlay of any finish or system to a surface. Whether for painting, waterproofing, installing
 0:31
 flooring, or any decorative or functional system that needs to be adhered to a surface, priming
 0:37
 plays a vital role to ensure strong adhesion and long-lasting durability of the system. In
 0:42
 this video we'll dive deep into the significance of substrate priming and the specific roles they
 0:47
 play, the different types of primers, and guidance on when and how to use them. Let's begin by
 0:53
 looking into the importance of substrate priming. Different surfaces and substrates you might come
 0:57
 across that require bonding either a coating or finish to can vary significantly in composition,
 1:03
 porosity, and condition. Priming ensures the effective adhesion of your chosen finish,
 1:08
 ultimately allowing that finish or coating to perform as intended. So what are some of the other
 1:13
 basic roles of a primer? They include enhancing adhesion of overlaid finishes, dust suppressing,
 1:20
 and surface stabilization, moisture retarding properties, protecting against debonding
 1:26
 and general moisture related damage to overlaid finishes, primers can prevent the rapid absorption
 1:31
 and drying of coatings and adhesives over highly porous surfaces, this helps promote even
 1:36
 drying and work time and also helps to prevent pin-holing in liquid coatings. Priming promotes
 1:41
 or facilitates adhesion to otherwise difficult to bond to surfaces or surfaces the applied finish
 1:47
 would not typically bond to. It improves coverage of liquid coatings and also can protect against
 1:52
 oxidation - for example with metal primers. So what are the risks of not priming a substrate when
 1:58
 advised to do so? It can result in weak adhesion properties of coatings and adhesives and finishes,
 2:04
 leading to premature delamination and adhesion failure. There's pin-holing of liquid coatings
 2:09
 over very porous surfaces, uneven drying and reduced workability of coatings and adhesives,
 2:14
 moisture related issues when dealing with damp substrates, including blistering of
 2:18
 liquid coatings, softening or re-emulsification of adhesives and or warping. So when should you use a
 2:25
 primer? Essentially, when it's recommended to do so. So always follow manufacturer's
 2:31
 recommendations as to the requirements for priming a surface. New, old, existing surfaces, porous,
 2:37
 or nonporous different substrate types, there is a suitable primer for each case. Most applications
 2:43
 of membranes, liquid coatings, and floor finishes will benefit from the use of a primer. And again
 2:49
 always follow manufacturer's recommendations. Now let's explore some of the various types of
 2:54
 primers available and the applications where each type is commonly used. Water-based and acrylic
 3:00
 or latex primers a versatile primer which is primarily used for absorbent substrates
 3:05
 including concrete and masonry plaster board and cement sheeting a quick drying and with excellent
 3:11
 adhesion and absorbing properties designed to support water-based systems and adhesives
 3:15
 applied over. Specialty bonding primers - used to enhance adhesion of finishes over challenging and
 3:21
 difficult to bond to surfaces. These primers rely on strong topical adhesion rather than absorbing
 3:26
 into the surface. Suitable surfaces including ceramic, metals, and PVC and dense concrete.
 3:33
 Solvent-based primers have good adhesion to porous and non-porous dense mineral surfaces
 3:38
 and are often used to support solvent-based finishes, coatings or adhesives, applied over,
 3:43
 often used for priming metal surfaces. Moisture barrier primers include water-based epoxy primers
 3:47
 used to prevent rising damp or residual moisture from damaging or debonding overlaid finishes and
 3:53
 coatings. RLA has a number of primers available in their range suitable for various applications,
 3:58
 and each with their own unique properties. So let's have a look at some of them. Okay here we
 4:03
 have RLA Universal primer which is a one component highly versatile primer suitable for both porous
 4:09
 and non-porous surfaces so things like ceramic tiles, PVC, dense concrete, and things like
 4:14
 that. And it's also used extensively with the RLA floor levelling range as well. Here we have Uni
 4:20
 Prime which is another water-based acrylic primer designed primarily for porous substrates so things
 4:25
 like plaster board, concrete, masonry, as well before the application of waterproof membranes
 4:30
 and tile adhesives. Here we have the PU primer which is used exclusively with PU based systems
 4:36
 including the Flex Pro sealant range and the PU850 UV waterproof membrane. We also have the
 4:42
 RLA Zinc primer which is a zinc rich epoxy primer designed for use over metal surfaces to protect
 4:48
 against rust and corrosion. So what are some of the key tips to applying and ensuring a successful
 4:54
 priming application surface preparation as we've discussed a number of times on this series proper
 5:01
 surface preparation is always the number one consideration surfaces must be thoroughly clean
 5:06
 and free of dirt, dust, loose or contaminating material. Primer selection - carefully choose
 5:12
 the appropriate primer based on your specific substrate and project requirements. Always read
 5:17
 manufacturer's recommendations with whatever system you're using for advice on the right
 5:22
 primer. Primer application - apply the primer evenly using brushes, rollers or sprayers. Again
 5:28
 carefully follow manufacturers instructions on how to apply, and what to use to apply. Coverage
 5:34
 rates, number of coats, drying times and other important usage instructions. So here we have
 5:40
 the RLA universal primer, suitable for both porous and nonporous substrates, here we've got a range
 5:46
 of nonporous substrates including dense concrete, ceramic tile, and PVC. When applying the universal
 5:53
 primer over nonporous substrates it's applied in its neat state. If applied to porous substrates it
 6:02
 can be diluted with water. It's also fast drying and has really good coverage. When applying to
 6:12
 highly burnished or highly glossed surfaces like glossy ceramic tiles it is advisable to firstly
 6:17
 lightly scuff that surface just to take off any excess glaze. Here we have our Uni Prime which is
 6:25
 specifically designed for priming porous surfaces before tiling and applying waterproof membranes.
 6:32
 It's a single part primer fast drying and serves to increase and improve the adhesion of overlayed
 6:39
 coatings as well as reducing pin holes associated with porous surfaces as we have here for example
 6:44
 some plaster board, some cement sheeting, and some concrete - so let's apply some. It's quite thin in
 6:52
 viscosity designed to obviously penetrate into the pore surfaces and create a temporary seal, so that
 6:58
 obviously stops the rapid absorption of adhesives and membranes into that, so helps regulate drying
 7:06
 as well. So to summarize, priming remains a critical step in the installation of coatings
 7:13
 and finishes and ensures the long-term performance and durability, allowing that system to perform
 7:18
 as intended and again when in doubt always refer to manufacturer's recommendations. Thank you for
 7:24
 joining us again for this episode - as always if you have any questions please feel free to reach
 7:29
 out via our socials or give our friendly customer service team a call. We'll see you next time.