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Is this product suitable to prime an MDF staircase?
- Thread starter Barrattnewbuild
- Start date
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I've used the Leyland MDF primer before, seems to do what it says on the tin.
At one stage 95% of my work was hand painting MDF bookcases and wardrobes.
I tried a number of different primers. In the end I opted for Leyland Trade acrylic primer.
I tried oil based primers but they were slow to apply and although they didn't raise the grain, they still needed a lot of sanding and end grain needed two coats. MDF is is no where near as smooth as people would have you believe.
I once tried Zinsser BIN. that was a big mistake. It too didn't raise the grain but rather than spending 8 hours sanding the first coat, I spent about 18 hours and got through a lot more sanding pads.
I tried both the Dulux Trade waterbased primer and the Dulux Trade (waterbased) MDF primer. Both clogged my abrasives and the latter messed up my brushes.
One day I tried the Leyland trade acrylic primer. I was way cheaper than any of the above. More importantly it was a dream to sand. It does however "raise the grain". I tend to sand until I can see the score marks in the MDF. I then apply oil based top coat paints (which will not raise the grain further).
The brand of paint that you plan to use is highly recommended by other decorators at another forum that I am a member of. I haven't used it. I have no idea how easy it is to sand it.
With waterbased finishes, the first coat causes the fibres in MDF to swell ("grain raising"). Once you sand that swell back, you are still at risk of the second waterbased coat causing the grain to swell.
If client specifies a waterbased finish over raw MDF, I use an oil based primer or oil based undercoat first.
I tried a number of different primers. In the end I opted for Leyland Trade acrylic primer.
I tried oil based primers but they were slow to apply and although they didn't raise the grain, they still needed a lot of sanding and end grain needed two coats. MDF is is no where near as smooth as people would have you believe.
I once tried Zinsser BIN. that was a big mistake. It too didn't raise the grain but rather than spending 8 hours sanding the first coat, I spent about 18 hours and got through a lot more sanding pads.
I tried both the Dulux Trade waterbased primer and the Dulux Trade (waterbased) MDF primer. Both clogged my abrasives and the latter messed up my brushes.
One day I tried the Leyland trade acrylic primer. I was way cheaper than any of the above. More importantly it was a dream to sand. It does however "raise the grain". I tend to sand until I can see the score marks in the MDF. I then apply oil based top coat paints (which will not raise the grain further).
The brand of paint that you plan to use is highly recommended by other decorators at another forum that I am a member of. I haven't used it. I have no idea how easy it is to sand it.
With waterbased finishes, the first coat causes the fibres in MDF to swell ("grain raising"). Once you sand that swell back, you are still at risk of the second waterbased coat causing the grain to swell.
If client specifies a waterbased finish over raw MDF, I use an oil based primer or oil based undercoat first.
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