When it comes to painting, people often neglect the importance of a good primer and end up with a less than perfect finish.
Using a primer is key to ensuring your paint job lasts and has optimal performance.
Picking the right one for your job can be tricky, which is why we’ve created the below list of best bonding primers you can find on the market today. And the good news is that you can be these online from the comfort of your home.
#1. KILZ Adhesion High-Bonding Primer
We think the KILZ Adhesion is the best bonding primer for those who want maximum adhesion to really tough to work with bonding surfaces.
So think glossy and slippery surfaces.
It just simply works better than most of the standard primers out there for these types of surfaces. Also, it is pretty good value for the money.
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How does a paint primer work?
A paint primer is a product that is applied to create a uniform surface on a wall or surface so that the final coat of paint covers the wall evenly. Primers are usually acrylic, silicone, or latex-based and can be either water-based or oil-based.
A primer should be applied to bare drywall, a painted wall, vinyl wall coverings, and other surfaces that need to have something applied before being painted. A good paint primer will have good adhesion properties and will not crack after being exposed to water.
How many coats of primer do I need?
The answer to this question is not simple. It will depend on the surface you are painting on, what type of paint you are using, and the condition of the surface. To start with, you need to figure out if your surface needs an additional coat for protection or if it just needs a new coat of paint.
To answer this question, there are three steps to follow:
- Find out if your surface needs an additional coat for protection or if it just needs a new coat of paint. So look at your wall and see if it has cracks, uneven surfaces, black color dots or areas, and anything that is not normal. Usually, the more marks, cracks, dark the wall, the more primer you’ll need to apply.
- Figure out what type of paint you are using. Is it a colored wall you want after the primer? If so, you may not need to apply more than one primer coat as you’ll be adding a colored painting which shall provide the nice finish transition on your wall.
- Figure out the condition of your current surface after the primer. Okay, this one is not trivial as it depends on your sole judgment. Some people may want their wall to be perfect, others may decide their wall be uneven. Everyone is different. What matters here, is that you are satisfied with the end result. A piece of advice from us is that you should not need more than 3 coats of primer. If you need more, then you are doing something wrong, or the primer you chose is not good enough.
What does a paint primer do?
A paint primer is used to provide a level surface that will be receptive to the top coat of paint. Primer can also be applied over bare, weathered surfaces and existing painted surfaces, filling in cracks and creating a smooth surface for your top coat of paint.
What is the Best Bonding Primer?
Below are the 5 top and best bonding primers that we have selected for you. We have spent just over 35 hours testing and select these for your benefit. Now you just need to decide which one suits your needs the most.
- KILZ Adhesion High-Bonding Primer
- Rust-Oleum Bondz Maximum Adhesion Primer
- INSL-X STIX Bonding Primer
- XIM 11051 Advanced Technology UMA Bonder
- Custom Building Products Bonding Primer
#1. KILZ Adhesion High and Best Bonding Primer
When it comes to the best bonding primer, we have to give it to the KILZ Adhesion High Bonding Primer. This stuff works very well in securely bonding to all sorts of surfaces both indoors and outdoors.
This primer is actually specifically designed to adhere to tough to paint over surfaces, so it shines in bonding securely to hard glossy surfaces, where traditional oil or water primers just don’t cut it.
So some other examples of these tough surfaces are fiberglass, chalky paints, tile, vinyl, PVC, glazed brick, certain metals, and Formica. If you are working with any of these surfaces, the KILZ Adhesion works.
Also, we find coverage to be pretty good as well. One gallon of this stuff can cover about 300 square feet. It also dries to the touch in about 30 minutes and can be recoated in one hour.
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#2. Rust-Oleum Bondz Maximum Adhesion Primer
Another great option when it comes to the best bonding primer is the Rust-Oleum Bondz Maximum Adhesion Primer. It is a low VOC water-based primer that bonds to surfaces that are normally bad for coatings.
Compared to the KILZ Adhesion, the Rust-Oleum Bondz works about as well but we prefer the KILZ just because we think it is an easier primer to work with.
The Rust-Oleum Bondz has great flow and leveling properties making it easier to apply. Also, it bonds to the hard and dense interior to exterior surfaces like fiberglass, laminate, galvanized steel, brick, and aluminum.
The Kilz has been described by many as the best bonding primer for laminate but also as the best bonding primer exterior.
Finally, we just want to note that it also does a very good job in forming a permanent bond with most topcoats, including solvent-based paints and 2-part epoxies.
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#3. INSL-X STIX Bonding Primer
Next, we have the INSL-X Bonding Primer, which is the best bonding primer for painting supplies paint, and stains. You can use this primer on pretty much any surface both interior and exterior.
We would say its standout feature is that it really does have great adhesion to literally anything you can think of, from waxy plastic to slippery glass.
Additionally, we like the fact that it cures to temperatures of as low as 35 F. This is a lifesaver for some exterior surfaces and we can’t say the same with other primers.
Also, we really like it can be top-coated with pretty much anything and has excellent enamel holdout. It also creates an extremely hard film. And that’s all for the stix bonding primer reviews.
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#4. XIM 11051 Advanced Technology UMA Bonder
The XIM Advanced Technology UMA Bonder is a great bonding primer that also acts as a traditional primer and sealer. It is white in color and bonds to the exterior and interior surfaces.
We think it has a leg up on the competition in terms of overall durability. It does a great job in resisting wrinkling, blistering, or cracking due to moisture.
We also like how it cures well in low temperature and high humidity as well as how easy it is to clean with just soap and water.
Finally, we like how it accept all types of topcoats and does a really good job in resisting blistering and peeling.
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#5. Custom Building Products Bonding Primer
Finally, we have the Custom Building Products Bonding Primer, which is a ready-to-use single component primer that works on many different types of surfaces both indoors and out.
Perhaps the standout feature is that it really does a good job in bonding to porous substrates, which other primers have a huge problem with.
And while it certainly works on non-porous surfaces, we think the Custom Building Products Bonding Primer works best on porous surfaces.
It really gets into the cracks and pores and fills them up evenly. We also like the fact that no shot blasting or scarification is needed, which has proven to be quite convenient.
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Final words
Your home is more than just a building, it’s your personal sanctuary. It’s where you can go to relax and feel safe from the outside world. This is why it’s so important to take care of it and make sure that it looks its best.
Painting is a great way to spruce up your walls and give them a fresh new look, but if you want the paint to be more effective on your walls, then you need a bonding primer.
This article has provided you with 5 of the best primers you can find on the market. We really liked the KILZ Adhesion. But the Rust-Oleum Bondz Maximum Adhesion Primer performs really and has the advantage of having a low VOC.
References
https://inpaintmag.com/the-hows-and-whys-of-bonding-primer/
https://www.behr.com/pro/products/interior-paint-and-primer/kilz-adhesion-bonding-primer
