Both drywall and wood have become popular as construction materials at present. However, you will not have the expected finish if you do not follow the necessary steps of coating with the right products. When it comes to the very first step of coating, the priming, you might have a problem, can drywall primer be used on wood? Today, we are going to discuss whether it is possible to use this product interchangeably or not.
Is it Necessary to Prime the Wood?
First and foremost, it is worth knowing the importance of priming. It is advisable to use a suitable primer before painting any wood. Because wood is a natural material and it does not always provide a perfect and even surface. Besides, its porous surface might expand or shrink depending on its surroundings. Therefore, the step of priming cannot be underestimated since it is the base for a smooth final outlook.
What is the Purpose of Drywall Primer?
Drywalls are a popular finishing material in the construction field because they provide a large surface of the rigid sheet to face the interior walls. When we are going to paint these drywalls, a drywall primer becomes a must to prep the surface and smoothen it out. The speciality of drywalls is their ability to soak all kinds of material coatings.
If you cannot use a drywall primer before the painting, you have to apply many layers for a smooth finish. This preparatory coating will seal the substrate, offering a nice and uniform finish to your drywall. What’s more, it is able to increase paint durability, supply additional protection to the wall and assure better paint adhesion. Drywall primer is a polyvinyl acetate primer. And it can absorb into the surface and builds up its strength.
Can Drywall Primer Be Used on Wood?
Unfortunately, you cannot use a drywall primer on wood because the drywall primer will not provide a smooth and uniform surface for the paint to stick properly. Although both drywall and wood are construction materials, this preparatory coating cannot be used interchangeably. The main reason why wood surface contains tannic acid so they need a heavy-duty approach than drywalls.
Why Does It Not Work on Wood?
Let’s discuss in detail the scientific reason why you cannot use it on wood. Wood is one of the porous surfaces. And the drywall primers have a water-based coalition. Therefore, it is not suitable for a wood surface since the aforesaid composition of the drywall primers can swell the wood fibres. As a result, the wood surface tends to create more pores on the already porous surface of the wood.
And there are multiple kinds of wood for construction which come from various trees. Among them, some trees, such as oak, willow, and birch, release extracts which are called tannins, it is derived from the tannic acid of the trees. If you do not prime your wood surface properly, tannins will leach through the paint and blotch the surface. And the worst thing is that this will lead to peeling the entire coating of the paint.
And no one like to see their wood surface with wood fibres which have come loose from the surface. So, it is necessary to apply a heavy primer than a drywall primer that helps to penetrate inside the wood and bind the wood fibres together.
Therefore, drywall primer will not work properly on your wood surface. Besides, it may spoil your wood surface.
Ill Effects of the Drywall Primer on Wood?
If you mistakenly apply a drywall primer on your wood surface, you will be happy with its effectiveness because it takes some time to show you the ill effects.
Over time, you might notice some issues. Especially on the paint layer, you will see some yellow-coloured stains which have begun to form because of the tannins in the wood. And the paint layer might start to peel away, making the wood brittle. And as we said earlier, drywall primer contains water components, and this will affect the wood to swell and crack.
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Primers for Wood
Now you know whether you can use drywall primer on wood or not. Then, the next question would be what type of primers you can use on wood. Basically, you have to consider the condition of the wood surface before trying any primer. Here, the critical point is whether the wood surface is stained or not. Depending on that, you have to choose a suitable primer to get a smooth finish.
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For Stained Wood
If your wood surface has already stained, it is better to use an oil-based primer or stain-blocking primer. But make sure to buy a high-quality product to block the stains perfectly. Moreover, you can use a shellac-based primer which contains a heavy-duty composition. So, shellac-based primers can be introduced as the best option since their composition and the ability to seal and block.
2. For Unstained Wood
For this type of wood, you can use either oil-based primer or latex-based wood primer. When it comes to oil-based ones, they effectively do their duty, sealing the pores and blocking the stains out. And they prevent wood fibres from leaching through the surface. Accordingly, oil-based primers can make the wood surface last long.
Secondly, we can go for the option of latex-based wood primer. This one is more flexible because we can apply it even on a worn-out wood surface. Latex-based primers have high water content, yet it dries faster than the oil ones. And latex-based primers contain less odour than when it compares with oil ones.
After choosing the suitable primer, you have to apply it in the proper way to get the best result. First, you should clean the wood surface and dry it. Next, you can use your first coat of primer. Depending on the condition of your wood, you will have to let the first coat dry for 6 to 24 hours. After drying, you will apply your second coat, but make sure to use a thicker layer this time. For the second time, it is enough to dry for a few hours. Now your wood surface is ready for the painting.
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