Aerosol Primers Explained

A really common question we get from day to day is which primer should you use on your car. We have a wide variety of aerosol primers on offer and this should explain which primer to use on different applications.

Why use Primer?

So first things first, why do you use primer before applying paint to your car or any paint product really. Primer is primarily used as a base before applying topcoat (Colour) to smooth the surface to give your topcoat an expert smooth finish. It is also used to provide better adhesion of your topcoat to your car. Using primer will prevent your topcoat from flaking or peeling off of bare metal or old paint that is already on your car ensuring a long lasting paint finish on your car.

Different types of Primer

Standard Primer: Spraying over existing clean paint that is smooth and has no chips or cracks. Standard primer is perfect for quick coating over existing paints if your respraying, touching up or general use over filler.

Here is our most popular Standard Primer

High Build / Filler Primer: Spraying over paint with very slight imperfections but no bare metal or rust present. High build is the perfect product to provide a smooth look to sanded paint to cover over light scratches and give your topcoat a smoother finish and look.

Here is our most popular High Build Primer

Epoxy Primer: Epoxy primer is used on clean, bare metal. It seals out moisture to prevent and protect metal from corrosion and rust. It also provides great grip and adhesion between your metal and your topcoat. It is also an ideal solution if you have a bare metal exposed as well as existing paint on your car. It provides a great all round solution to your priming needs.

Here is our most popular Epoxy Primer

Etch Primer: Similar to Epoxy primers, Etch primers have added acid that promotes further adhesion to bare metal. It works on very clean, light metal to provide a very strong trustworthy first coating before your topcoat.

Here is our most popular Etch Primer

Plastic Primer: It does exactly what it says on the tin. For priming plastics such as bumpers and mirror covers. It will last far longer that standard primer as a base coat and will provide far higher adhesion levels. A good example is when you can see paint nearly peeling off of a bumper, this is mostly due to plastic primer not being used before a topcoat was applied. Always apply a plastic primer before spraying plastic products, because its a very light primer you can use standard primer or high build primer over it to provide a smoother finish.

Here is our most popular Plastic Primer

Aluminum Primer: This primer is specifically designed to prime aluminum. This primer is very similar to etch primer but is designed to add extra bite into Aluminum to provide a strong base layer before applying topcoat.

Here is our most popular Aluminum Primer

Zinc Rich Primer: Zinc rich primer provides a light Zinc coating over clean bare metal. Its similar to Galvanising your steel but using a zinc coating instead. Very effective an clean steel that needs added protection for the elements before the topcoat.

Here is our most popular Zinc Primer

Weld Thru Primer: This very smart primer is used before welding steel. Its function is to provide protection that can be welded over and as the welding process liquifies the steel the primer binds with the weld to provide protection even after the welding process.

Here is our most popular Weld Thru Primer

Get in touch

So that was a very brief run through of different primers in our range. If you need any help or advice on a project don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on Whatsapp @ 00353873338190 or via email @ parts@autofactorswaterford.ie and we would be happy to suggest the best solution for all your priming needs!