Repainting gloss, should I use primer?

sevenhills

I am wallpapering and painting my stairs and landing.

I am rubbing down the paintwork, to smooth off the cracks and chips, should I use primer?
I have never used it before. But I do have experience of painting cars, where I would always use the correct paint.
I have tended to change between high gloss, low shine, non-drip; what should I use.
My house was built in the 60s, so a number of layers, but not too bad. I am painting white.

pendragon_arther

I've used self-undercoating gloss before now which did the job nicely but not knowing the state of your paintwork...

Tom99

You don't need primer. You might want to undercoat if your rubbed down surface is not smooth enough.

TheCyclingProgrammer

A rub down and suitable undercoat should be more than enough to give a good base for your new topcoats. You only really need primer for new surfaces, or specialist primers for blocking stains.

If you're using water-based, I can recommend Leyland Trade Acrylic Primer/Undercoat. One coat should be enough.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/leyland-trade-acrylic-primer-undercoat-white-2-5ltr/64719

I've used this under Little Greene Eggshell throughout the house.

If you're rubbing down through lots of very old layers of paint, then you should take precautions as there may be lead paint in there. You can get tester sticks.

sevenhills

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

If you're using water-based, I can recommend Leyland Trade Acrylic Primer/Undercoat. One coat should be enough.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/leyland-trade-acrylic-primer-undercoat-white-2-5ltr/64719

Would you recommend Leyland Trade Acrylic as a top coat? Oil based one-coat gloss seems better than oil free gloss.

TheCyclingProgrammer

sevenhills wrote: »

Would you recommend Leyland Trade Acrylic as a top coat? Oil based one-coat gloss seems better than oil free gloss.

I've never used any Leyland paints for a topcoat. I don't like gloss, but I was very happy with the results of the Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell (water based) and clean up was easy.

Warwick_Hunt

Use Johnstones Aqua.

Mutton_Geoff

Whatever you do, don't use water based primer/undercoat single product on previously painted timber. It's great for bare timber/mdf but does not bond well to previously painted surfaces and rubs off easily if you bump the surface (with the hoover etc).

I'd recommend a water based acrylic undercoat and oil based top coat.

I'm a big fan of Johnstones paints and your local decorators merchant can mix them in your usual "Farrow, Sloane & Greene" colours which is much more cost effective than using those branded products.