# Primer advice requested for interior beadboard



## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Hi painters, I have to put stain blocker on some 100+ yr old beadboard (spruce or fir?). Usually I sand till the finish looks dull and wipe it down, and then apply two coats of an oil-based stain blocking primer (sand between coats) before painting. 

I often use Cover Stain, but I want to try something that is far less VOC-iferous and toxic--a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old sleep in the bedroom next door, and this room with the beadboard will be their playroom. I don't want to poison the kids. Zinnser's "odorless" oil primer is great on walls and terrible on wood--too stiff to brush out. I don't want to use a shellac-based stain blocker because I think of it as being a weaker material--easy to chip and such. 

Do you think the shellac primer will be just fine and I needn't worry about its durabilty? Or is there a painter who knows of some newly developed low-odor or quickly-dissipating stain blocker that I can use on old wood to hold back the tannin stains? Please make suggestions! Thanks.


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## AbsolutePainting (Feb 9, 2011)

Knowing what's on the bead board now would be helpful -guessing an oil base of some sort. Give Zinsser 1-2-3+ a try. Very easy to work with, low odor, water base, and sands well. Sand and clean first, of course.


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## RPS (May 13, 2010)

SW has a latex adhesion primer. It works really nice, although I'm not sure of it's stainblocking abilities. They also have a multi purpose primer that works well.


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

Shellac is actually considered a varnish and is durable....but not for everything. It dosnt like glasses of water resting on it. I would use it in this case, one cause its the best at tannin block IMO.....and 2 it would be a good glassy start for paint. But if your worried about smell it would not be the best. It would adhere to oil or what ever the existing finish....???? Is it painted or varnished? I like to actually test an area with 2 or 3 primers and see which is bonding best. I have had issues with some on certain things. Had XIM fail but SW Bonding lock!


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

I've use the SW bonding primer in the past with good results, usually when painting that horrible paneling people used to use. It isn't cheap though. My local SW has it retailing for $50.99/gal (before my discount)


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks for the replies, you guys (and gal)--I was planning to do a little test with alcohol to see if it is shellac, alot of stuff around here is, but I think it may be oil-based varnish. And I've worked with this type of wood before, and I am pretty sure it's going to bleed. 

I feel ok about the shellac primer odor because it dissipates so quickly, and with a fan in the window, it's all good. Just worried about it chipping, but will probably be fine?

I recently asked about SW's bonding primer for an oak kitchen cabinet project, but store manager was hesitant about use for stain-blocking. Wood is probably thirsty, so I think bonding'll be okay. Side note--what about bonding primer w/ stain blocker on top for the oak cabs? (I haven't mixed products this way before)

I don't know, these little girls are fairly mellow, not ruckus-y little boys jamming Tonka trucks around, so perhaps the BIN shellac is my best choice here. Any advice NOT to use BIN?

Thanks again


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

100+ years old and you're in the NE. Tested for lead?


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

Lead in a clear finish?:blink:


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Holly said:


> I was planning to do a little test with alcohol to see if it is shellac, alot of stuff around here is, but I think it may be *oil-based varnish*.


missed this part


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Roadog said:


> Shellac is actually considered a varnish and is durable....but not for everything. It dosnt like glasses of water resting on it. I would use it in this case, one cause its the best at tannin block IMO.....and 2 it would be a good glassy start for paint. But if your worried about smell it would not be the best. It would adhere to oil or what ever the existing finish....???? Is it painted or varnished? I like to actually test an area with 2 or 3 primers and see which is bonding best. I have had issues with some on certain things. Had XIM fail but SW Bonding lock!





Gibberish45 said:


> 100+ years old and you're in the NE. Tested for lead?



Thanks for input Gibberish, I'm glad for it. I'll add that I'm MAJORLY concerned with lead w/customers, as at one point my son got an elevated level very quickly (He's okay, went back down fast again, just VERY scary! --11 months old, sucking on the stair treads of my 1830s house--why do kids DO this stuff?!!) 

Anyway, it's an old clear finish on beadboard, and then all new cabinets, trim, cubbies and window seats installed by the customer's carpenter--carpenter has primed already--it's just the original bead board that has to be prepped. I'm not too worried, and we try contain our dust no matter what we're sanding, less clean up time.

I gotta send photos of it, it's DARLING--it's a teeny little room under part of the roof peak, a snug and almost magical space for little kids. I'm writhing in envy for my own boy!! 

But no one has objected to the BIN--so I guess I'll go ahead with that, with a small caveat to the customer, explaining my choice.


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## One Coat Coverage (Oct 4, 2009)

I haven't read all of the thread, a little too much for me. But from my experience, you do not want to use low voc primer, or odorless oil primer. They simply do not seal out stains nearly as well as the good nasty headache giving full strength oil primers. Stick with the Coverstain.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Stick with what you know will work, like Cover Stain, and have them take the little one to the park for a few hours. The potential problem/liability on your part is not worth experimenting with a new product you have never used before. 

They have painters and a carpenter in the house, they _should_ expect a _little_ disruption in there lives.


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks Paul and One Coat--it's more me than the family, actually--it's just that CoverStain stinks for DAYS, and I just worry about little kids and their growing bodies. Although it isn't so bad when I paint over it the same day. 

Thanks again everyone, for your input.


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## ltd (Nov 18, 2010)

cover stain all day long . put a box fan in window and blow it out side .it is what it is .


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

Shellac isn't going to help with the odor any. You could try this stuff - waterborne lacquer undercoater and stain blocker. Not sure about availability where you are though.

Edit - didn't see you needed brushable material - this is spray only.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

We just tried some wb stain blocker on some old wainscott and it bled bad. We had to re-shoot wth CS with the PS. Once it dried we hit it with a heavy coat of Ecospec. Smell went away all encapsulated.


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## AbsolutePainting (Feb 9, 2011)

ROOMINADAY said:


> We just tried some wb stain blocker on some old wainscott and it bled bad. We had to re-shoot wth CS with the PS. Once it dried we hit it with a heavy coat of Ecospec. Smell went away all encapsulated.


What wb stain blocker did u use?


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## RPS (May 13, 2010)

I recently asked about SW's bonding primer for an oak kitchen cabinet project, but store manager was hesitant about use for stain-blocking. Wood is probably thirsty, so I think bonding'll be okay. 


I think the bonding primer is called multi purpose now. I used bonding primer in a kitchen with nicotine and fried food grease. It worked well. Noting bled.


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## BreatheEasyHP (Apr 24, 2011)

I like Zinnser Smart Prime. I blocks tannins (I'd be leary about using it on new wood). It doesn't block stains from water damage, but that's the only exception I know.

The first coat of primer might show some seepage, but it shouldn't show up in a second. 

On glossier surfaces, it seems like it's not sticking - a fingernail might scratch it off. But wait 2-3 days and it'll be firm.

Knots pretty much need oil primer.

It's not expensive and sands to a powder well for a latex primer.

Also, XIM has an additive for tannin blocking. I haven't tried it because I think the Smart Prime works well enough.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

AbsolutePainting said:


> What wb stain blocker did u use?


We had 2 kinds - One was 1-2-3 (had half a can in the trailer) and the other was called STAIN BLOCKER by Para - Para is a part of the COMEX group. They assured me it is guaranteed to block what it advertises :whistling2:. Neither worked so we used Coverstain.


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Nice paint work, Jeff


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## AbsolutePainting (Feb 9, 2011)

ROOMINADAY said:


> We had 2 kinds - One was 1-2-3 (had half a can in the trailer) and the other was called STAIN BLOCKER by Para - Para is a part of the COMEX group. They assured me it is guaranteed to block what it advertises :whistling2:. Neither worked so we used Coverstain.


The 1-2-3+ I suggested is the same product as smart prime (per Zinsser). It is different than regular 1-2-3, though. I have had very good results with it over things like: varnished trim, water stains, fly specks, oil based paint, and food stains on walls.


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## AbsolutePainting (Feb 9, 2011)

Before and after pics from recent basement project primed with 1-2-3+.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

That drywall needed removed. No primer in the world could make it healthy. 

You did make it look good.


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

AbsolutePainting said:


> Before and after pics from recent basement project primed with 1-2-3+.



Looks great!

I wish people wouldn't put drywall all the way to the floor in basements; it just wicks up moisture. I wonder of they would have got so much mold if they'd left a 1" gap and slapped on some vinyl mop base or something. Unless it was flood damage?


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks for input, everyone. I ended up using coverstain and two coats of CabinetCoat from Insl-x -- actually, 3 coats because customer changed color choice after the first coat. New color didn't quite hide prior color.

It looks good, one of my painters overworked it a bit in a couple of spots, I need her to go back and sand+repaint. I like the Cabinet Coat okay, doesn't look too plasticky, but think I will go back to Muralo Ultra satin on next similar job. I just really like it!


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

ltd said:


> cover stain all day long . put a box fan in window and blow it out side .it is what it is .


I am late to the party but this is how I would of handled it.


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## Holly (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks, we also put a box fan in the window, and closed the door. Customer also blocked off whole 3rd floor and put up 2 more fans after we left for lunch!


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