Primer

Some primers in our range, like Otex Akva, Everal Aqua, and Helmi, may look lighter than your chosen topcoat, especially with darker colours.

This is because they have an A-base (light base) formulation, which means they won't achieve the same depth as a C-base (dark base). For instance, if you tint these primers in black, they'll come out as light grey.

Despite this, we recommend tinting towards your intended topcoat shade for optimal coverage. This helps with effective colour obliteration, reducing the overall number of coats needed.

Using a primer will ensure the full depth of colour of your chosen paint colour. Primer is vital to seal unpainted surfaces or prepare the surface for painting. If you are transitioning from a dark to a light colour, the primer has properties that will help obliterate the colour beneath before applying the topcoat. As well as ensuring your paint will last longer, you won’t have to worry about chipping, peeling or discolouration. Opting for a primer is a fail-safe way to achieve the perfect finish.

Some of our most popular primers are noted below:

For walls:                                 Optiva Primer

For walls (high humidity areas): Luja Universal Primer

For interior wood:                     Helmi Primer

For exterior wood:                    Ultra Primer

For exterior masonry:               Hydrosol Primer

For tricky interior substrates:     Otex Akva

For tricky exterior substrates:    Otex Adhesion Primer

For metal:                                Rostex Super Akva

For spraying wood:                    Akvi Primer

For more advice on primers, visit our primer guide.

Be sure to always check the data sheets for suitability for your specific project or give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to us here.

No. Primers are not always needed when repainting. If you are repainting a similar colour, you can lightly scuff sand and clean the surface. Once that is completed, you can simply repaint over the existing paint coating. More than one coat may be needed for uniformity. Please note that switching sheens or drastic colour changes may require a primer to minimize the number of topcoats used. We also advise using our Optiva Primer on walls if painting over silk or similar paints. This helps flatten to a matt finish prior to application of the topcoat.

If you’ve ever worked with paint, you’ll know that there are a few colours that naturally are harder to get right. Typically strong yellows, blues, greens, reds and oranges fall into this category. This is typically due to the hiding power of the pigments used in the colourants. Often it can take additional coats in these colours to achieve a good finish. By using a coloured primer first we can optimise material costs and also reduce the time taken to achieve the desired finish (by applying fewer coats). When choosing the primer shade, the best result can be achieved when we ensure that:

- The primer shade is a different colour from the required topcoat
- The primer is from the same colour family as the topcoat
- The primer shade is lighter than the shade of the topcoat (A primer darker than the topcoat might result in a cloudy impression)

Example: When your topcoat is a strong yellow like RAL 1021, a primer shade like TVT 4005 should be used. Please see Tikkurila’s full range of primer shades here which have been designed to achieve optimum results. If you are unsure about which primer shade you should be using, please contact our technical line by phone, e-mail or webchat.

See Tikkurila range of primer colours here

If you require more advice on painting bold colours, please give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message here.