The House Painter's Encyclopedia

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The House Painter's
Encyclopedia

A working reference for professional house painting, written from field practice and kept honest about where every claim comes from.

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Try:cedar peeling back-rolling

Definition

Spot-priming

Priming only the repaired, bare or stained areas of a surface rather than the whole surface.

GlossaryThe full glossary entry

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Filters2 on

Surface

Wood2
Drywall4
Previously coated surface5 (on; choose to remove)

Problem

Peeling8
Intercoat failure2
Bubbling / blistering3
Holidays (missed spots)7
Flashing8
Tannin bleed2
Roller marks / stipple5 (on; choose to remove)
Water stain2
Cracks and checking2
Lap marks (lost wet edge)2
Drywall dust contamination1
Tape bridging / torn edge1

Technique

Work top down2
Cutting in2
Maintaining a wet edge4
Painting into the wet1
Back-rolling2
Spray and back-roll3
Spot-priming4
Scraping3
Texture matching2
Loading a roller on a grid1
Vertical-strip rolling2
W / M pattern rolling1
N pattern rolling

5 entries for “Spot-priming”

Surface: Previously coated surface (remove)
Problem: Roller marks / stipple (remove)
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Entries

Entry 003Repainting Previously Painted Interior Walls
- S / Substrate + P / Product: Remove failure. Repair. Spot-prime.
  For this full-repaint scope, my usual sequence is repair first, then spot-prime.
- A / Application + T / Tools: Apply two consistent finish coats
  I generally brush the cut-ins and roll repaints. In suitable empty spaces, I may spray and back-roll. After preparation and spot-priming, apply two finish coats, observing the selected coating's drying and recoat instructions.
Entry 014Preparing and Painting Interior Doors and Trim
- 4. P + A + T / Products, Application, and Tools: Fill defects and select primer
  Field practiceSpot-priming is usually enough for my typical repaint when the rest of the coating is sound.

1

Three-person crew stagger1

Tape-edge caulk seal2

Wet tape removal at 45°2

Corner-to-corner correction1

Inspection at every stage5

Protected supply station1

Entry 004Interior Painting Techniques and Guidelines for a Paint Crew

3 / Complete preparation
Complete required spot-priming before finish painting.

Entry 012Diagnosing and Correcting Paint Flashing

7. Cut-in bands: level raised brush marks and roll to the edges
Once the surface is even, spot-prime the sanded areas with a compatible primer.

Entry 015Preparing and Painting Exterior Wood Trim and Fascia

6. P / Product: Prime bare wood and repaired areas
Manufacturer directionSpot-priming can also create uneven holdout; broader priming may be needed for uniform appearance.