What paint to use over zinsser bin

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Primer is critical for a professional finish because it helps with adhesion and helps prevent tannins from bleeding through especially if you’re using a lighter color.  Primer helps with durability and can also help block out odors.

Over the years I have tried many different types of water-based and oil-based primers, but in the end it’s hard to beat Shellac.  I have used BIN religiously for about 3 years and it’s by far my favorite primer on the market. BIN Shellac by Zinsser (or Rust-oleum) is my absolute favorite.  It is a pigmented Shellac and can be used on whole surfaces or for small spot-priming.  While I have never actually done it, I just want to note that it is tintable for lighter colors.

The only downside to Shellac is that it has a little bit of a smell, it can be sticky if the weather isn’t perfect and it’s thinner than most paint mediums.  However, I personally don’t think the downsides outweigh the positives.  I like knowing that when the time comes to seal my pieces, I won’t have any bleed through.  I do recommend you wear a respirator mask and rubber gloves when working with Shellac and try to be in a well ventilated area, just to be safe!  

As far as the application process goes, I use a cheap brush or an old brush that I can toss.  I never use of my nice Zibra brushes!  I also like to roll it on with a 4” roller, so I can throw away the roller when I am done. Just keep in mind, if you use a foam roller, it can start to fall apart after a lot of use, due to the chemicals in Shellac. If you are working on a small project, a foam roller is fine! If you’re working on a larger project I recommend a microfiber roller.

In addition to preventing bleed through, BIN Shellac sticks to any surface without sanding.  It can be used inside or for spot-priming outside and it can also be used under-or-over any chalk, milk, latex or oil based paint.   It dries really fast, too.  Once applied, it dries to the touch in about 10 to 15 minutes.  Once it’s completely dry, I like to sand it with a 220 grit sandpaper before I apply my paint color to give it a super smooth finish.

Thank you so much for stopping by for #TuesdayTipsWithFallon! Make sure you tune in every other week for a new tip! If you want to save this blog post, just pin it to your Pinterest page and/or feel free to share it elsewhere. Thanks again! Happy Priming!!

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If you are doing some painting with one of the Zinsser primers, be it Zinsser B-I-N, Zinsser Bulls-Eye or Zinsser cover stain then you have probably wondered when is it ready to paint over?

Well, let’s have a look through each of these three Zinsser primers and see exactly how long it takes them to be ready to be painted over.

When can you paint over Zinsser BIN?

Probably the most popular of the Zinsser primers Zinsser BIN is a shellac-based primer with incredible blocking properties. This stuff is a great stain hider and colour sealer. It also adheres really well to surfaces you normally wouldn’t expect paint to stick to such as melamine and gloss.

Zinsser BIN can be painted over in as little as 45 minutes if you are adding another coat of BIN. If you are painting over with another paint then I would give it a little longer just to be sure, I would say 1 hour to 1 hour 30 mins depending on heat and humidity.

When can you paint over Zinsser Bulls Eye?

Bull’s eye is Zinsser’s water-based primer. I have never found it to be as good as Zinsser BIN or Zinsser coverstain but it is water-based. If you are after a water-based primer then it is one of the best on the market.

Zinsser Bulls Eye can be recoated in 1 hour, that is to say, you can add another coat of bull’s eye over the top. If you are adding a different paint, like your finishing coat then I would leave it a bit longer to make sure everything is properly dried. I would wait between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours before painting over with different paint. This time can vary depending on temperature and humidity.

When can you paint over Zinsser Cover Stain?

Cover Stain is Zinsser’s oil or solvent-based primer. This is a great paint that is really effective at hiding stains and dries really quickly for solvent-based paint. It is particularly effective against nicotine stains and I have also found it really effective and priming new wood.

Zinsser Cover Stain is recoatable after two hours, which is really impressive for solvent-based paint. If painting over with your top coat of a different paint then I would give the primer a little longer to dry. I would say wait around 4 hours before applying your topcoat.

Which Zinsser Primer should I use?

This can be a really tough question to answer and depends on a whole heap of factors including the material you are painting and whether it is internal or external.

To make things easy for you I created a handy guide on exactly which Zinsser primer to choose for your job. You can find that article here.

Can I paint over Zinsser shellac?

Do you need to paint over bin primer?

Can you paint over Zinsser BIN with emulsion?

What paint do you use on bins?