Do you want to paint a piece of furniture and don't know if you should apply a primer first? Then, stop and take a minute to learn about primer. Because this is an essential part of the painting, you shouldn't miss it.

Best Primer for Pressure Treated Wood

To solve your doubts, we have prepared a guide on the best primer for pressure treated wood along with some useful tips and tricks. The list consists of products that have worked best for many after several years of renovating furniture. We hope it is helpful to you and that it helps you decide when to apply primer before painting.

Preview
Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer, 1...
Rust-Oleum WOODLIFE 902 Wolman Classic Clear Wood...
KILZ Adhesion Primer, Interior/Exterior, 1 Quart
Product Name
Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer, 1...
Rust-Oleum WOODLIFE 902 Wolman Classic Clear Wood...
KILZ Adhesion Primer, Interior/Exterior, 1 Quart
Good For
Wood, Metal, Fiberglass
Wood, Metal
Interior/Exterior Use
Dry Time
1 Hour
24 Hours
30 Minutes
Preview
Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer, 1...
Product Name
Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer, 1...
Good For
Wood, Metal, Fiberglass
Dry Time
1 Hour
Details
Preview
Rust-Oleum WOODLIFE 902 Wolman Classic Clear Wood...
Product Name
Rust-Oleum WOODLIFE 902 Wolman Classic Clear Wood...
Good For
Wood, Metal
Dry Time
24 Hours
Details
Preview
KILZ Adhesion Primer, Interior/Exterior, 1 Quart
Product Name
KILZ Adhesion Primer, Interior/Exterior, 1 Quart
Good For
Interior/Exterior Use
Dry Time
30 Minutes
Details

The wooden primer is a previous coating that is applied to this material. It helps to facilitate the adhesion of the paint. It also acts as a barrier against corrosion and humidity by having a sealing and filler effect. This also saves paint.


In simple terms, this technique helps the paint adhere better to the wood. Primers reduce the chances of paint peeling and give a better finish to the painted surface. Moreover, it helps in achieving a more uniform color and gloss. This final result is hard to get without the right primer, even if you use the best paint for treated wood.


Sounds complicated? It is so simple that in this article later, we will teach you how to do it.
But for now, let’s check out the list of the best primer for treated wood.

Best Primer for Pressure Treated Wood: Review and Comparison of 5

Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer

Overview

The first primer on our list is the Wood and Fiberglass Primer from Rust-Oleum.

This being the best primer for pressure-treated lumber is in the aqueous base and easy to apply. This primer treatment is recommended for the protection of all kinds of woods. It is also suitable for woods to have a high content of tannins. Example: Chestnut, Oak, Teak, Mahogany, among others. 

Rust-Oleum 207014 Marine Wood and Fiberglass Primer allows a complete covering of the wood with a single product. This product is fast drying, therefore dries 100 sq ft only in 1 hour. 

This natural application wood treatment stands out for its excellent durability power. It is also resistant against corrosion and excellent resistance to UV rays from the sun. The enormous capacity to eliminate the appearance of stains is one of its many desirable qualities. The quality to withstand the loss of adhesion produced by tannins make it one of the best treatments for wood.  

Pros

  • Prevents the appearance of stains produced by the exudation of the natural tannins of the wood
  • Prevents loss of adhesion of the coating
  • Uniforms the absorption of color in the rear finish
  • UV Filter: Protects from the UV rays of the sun
  • Dry to the touch in 1 hour
  • Easy maintenance

Cons

  • It is not waterproof, thus recommended to use above the waterline

Rust-Oleum Clear 902 Wolman Classic Wood Preservative

Overview

The special Rust-Oleum wood primer for terraces and outdoor woods is an alternative against the natural aging of new non-impregnable woods. The primer opens the pores of exterior woods to reduce the surface glaze. Therefore, it facilitates the penetration of finishing protective products. 

With Rust-Oleum Clear 902 Wolman Classic Wood Preservative, you can pretreat sandy, porous and highly absorbent substrates professionally, indoors and outdoors. The primer is particularly useful in-depth. It gives the support a reliable adhesion and a strong solidity for the next layers of dispersion—ideal for plastering, concrete, masonry, and construction panels.

Some consider this best stain for pressure-treated pine or any other wood because of its qualities. It not only improves the adhesion of the topcoat but also prevents discoloration of transparent layers. Thanks to the quick-drying formula, the primer can be covered with the next layer after a short time.

Pros

  • Ideal primer for clear topcoats
  • Prevents yellow stains from resins in the wood
  • Particularly easy to work
  • Improves the adhesion of the following layers
  • Very effective in-depth
  • For indoor and outdoor supports

Cons

  • Nothing notable to present

KILZ Adhesion High-Bonding Interior/Exterior Latex Primer/Sealer

Overview

Are you looking for a universal primer for various media? Here, you will find what you need. KILZ Adhesion High-Bonding Interior/Exterior Latex Primer/Sealer is the best exterior primer for a wood deck and other things.


This primer is intended for a multitude of uses. It is particularly adherent and can be treated in particular on untreated wood or plastics, which can be painted. Its excellent application allows a straightforward treatment of the primer.


You bring a new shine to the wood in record time. Stains and obscurations are uniformly covered during the application, and the surface regains a unique appearance. Apply the varnish using a brush. Completed!


Perfect results are guaranteed in a short time. It takes 30 minutes to dry to touch. After application, the primer dries in 1 hour, and you can recoat.
Thanks to its weather resistance, the primer can easily be used both indoors and outdoors. So, you have a solution for everything!

Pros

  • Universal primer for various substrates
  • Based on synthetic resin: perfect application
  • For indoors and outdoors
  • Extremely resistant surface
  • Impact-resistant and Easy to work
  • High covering power
  • Dries quickly and Recoverable after a short time

Cons

  • The price seems a bit overpriced compared to the quality

Valspar Professional Stain Block/Bonding Primer

Overview

At this point, we bring you this multipurpose primer from Valspar. Some consider it the best stain for pressure treated wood because of its features.


Before applying a new lacquer to your wooden constructions outside or inside, you must pretreat them with this wood primer. Thus, the surface of the wood is smoothed. It will compensate for the scratches too. Moreover, it will make the differences in tone disappear under the protective primer layer.

 
Besides, the primer increases the adhesion of the next layer of lacquer. The primer is very quickly sandable. You can then apply the subsequent layers of lacquer and obtain a magnificent and smooth final layer.


Valspar Professional Stain Block/Bonding Primer with excellent penetration and adhesion is a multipurpose product. It seals the surfaces of plaster, wood, plasterboard, interior wall, exterior wall, and metal avoiding finishing grouts.

Pros

  • Primer for strongly adherent wood, with opaque and covering power
  • Can be used indoors and outdoors as a primer
  • Equalizes small scratches and is easy to sand
  • Ideal for hardwood or wood that has already been sanded once

Cons

  • Doesn't produce the very glossy final result

Rust-Oleum 7780502 Protective Enamel Paint, Flat White Clean Metal Primer

Overview

Let’s speak of blisters. Blisters are elements detached from material and visually modify the surface. The antidote to these blisters of wood is this Rust-Oleum primer for wood.


Its high covering power puts an end to unwanted blisters from inside the wood. You opt for a product that respects the environment and is particularly low in polluting substances.


Even without being a professional, you can easily apply this wood insulation background. We appreciate the quality of drying in a few hours and use the other finishing coats.


With this primer, you can create a base suitable for painting, even on delicate materials. Give new paint to your windows, your shutters, exterior doors, garden furniture, or downspouts. This primer allows the paint to adhere well. It can be applied by roller, brush, or spray gun.

Pros

  • Very adherent primer for various supports
  • Adheres to metal, plastic and wood coatings
  • Fast drying
  • Matt white primer, barrier primer against wood blisters
  • Prevents perforation by colored substances contained in the wood
  • Eco-friendly

Cons

  • It's comparatively thinner than others

Why Use A Wood Primer?

Wood primer is undoubtedly essential. You can't have the best result even if you use the best paint for treated wood. The wood primer is a liquid product, ready to use, and easy to use. It facilitates the penetration of the finish for a more pleasant rendering.


The product forms a durable base to prevent cracks and chips from a finish paint. The wood primer is perfect for those who would like to limit the number of coats to be applied (especially dark paints).

What Wood Should A Wood Primer Be Applied To?

The wood primer is suitable for exterior woodwork. Generally used for wooden terraces, it is ideal for all types of wood (exotic, porous, new, old, non-impregnable lumber, etc.) so that these woods can receive an adequate finish.

The wood primer is particularly suitable for exterior woods that are difficult to impregnate. It prepares the wood and makes it impermeable to paint and the different layers to be painted afterward.

How to Apply A Primer on Wood?

This time we will see how to apply a primer on wood, suitable for both interior and exterior.

The primer is applied to prepare the wood for subsequent painting, either indoors or outdoors. However, the primer allows the wood to transpire and eliminate moisture, on the other hand, blocking the rise of tannins and resins.

Tools

  • Sander
  • Cloth
  • Brush
  • Roller
  • Materials
  • Water-based primer for wood
  • Painting

Step by step to apply a primer on wood

The first thing we have to do is go over the wood with the sander until the surface is completely smooth. Remove the dust produced with a cloth or paper. We also clean the work area.


We protect the surface with cardboard to avoid staining it. We put on latex gloves and with a foam roller. Then we apply a sealing primer to all the wood. In this way, we will cover the pore of the wood and facilitate the grip of the paint. In the corners, we can help ourselves with a brush.


After the drying time indicated by the manufacturer, we give the paint using the same tool. Depending on the product, as well as the chosen shade, we will have to apply one or more coats.

Some Additional Tips

The wood primer is to be applied to raw, clean, and dry wood.


For quality installation, a wood primer must be applied before painting to seal and standardize the surface to be worked. The primer helps promote adhesion of the topcoat.


Check that the support is healthy and prepared. Strip the old finishes present on the support (varnish, stains, waxes, etc.) for better adhesion. Respect the proportions of the base and the hardener for an excellent rendering. The yield varies depending on the type, surface condition, and absorption of the support.

Which one is the Most Appropriate Primer Solution for Your Wood?

As we have seen, not all primers have the same function, so not all are the same. Broadly speaking, two types of primers can be distinguished:

Solvent-based primers (dilute through a solvent).

Water-based primers (dilute with water).

When selecting a primer, the important thing is to look at the nature of the support to be painted. 

A water-based product is odorless and dries quickly: it is often used more for interiors, but this does not mean it is less effective in exteriors.

However, if you need maximum protection for outdoor wood, the right choice can only fall on a solvent-based product. It guarantees more excellent protection.

Remember that water-based products dust over time, creating a slightly shabby and, therefore, pleasant aesthetic. Solvent-based products detach themselves in large flakes by raising and creating a much more unwanted effect. It will force you to complete the removal/sanding of the product before you can renew it.

Conclusion:

Now that you understand the different kinds of primers, it is easy to identify which is the best product for your wood. Depending on the type of material you need to treat, its location, how much it needs to be protected, choose the right want. Check out the list we brought to you and decide what’s best for you. Get rolling!

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Scroll to Top