Sealer and/or primer?

[nospacefordh]

I've been doing searches and have learned a lot so far. My dollhouse kit hasn't even arrived in the mail yet, but I wanted to get my supplies in order. Do I have to apply a sealer, let dry, then apply primer? From what I've read, it seems I can just use a primer. But I notice that in the images gallery the roofs do not have primer in early stages-- so what do you apply to the roof BEFORE the shingles? Sealer? And finally, do I have to apply sealer to each shingle? Your advice is greatly appreciated!

[nuttiwebgal]

in the 4 yrs since starting this hobby I have yet to seal the roof before shingling

no issues so far...of course I am the one who stains the shingles after they are glued on to the roof also.

I have never "sealed" anything actually. I do use Kilz spray primer for the walls inside and out

and I apply stain to the floors of each kit before assembly along with several coats of polyurethane...makes cleanup after decorating a bit easier.

I dont do much sanding either...but when I do sand I find it essential to have a sanding sponge handy and an emory board for the smaller bits.

as Im sure you have read...everyone is different and no one way is the "Correct"way

do what you feel like and what feels right for YOU

What kit do you have comming?

Happy Building

nutti

WELCOME to the forum! :wub:

[nospacefordh]

Great, thanks for replying! I was just a little worried when I read about warping and curling. I'm getting the Willow!

[nuttiwebgal]

not every kit has warpage.

older kits that have not been stored properly can have alot of warpage.

and sometimes the wood can deteriorate. all of these things are fixable.

when painting and such on thin wood items it is good to do both sides to help keep it from warping...

but I do not do this unless the wood is VERY thin.

most warped peices can be straitened out but putting it together....some need to be flattened.

if your kit is new you should not have these issues...but isnt it nice to know it can be fixed if you do?

Happy Building!

the Willow is a very nice kit!

nutti :whistle:

[Peggi]

I usually do one or the other but not both. Priming does help seal the wood and also helps the wallpaper or paint go on smoother.

The last couple of houses I sealed the wood with sanding sealer but didn't prime. But one of those of was log cabin that I wanted to keep the wood finish and the other was wallpapered on the inside and painted on the out.

So do whichever you feel the most comfortable with. I know some don't prime or seal because they feel the wood to wood contact holds better.

[Nameless1]

Okay, here's the lazy person's approach:

PRIME large surfaces that you intend to paint, so that the more expensive colored paint isn't all sucked up by dry wood.

PRIME surfaces intended for light-colored wallpaper, to avoid show-through.

PRIME in a DARK color your roof if you have any concerns about not covering every millimeter of the surface with your shingles or whatever, to minimize awkward bare spots.

STAIN and SEAL (in that order) surfaces that you want as wood.

SEAL or PRIME trim included with the kit if you feel like it, but it doesn't make that much difference in how long the painting takes.

SEAL before painting any special basswood trim that you buy (the Houseworks stuff) if you intend to paint in more than one color. Paint tends to bleed on unsealed basswood.

LEAVE UNTREATED any wood that will get a surface treatment like shingles, siding, plaster, paperclay, or decoupage. You want a "tooth" for your treatment to stick to. If you're concerned about tiny bare spots, go ahead and put on a coat of matte paint in a color near your final color -- matte paint still has a lot of tooth. But otherwise, don't make extra work for yourself.

If you have no firm plans but you don't intend to keep anything as bare wood, PRIME everything all at once and get it over with. You can use spray primer, but make sure it is compatible with whatever paint you ordinarily use to get the right color.

With lots of masking tape and careful planning, it is sometimes possible to use spray paint, and that stuff is wonderful on the plywood -- you get a beautifully even finish after a couple of thin coats.

[nospacefordh]

Oh thanks so much guys for the advice! Now that I see there are so many way to do it, I don't feel like I'll screw up that bad. Hehehe. I'm very excited to start, and I'm hoping my Willow arrives soon. I think I'm completely bonkers though, because I learned about a 50% off sale at m1n1atures.com and bought a Buttercup kit! With S& H, only $18.46! I haven't even started one dh, and I'll have 2 kits!!!

[havanaholly]

I'm hoping my Willow arrives soon.

I really like that kit, I hope I get to build one some day, as it reminds me of a real 18th (or early 17th) Century house in SC called "Cross Keys" that I'd like to duplicate the exterior treatment.

I think I'm completely bonkers though, because I bought a Buttercup kit!I haven't even started one dh, and I'll have 2 kits!

Only two? Oh, that's right, you're still a newbie. When you have lots of paint/ stain/ sealer/ glue to dry go read over the thread where we list the kits we have stacked under the bed/ in odd corners waiting to be built and see what you have to look forward to!lol

BTW, the Buttercup is a nice little house to build, and bashes well.

[Just One More]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum also. I paint the whole house, inside and out with off-white low gloss enamel. It's less expensive than Gesso. This makes the outside take less coats, and seals the inside for wallpapering. On the floors If you use wood strips I don't know if you have to seal first or not. I usually use the wall paper that looks like hardwood flooring but that is almost impossible to find since Herme's went out of business. I also paint all the window frames before sanding. When dry it is not so hard to sand them and they don't tend to splinter. You can touch up when dry. There are many ways to put these kits together, paint, stain, etc. The thing mentioned have worked well for me. I've learned new ways of doing things just since I started here. I want to try the craft sticks for wood floors next. They look really nice.

Pat

[TinyJudi]

I primed before painting and wallpapering, unless it was going to be stained. If I stain, I seal afterwards. It seems to work well. Congrats on both of your kits. Have a great first build!