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I know everyone says to prime before painting, but I skipped it on my old garage door and it's been fine for 2 years

The door was this nasty, chipped beige and I just power washed it, let it dry for a full day, and rolled on two coats of a good exterior paint. No peeling or fading yet, even through a Chicago winter. Am I just lucky, or is priming sometimes overkill on a clean, sanded surface?
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2 Comments
haydensanchez
That old beige was probably oil-based, and modern exterior paints bond to it just fine if the surface is clean and dry. Priming is non-negotiable for bare wood or metal, but going over old, sound paint is different. Your power wash was key, it removed the chalky layer. You got good results because you prepped it right, not because you got lucky.
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jennifer_fisher
Wait, so you don't always need primer first?
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