Does Bunnings recommend using a Dark primer for dark walls?

[geoffr]

I'm about to seal/prime a new external cladded wall which will painted in a dark colour, perhaps Woodland Grey or Monument. Does Bunnings recommend using a dark primer/undercoat? It would seem to make sense.

Thanks,

Geoff

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @geoffr. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about undercoats.

That would seem to make sense, but in practice, it's not really necessary. Two coats of your paint will cover over a white. If you were to tint the undercoat to a darker colour, you'd still need to do two coats of paint. One coat of paint over a darker undercoat won't cover it entirely, as that's just the way painting works, where you miss little bits as the roller is not saturated evenly. 

We typically tint undercoats to block out a vibrant colour underneath them. You can certainly discuss tinting your undercoat with a Paint Expert in-store, but unless it's going to save paint or additional work I can't see a reason to do so. On a side note, exterior paints such as Dulux Weathershield are self-priming and, according to the application steps, only require the cement cladding to be cleaned before painting; no undercoat is needed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[geoffr]

Very helpful, thanks Mitchell!