Do you need to put on primer before you paint a white wall?

we're planning on paiting our living room soon, and its already white, so is it necessary to put on primer of its white? some areas are a bit dirty, but other than that its pure white and we want to paint it a light colorDo you need to put on primer before you paint a white wall?
It depends on several things. For one the sheen the walls are and the sheen you want. If the walls are already flat and you are going back flat, no there is no need, paint away. Ok now, if your walls have a small shine they are probably satin or egg-shell sheen not many people paint there living room semi-gloss or gloss. If you are going back with a sheen and if you have not touched up nicks in the walls, (known as point-up) then you can probably paint without priming. If you have pointed-up then paint only those spots with a primer or flat paint, let dry and paint that spot with one coat of the satin or eggshell before you paint the whole wall or you will see the spot (known as flashing). Now, if they have a sheen and you want to go flat you can just point-up and paint, but it may take two or three coats to kill the shine. No matter what your doing give the walls a light sand to scuff up the paint, this will give it a smoother finish and will help the paint stick better. The true primer is already on the wall, only if you are trying to make it look like the Biltmore estate then you would put what is called a level 5 finish which is very costly and you would need a pro. its a in-depth process to make perfect. Go cheap and easy, lol. Enjoy.Do you need to put on primer before you paint a white wall?
For the best result, you will need to wash down the walls and get any dirt and dust off. Allow the walls to dry at least overnight. Any household cleaner works, just wipe the walls down with plain water to remove any soap or detergent residues. These could keep your paint from sticking if left on the wall. Microfiber cloths work the best for getting into all the tiny nooks and crannies!





If you didn't have any repairs to make such as filling holes or problem areas, then you should be able to paint right over the existing paint. However, if you did do any repairs, then you need to spot prime those. Feather the primer out on the edges so it ';blends'; better into the wall.





If your paint is well adhered to the wall, have no mold, water stain issues and the dirty spots came off when you washed the walls, you're good to go. However, if you have any of those issues, applying primer over those areas will take care of them. Once again, feather out the edges well.





Use 2 coats of top coat for the best result and always keep a ';wet edge'; when cutting in for the edges and along trim. What that really means is don't allow the paint to dry in those cut in areas before you roll that section of the wall or the cut in areas will show. Never cut in more area than you can roll on the wall color in 15-20 minutes. Yeah, it's easier to cut everything in at once but because the finish texture is different from a brush to a roller, the cut in areas look different when dry. Keeping that wet edge allows you to blur the lines and keeps them from being noticeable.





Now if you were going with a dark color and didn't want to do many coats, a tinted primer would help a lot. Or if you were doing a light color over a dark color, a coat of primer would ease the transition and not require so many coats of paint to cover properly. Primer has more pigment and sealing properties than regular paint and does have it's uses but it's not always a necessary thing.
No. I have no idea where this notion of priming painted walls came from, it is ridiculous.





I can tell you now that when the walls are painted in Buckingham Palace they re not primed, though they would be if they were meant to be.
No, Just paint over it.





If the existing paint is at all glossy then you should sand it lightly with fine grit sand paper before painting.
just paint over it
yes, since it dark. otherwise u will have to give it three coats or more