Any successful builder or carpenter will tell you that it's important to have a strong and well-protected surface on any building material used to ensure the stability, long-life and pleasant appearance of the finished product.  It can be difficult to achieve such protected and sealed surfaces without the help of a particular product, that of primer.  Primer might be invisible to the naked eye once the build has been completed, but it would be noticed if it were not there – patchiness, rot, decay and staining would become quite obvious in the absence of a primed surface.  Perhaps the obvious need for most surfaces to be primed before use is the reason why there are now so many different varieties of primer lining the shelves of our local hardware stores!

It is important to know exactly what type of primer you need for the building product you are using and what alternatives you have.  The nature of your project may require you to use solvent-borne rather than water-borne priming products, or you may instead want to make use of the chemical-free or environmentally-friendly options.  You may need a primer which achieves a certain goal, such as keeping out an odour or preventing the leeching of natural stains in the building product being used (such as is the case with some woods).  You may prefer oil based products over acrylic, or you may decide to make use of the new innovations in the industry and employ primer with added latex for flexibility.  There are so many different options, and so many different ways to use the primer, that it is vital you do your research before you undertake your build.