Crown Trade PX3 Review – Adhesion Primer

Crown Trade PX3 is a solvent based, stain blocking & adhesion promoting primer for interior & exterior use. Ideal for difficult surfaces including glass, tiles, melamine and previously painted surfaces, as well as most wood and non-ferrous metals. It also has excellent stain sealing properties and can be used on most surfaces subject to staining by smoke, crayon, tannin, water stains.

px3 come in two tin sizes 1litre and 5litre tins and is only available in an off-white colour. Unfortunately, it cannot be tinted, which is a shame. Click here to see online prices.

My Crown Trade PX3 Review

I found px3 to be quite thin even after a good mix up. It reminded me of the type of oil-based primer that we used to use years ago. I have used px3 on some previously varnished windows and doors and I found it went on fine, but the opacity wasn’t the best. The technical information states that under normal circumstances it dry within 4 hours and recoat able after 16 hours. But I found even the next day the px3 primer was still slightly tacky and needed a little while longer to dry off before it could be rubbed down.  This is the only downside to using solvent based paints.

The px3 performed exactly how I would expect it to do. Once it was dry I performed a scratch test to see how it would fair and as expected, it passed with flying colours. I have also tested Crown Trade PX3 on tile and melamine and again, it stuck hard and fast. This really is a good quality adhesion primer!!

Now comes probably the most talked about situation between decorators, do you use oil-based or water-based, and in my opinion with the px3 and px4 being identical in performance, even though the PX4 is a water-based. I would have to say I prefer the px4 as its dries so much quicker and there’s no washing out brushes and rollers in white sprit. Both are available from Crown Decorating Centres.

I can see the point in opting for an oil-base, as this type of product will also block tannin and other nasties from bleeding through your paint film. For this reason, Crown PX3 primer is perfect for priming old stain or varnish before painting with a satinwood or gloss. Just allow for plenty of time to dry. Click here to see online prices.

Review Summary

FAQs

Why use an adhesion primer?

There are surfaces that you may want to paint that normal products just won’t stick to. These include varnished wood, plastic, even oil-based gloss. An adhesion primer like Crown Trade PX3 handles the bond between your paint and the surface you’re applying it to.

Is water-based adhesion primer as good as an oil-based?

Water-based adhesion primers have come a long way in recent years. Some now have rust inhibitors in them, and they can also hold back knot bleed. However, oil-based adhesion primers still outperform most water-based adhesion primers in most situations.

Why won’t my paint stick to the primer?

This normally happens because you’re not adhering to the ‘recoat time’ of your primer. There may still be vapour coming from the primer that is preventing your new paint from sticking. Another reason might be that you’re not using a suitable “topcoat”. I have had trouble painting over primer with low-quality emulsion paints in the past.

What is the best way to apply oil-based primer?

 Normally use a synthetic paint brush or foam roller. You can always dilute the paint slightly for better flow.

Do you need one or two coats of Crown Trade PX3 Primer?

One coat handles adhesion. You may want to apply extra coats for opacity if needed, but only when going for a strong colour change.