Do really really need to use a wood primer (dull sorry)

[AgnesBligg]

Dull. But not to me. I just stripped a doorway back to wood ready to repaint (F&B Pelt if you're asking) can I just use matt emulsion as a primer? I am too lazy and frankly too tight fisted to get a tin when I have x million tubs of bog standard white.

DH is a painter and decorator and he says it will be okay as long as the F & B is oil based

It's more likely to flake if not using proper primer.
Have you sanded it, at least?

Thanks for replies. It is waterbased eggshell. I will sand it down properly. Looks like I'll get the blasted primer then .

is it indoors or out?

Indoors you can get away with White Acrylic Primer Undercoat, which is cheap to buy, easy to clean up with water, dries fast, is soft enough to sand smooth (like all water-based paints, it tends to raise the grain)

Outdoors, you need to protect the wood from the weather. The finest exterior wood primer I know is Aluminium Wood primer (it is grey, not silver). It stands up well in exposed conditions and is ideal for a front door that you want to keep its good looks for a long time, and for windowsills that suffer a lot from rain and sun. It adheres better to burnt-off or hardwood, and blocks knots or resin pockets from bleeding.

Yes, yes, yes you need primer!

Knots in the wood will in time bleed through if you don't use primer, especially with water-based paints.

You will also need at least one less coat of your expensive paint too because primer covers the wood much better than top-coat.

Thank you for the info people. I got some stuff today from b and q. It says for indoors and outdoors so will use for outside door as well. Knots in the wood bleed? Who knew? I'm guessing the wood is 100 years old! Still bleeding poor sod .