Can you just leave primer on low traffic surface

[gio]

My wife just primered the ceiling and is content with the way it looks. Can it be left that way?

[lee houston]

you have a wife who is contented about something and you seek advice? quit while you're ahead, newlywed.

lee

[trader4]

Primer and and finish coat paint have different characteristics. Primer is intended to seal off the surface it's applied to and to provide a surface for another coat to adhere well to. A finish coat is designed to be durable, provide a surface that can hold up well to occasional cleaning, physical contact, etc.

Given that it's a ceiling, it certainly would not be as bad as leaving an exterior wall or an interior wall with primer, instead of regular paint. But if it were my home, I'd put a coat of regular paint on it.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You can do whatever you want. The primer acts as a sealer and base for the finish coat. It may yellow faster than the finish coat, it would be more difficult to clean, but no one washes ceilings anyway. Finish coat may look better if you compare the two side by side.

Since you already have things covered, furniture moved, etc, I'd go ahead and put the ceiling paint on, but that is me, not you. The finished ceiling will look OK for a longer time, and you may have to do the job again a few years sooner. Your choice.

[Tom The Great]

IMHO,

Primer has a surface texture that is perfect for dust collection, and when 'cleaned' can become dirty looking.

So you might want to think about this.

later,

tom @

[Bob]

It may look ok now since it's fairly new, but in a few years it will change to a yucky color. Paint it.