Xylene compatible primer?

[toller]

I am building a dive platform out of pressure treated wood, and plan on painting it with herculiner bedliner polyurethane paint. Herculiner says it may not adhere well to PT and suggest priming with a xylene compatible primer. Unfortunately they will not recommend a primer, instead telling me to go to a paint store.

The paint store says that xylene will strip anything, so there is no such thing as a xylene compatible primer. ARRRRRGHHHH

Any suggestions, other than not painting the PT with the herculiner? I have repeated emailed Bullseye, but they do not reply.

Thanks.

[PVR]

I don't know what your paint store is talking about but more about that later. First let's talk about Pressure Treated Lumber (PTL). For many years the PTL manufacturers used solutions of copper, chromium and arsenic to impregnate pine lumber. EPA recently forbade the use of this type of PTL but I suspect there is still quite a lot waiting to be sold. I don't know what the EPA approved replacement is so I can only comment on the old grade.

Over the years there have been many opinions about how to coat PTL. These ideas have been all the way from painting it immediately to painting after five years. Most opinion seems to be to leave it to the elements for a year and this is what I have done. After this time all the surface salts will have been washed off. In fact you may wish to pressure wash the PTL before coating.

I suspect that what Herculiner is saying is that their coating contains some xylene which is a solvent. What you need is a clear wood primer which is a deep penetrating type. I don't know any trade names for this but you could try Zinnzer Company in Google. When this has dried for a week you then apply the urethane. While you are waiting for your dive platform to age you could do some tests on some scrap PTL which has been left out to age for six months. You should look for signs of 'lifting' (sometimes looks like blistering). If you don't get any bad reaction then off you go. BTW, there are many coatings which will resist Xylene although most of these are industrial types.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Peter

[PVR]

I have just looked up Zinnzer (actually Zinsser) with Google and discovered that Bullseye is one of Zinsser's product lines. Ah well, we live and learn. Try getting advice from another paint store; see if they say the same as I.

Peter.

[Bestblast]

Ppg multiprme 95-4160 if I recall.. also sherwin williams has similar product chemchromik I think.