I am planning on using 1/8" hardboard for the back drop. According to some info I found on the web, the shiney side, the side that I will be painting, does not have to be primed. Is this the case?
Depends, I suppose, on what paint you will be using. I would think it almost certainly needs to be primed, to get a finished color that looks like what your paint looks like. I would suggest something like Killz to make sure none of the glues and resins used in manufacturing seep through your finish coat and ruin your sky. The only time I wouldn;t prime is if it was going to be covered with photo backdrops rather than painting it blue and adding clounds and so forth yourself.
–Randy
I just painted about 120’ of hardboard backdrop last week. I filled any fastener holes, and taped/mudded/sanded the joints for a seamless appearance. I applied two coats of drywall primer before painting two coats of sky blue. The brownish hardboard color can cause some unappealing color shift with light blue, and using primer will eliminate that.
Note that hardboard is subject to warping from humidity, and I had a few issues using 3/16" material - the 1/8" at the local stores already looked too warped for me to consider using it, so you may want to consider the thicker stuff. Installing with construction adhesive, and use of plenty of rigid backing material, especially in straight sections, will minimize the potential for problems. Using latex paints can contribute to warping if the backdrop lacks anything in the support department.
I primed mine. it is really important to prime any areas you have put filler in, such as seams and holes. These must be sealed.
Home Depot has a new product in their Behr paint line that has primer and paint all in one. I would think it would do the job adequately.
Good luck.[:)]
Brent[C):-)]
The 1/8" at the local Home Depot was not warped. Backing is not an issue since it will be attached to three walls. I am going to prime and then paint with a sky blue.
PS, here in Phoenix, humidity is not a real issue. Lack thereof is another story.
Typical where I live in UT as well, but don’t underestimate what it can do. The last day I had the crew over to install backdrops it was raining, and the additional humidity caused some things to happen with the hardboard that did not when we installed the last batch on a dry day.
You have “a crew”? I am a one man operation down here.
Talk about a serendipidous post. As I am getting ready to install the back drop, the temperature has dropped and it rained last night and this weather is expected to last into Thursday. I am going to wait.
Hardboard (Masonite) comes in a strong dark brown color that will show thru a lot of things. Primer is essentially paint with extra “covering power” that will hide (cover) almost anything. The dark masonite and the bright white spacking compound with show thru a lot of run of the shop paints, but not a coat of primer. I’d prime with a light gray or white color to cover all the seams, brown, patched and spackled holes. Then a blue sky color will go on and look good.
Hi,
I’ve used this for coving the corners in my layout room, and has worked great for a good 15 or so years. Like any painting project, priming is always a good idea. You will find that second finish coat goes on much nicer if it is laid over a coat of white primer - or even cheap latex paint.
Like mobilman, I used 1/8" Masonite to cove the corners in my layout room, then primed the walls (drywall) and corners using drywall primer. One coat of sky colours was all that was required.
Wayne
I think that it is important to prime the backside of any masonite board to prevent warping. Moisture can still enter from behind the backdrop and if both sides are not sealed anything (well at least more) can happen.
My backdrop is screwed directly to my train room walls but I still primed the back side. I live in the rainy rainy PNW and we keep the house cool so figured it can’t hurt.
I’ve seen 1/8 and 1/4" masonite or other similar hardboards soak up a surprising amount of moisture and get wavy when painted only on the outside surface. It just made sense to me to take the added procaution.
I would also recommend primer on masonite, but I would use an oil based primer as it won’t warp the thin (1/8") sheets. Latex primers are water based and are more likely to cause that kind of problem. Also, priming the back is a good idea too. Even plywood that is laminated with Formica laminates is usually backed with a laminate backer sheet to prevent warping; although this only applies to cabinet doors and similar applications; but it does tend to warp the plywood without it.
Just some FYI , Bob