i’m wondering do you have to use a proper primer before you paint new unfinished pine with latex paint or can you just give it a few coats of whatever paint you’re going to use…is there something special about primer that makes it better?? chemical composition or something that makes it adhere to and cover new wood better?
Yes, yes and yes. Recommend an oil-based primer. It worked much better for me.
Yes, as noted primer is important on bare wood (and metal) to help the paint stick properly. Particularly pine, which contains oils and esters that do a fine job of unsticking paint.
You might consider using the latex version of “Kilz”. It effectively prevents bleedthrough of oils, etc. The latex version (I think it’s called “Kilz2”) takes less time to dry and doesn’t stink up the place like the oil-based version. I used this on my kitchen cabinets and it worked well.
You’re probably all done painting by now but - the bad thing about pine is the knots for the darned knots bleed through just about everything paint known on the planet. Maybe some paints faster than others but eventually, yep, bleeds through all of them. Maybe Kilz or whatever it is called would do the trick. Take a look at poplar for your next project if knots would be a problem.
Jois
The best way to seal in pine knots is shellac. Shellac is an excellent primer in its own right, but for sealing in oils and resin there is nothing better. You can get white pigmented shellac (zinser brand i think) and use it as a primer.