What Is Paint Primer and Is It Actually Necessary?

If your surface is already smooth, you may not need primer.

It turns out you don’t always need to prime your surfaces. Aleksandr Zubkov/Getty Images/TCA

If you’re looking for an easy home project that makes a big impact, there’s nothing quite like painting a room, kitchen cabinets, or even just a piece of furniture. When you’re doing this yourself, you can expect to do some prep work, and one of the most important steps in paint preparation is applying primer.

Or is it?