your favorite primer and paint

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chrisasst

Minister of Fire
Aug 13, 2008
1,289
cortland ny
What is you favorite primer and/or paint. I had a gallon of Kilz primer ran out of that then I switched to Dutch Boy. I must say I am very impressed with the dutch boy, one coat by the looks. The kilz part looks like I am going to have to recoat....Still deciding on a paint brand...
 
i use benj. moore. very consistent. great results. i've used pratt and lambert. excellent paint but 10 dollars more a gallon
 
oh ya. i've used california and pittsburgh paint much cheaper but i don't think there is any savings because of the multiple coats to achieve the look.
last time i used baer or bear or how ever home depot spells it, it went on like i was using jelly instead of paint.
 
zinzer/bullseye make great primers. so does dunn-edwards. I Drive 6 hours one way to get paint from dunn-edwards, thats how good it is. I prefer a primer that does soak into the wood, and requires multiple coats, as compared to one that just sits on top, even if it does "cover" better. If painting outside use a product like paint booster by orkon. any body who has used this can attest to how much longer the paint lasts when it has been used.
 
Valspar, in house paint and spray cans.

I used to use Shermin Williams and Rodda, but both are terrible compared to the Valspar. Price wise, Valspar is more $$, but worth it.
 
I like Zinser/Bullseye for priming . . . no real preference on the paint though.
 
I use mostly Benjamin Moore. Occasionally kilz primer on interior stuff for the faster dry time.


BTW - Sherwin Williams less expensive than Valspar? Must be an alternate universe....
 
For metal or a trim/kill primer, I think Zinzer (either latex, oil or the shelac) is the best. There are specialty primers like XIM that will bite to plastic and not get brittle, but this is into the realm of the professional's tool bag and close to $50/gallon. Kiltz is cheap, maybe good enough but nowhere near as good as Zinzer.

If I'm painting a house or large area, I like Ben Moore the most, and will use a primer matched to the paint. S+W is good, but I've had better luck with BJM and think that it is mostly luck. I also liked the Ralph Lauren (don't laugh) from Home Depot, simply because if I was there buying other stuff it saved me a trip to the paint store. It worked really, really well in the darker blues and earthy red colors my wife likes. Behr paint is the worst junk I've ever used. I will never ever use it again. You can just tell there's barely any pigment in the paint when you watch them make it. In fact, the better I get at DIY the more I blame that store for the mistakes I've made. It really is all junk.
 
NATE379 said:
Valspar, in house paint and spray cans.

I used to use Shermin Williams and Rodda, but both are terrible compared to the Valspar. Price wise, Valspar is more $$, but worth it.
+1
 
New construction primer = Suprime (Pratt and Lambert)

Paint = For the money, I like Pratt and Lamberts Prohide Gold. If expense isn't an issue, I would go with Ben Moore Impervo. Painted my kitchen cabinets and trim with that and it came out incredible.
 
RoseRedHoofbeats said:
Am I the only cheapskate that uses Glidden for everything?

~Rose



I'll use it for ceiling paint, but NOTHING else.

Had my living room done in a Light Brown color. Anytime I went to clean something off the walls, where I wiped with just a wet paper towel, turned yellow!!! It was an eggshell finish, too. None of my other painted surfaces in my house do that. I know a couple of professionals around my area and they don't touch the stuff. That just helped seal the deal for me!!
 
Huh. I painted my bedroom at my mom's house with Glidden, and it's lasted fine. I have a few sample cans of it here that I painted on the walls (also eggshell finish) and scrubbed them with a rag and soap and water- nothing on my rag.

~Rose
 
Kilz and Bin both dry quicker and are usually used for covering stains or other. Primer is not expected to replace a coat of paint. I use Pittsburgh Paints and never looked back.
 
woodsman23 said:
I used the baer primer and paint all in one and had excellent results in the bathroom!!!! wonderful stuff but $

I used the same but in exterior and painted my house with it last summer. I am very pleased with the results, covered very well in two light coatings with my paint sprayer. I figured the costs was not much different that if i did seperate primer/paint.

We repainted my brother's kitchen and dinning room this past spring with the interior version and it rolled on and covered very well.

I've used the waterbased version of Kltz and Zinnser in my interior in the past with good results from both. The only time I've had a problem with painting is when I have failed to use the primer first!
 
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