The “Paint and Primer in One” Buzz

You’ve seen it on TV, you’ve heard about it at your home improvement stores… high-end “paint and primer in one” products are available from most of the major paint companies. They cost 20% to 60% more than the primary paint line and offer better coverage with less hassle – but are they worth the cash, or is it just a clever way to get you, the consumer, to spend a little more dough for a can of paint?

The most used commercial is a Lowe’s advertisement where a young couple with a new house is desperately trying to paint over the bold green and white stripes left on the walls of their den by the previous resident. This poor couple cannot understand why their new red paint won’t cover up those terrible stripes! Luckily, the Lowe’s Paint-Counter Employee available is there to help… She joyfully reassures the desperate couple that all they need to do is buy this slightly higher (priced) quality paint – which is available right there in the store – and all their problems will be solved… whew!

Behr and Valspar

That commercial is for Valspar’s Signature distinct paint which is a “paint and primer in one” product just like Behr’s Premium Plus Ultra paint line. These paints retail for $32 to $33 a gallon and claim to offer better coverage than standard paints. But the standard paint lines only cost $21 to $23 per gallon. Meaning the ultra paint line costs 45% to 55% more money. So do the signature/ultra paint and primer in one lines really offer 50% better coverage? And more important, is the amount of enhanced coverage worth the increased cost of paint?

Optimizing Your Primer

First of all, it may not always be required to use primer. Applying a brand new coat of latex paint (water-based, most common today) over an existing coat of latex paint does not require primer. At least, it’s not a physical requirement – to make the paint stick to the wall. However , using a primer is a good idea in order to help with coverage issues. In other words, putting down a coat of primer can help you cover the colors that are currently on a wall. The key is that you have to know how to “optimize” your primer.

The secret listed here is something most professional Chester county Exterior House Painter don’t even realize, and paint retailers won’t let you know (especially now, with these high-priced premium paint lines on the market). That secret is this… you can tint your standard primer to whatever color you are painting with! That’s right, the most popular Kilz, Zinsser, or whatever off-the-shelf primer you want to use can be tinted to any color that your paint retailer sells… for free!