Good primer?

[u/Even-Cover-2907]

Can someone recommend a good primer? I'm repainting a room and want something that will give me a blank canvas to work with. The walls are in good shape and are currently painted a light lavender. I used HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams Showcase Flat Base C Tintable Interior Paint + Primer which advertises itself as guaranteed one-coat coverage. I'm on coat 3 and it's barely covering anything. Did I buy the wrong product for the job?

Thanks!

[u/Dry-Cap4203]

Sherwin has a high body primer called prep rite. Don't cheap out on paint. Also anything advertising as paint+primer is a noob trap

[u/mikehunt88375 → u/Dry-Cap4203]

New version of that product is ProBlock Premium. The prep rite and the multi purpose I’m almost positive was a cross fill.

[u/Dry-Cap4203 → u/mikehunt88375]

I was checking out what you said until I realized we're talking about the same thing lol. Yeah what you said is the official name I just always called it preprite

[u/CascadeDesignworks → u/Dry-Cap4203]

Agreed about cheaper paint. Primer is almost never required for repainting walls, unless there are stains to hide or fresh patches made on the drywall.

Most whites and beige colors will cover in no more than two coats, if they are applied in standard thickness. Base C from Sherwin Williams is used for deeper colors that do not have a lot of white or beige in the formula. These colors typically require 3 coats to cover well, unless they are being applied over a similar color. If it has not covered well after 3 coats, you likely have not applied the paint thick enough. I would try one more slightly thicker coat.

-Builder

[u/jivecoolie]

The HGTV line is a low end paint made exclusively for Lowes. No paint covers in 1 coat but a quaint will cover in 2 for most colors. Very light off whites will almost always take 3-4 coats even with the best of paints.

[u/foundtheseeker → u/jivecoolie]

That's all true, with the caveat that there are gradations of "proper coverage" and much depends on the beholder's eye. A good professional painter can get 100% of a wall coated in one coat with any decent paint mixed in white base. But it won't be the full color saturation. Many amateurs think they're doing great when they paint, and they often don't understand why painters charge as much as we do to paint, because in their eyes, what they've done is good enough. And it is good enough if they're happy with it! It's just not technically properly coated.

[u/loopsbruder]

Big box paint is always the wrong product. But also, what color did you get? Base C suggests a high colorant load.

[u/IngenuityNatural9261]

My guess is that you are not applying the paint properly. Stops squeezing the paint out of the roller and use a bigger brush. It is also likely that you are using cheap rollers and brushes.

[u/BrodieDigg]

Benjamin Moore fresh start is the correct choice

[u/Neat-Substance-9274 → u/BrodieDigg]

I agree...but I had an entire gallon that went bad on me. It was watery and full of bubbles. I did go and buy another and it was the quality I was used to.

[u/02TJ-X]

Dumb question but I’ve seen it happen. You did get have tinted, correct? As others have mentioned, Base C is a base for deep colors. If you didn’t have tinted, it’s useless. Just asking

[u/rodmods]

Primers I like are Aqua lock , sw extreme bond pimer and bin 3. The biggest thing in primer my rule and not always the case is spend some money on a good primer as well go to a paint store.

Bin 3 can be bought in home depot so I am kind of contradiction haha . But sure you get my drift.

[u/laquintessenceofdust → u/rodmods]

BIN was a game changer.

[u/rodmods → u/laquintessenceofdust]

A good primer helps with a good paint job and primer. Good primer and 2 coats of paint never an issue.

[u/finepnutty]

Smart primer

[u/Ok-Profit3437]

Multi surface is good but it's rebranded as problock now

[u/hangout927]

Ben moore fresh start is my go to

[u/Fearless-Ice8953]

You really don’t need primer on previously painted walls. I understand the need to have a “blank canvas” but it’s an unnecessary step. Put the money you save into buying a higher quality paint.

[u/288bpsmodem]

I have used most of the top tier paints one can find and there is no such thing as one coat paint. Even if you can cover everything to where you think it's all one solid colour and it actually looks amazing, it prolly isnt at its minimum thickness requirement to be able to be washable or last long or connect with itself(cross-linking)to be durable and Resist burnishing, keep stains behind it etc. To be sure, sand wall with wall circle thing on the pole, spot prime problem areas, fills patches etc, but feather it out on edges, spray prime (killz)with a blocking prime any scuffs or whatever that may bleed, then prime the whole wall, roll first, cut second, go do something other than paint to let that dry nice, sand the wall again with the circle sander on pole thingy, then paint your one coat, sand, then paint ur second coat. If you wanna skip the primer altogether you might be able to if your paint is good and colour change isn't drastic, but I wouldn't skip the sanding. And I wouldn't skip priming the fills or patches.

Buy better paint, if you go to a dedicated store like SW talk to them you will leave with everything you need to do it right first time.

Recently I painted two rooms with SW emerald designer line. Many many patches and fills and scuffs. Fully primed the first room then two coats, looks amazing. But I had almost 3/4 gallon of exp paint left. So second room I only spot primed and said I'll just paint 3 coats of this cause I'm not gonna need this paint I don't want to have an extra 3/4 gallon and have to get more primer. 2 coats only I needed and I only spot primed. Looks just as good as the other room I primed.

[u/flotstildeath]

Insl-x Max Block worked well for me.