Can I tint KILZ Primer? -- best product to cover...

16 years ago

I've just purchased a home and am trying to get all my research done before I close so that I'm ready to go day one! The house was a repo and is FILTHY. The ceiling has a heavy texture and the dirt is literally hanging down from the textured ceiling. I'm going to have to go over it with a shop vac before doing anything. I'm going to need a VERY good primer to go over the ceilings and walls and the trim molding (after cleaning it down with TSP) but I'm wondering if I could get away with tinting something like KILZ with a Sherwin Williams color like Favorite Tan? I don't want to have to live with sterile white, white walls and I know I won't have the strength to repaint the walls with a 'pretty' color right after painting every single wall and ceiling in the whole house before we can even move in.

Is KILZ the best covering primer out there, or is there something better I should be going after? Some of the rooms were painted (I use that term loosely) over and over again, but just in blotches, and sometimes only 1/4 of a wall before they gave up. Whatever I use is going to have to have very very good covering power... And can I use it on the trim molding also, or do I need to use something different on that? Most of the moldings were painted with at the least a semi gloss, and very dark colors...

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Faron79
16 years ago
Hi "Bitter...",
You're showing very good promise by realizing that, in some cases, LOTSA P-I-T-A prep has to be done!

* Starting with a Shop-vac is very smart! Vacuum off EVERYTHING...ceiling, walls, trims, floors...
* This will obviously reduce dust getting back onto surfaces you're washing/rinsing.
* Next comes any ceiling & wall repairs. These usually require their own feather-sanding, but keep the shop-vac handy!
* TRIMS- This is where ya gotta get fussy! Slightly sand ALL glossy trims/doors with a 150-ish sanding-sponge or palm-sander. You don't need to "sand through" the exising paint, just give it a good, even scuffing SO PRIMER HAS A GOOD SURFACE TO CLING TO. This is prob'ly the most important step!
* PRIME EVERYTHING in your case! Poorly maintained homes need all the help they can get.

>>> Summarizing: 2 rounds of vacuuming...The initial cleanup; and "round 2" after wall/ceiling repairs, and trim-sanding.

>>> Finally!!! the priming phase...
* Premium Latexes are the best: C2-One, C2 WBP, Bullseye 123, Kilz 2, Kilz Premium, or the BM/SW top primers.
* You MAY need 2 FULL primecoats if your walls are real bad!! If the first coat seems to "disappear", use a 2nd coat.
* Pretend you're doing your last finish-coat when priming!
Your outer paintcoats are a reflection of what's underneath.
* Use top-notch roller-frames, roller-covers, and brushes. DON'T "cheap-out" on tools! I like the Purdy White-dove roller-covers.

Lastly...(no surprise!)...TWO FULL paintcoats!
Good Luck...and we expect pics!!

Faron
bittersweetdreams
Original Author
16 years ago
Bummer, I'm in Ohio, no C2 paint for me... Shoot, love the look of those colors. Is the Bullseye 123 the next best quality option for me? And lastly, is the primer I use on the wooden trim molding and the paneling, the same primer that I use on the drywall walls?
Related Professionals
Orlando Painters · Bainbridge Island Painters · Franklin Painters · Hampton Bays Painters · La Habra Painters · Oak Lawn Painters · South Jordan Painters · St. Johns Painters · Sugar Hill Painters · Homewood Painters · Wells Branch Cabinets & Cabinetry · Everett Flooring Contractors · Fort Pierce Flooring Contractors · Hubert Flooring Contractors · South Lake Tahoe Flooring Contractors
Faron79
16 years ago
"Bitter",
Yes, you can use the same Latex primer throughout...just buy a good one!
* Also, yes, 123 is a good choice. Remember, 2 primecoats may be necessary if walls are in tough shape.
* And, I never really answered your first question! You can tint primers, but only necessary for real deep colors.
* On a similiar tack, don't leave primers "unpainted" for more than 2 or 3 weeks. They get too dried out & brittle to hold paint well if you wait too long.
* If you have any dark colors planned, a medium-gray primer would be called for.
* C2 does things a little different...some dark colors have colored primers that are even darker than the topcoat(s)!!
* There are a couple C2 dealers in Chicago...!
* If your trim is gonna be white or pastel-colored, Cabinet-Coat by Insl-x is a good choice too.

Faron