Opinions on "paint and primer in one"

Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2015 · 139 posts · 43 votes

I've used paint and primer in one products a while back on a volunteer project where quality wasn't a top concern. Everyone there loved the product but I can't remember if it really met my standards.

What is everyone's opinion on this? Can you really skip the primer on new Sheetrock, and just apply two coats to get a good finish?

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Wayne Brooks

Real Estate Professional · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2012 · 23k+ posts · 13k+ votes

10y

The "primer and paint in one" makes for a good Paint, but is no substitute for primer and paint, where a primer is needed.

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Rebecca Zadell
Manassas, VA · Member since 2016 · 74 posts · 15 votes
10y
It is definitely the way to go. It's cheaper, faster, and overall has a better finish these days.
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Max T.
Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
yes you can skip the primer step. you will still need 2 coats.
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JD MartinBusiness Member
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Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
10y
I prefer using primer even with the "one and done" products. You use less topcoat, and primer is cheap. You can get the primer tinted to match the finish color, if you want to go that route, but I prefer leaving the primer white so you can see what has/has not been painted.
That said, if you need to paint something fast, it does stick, if that's the question.
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Stone Teran
Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2015 · 374 posts · 120 votes
10y
Paints are much improved in the last 15 years so you can get away with less work than you could in the past, but I still always do 1 coat of latex primer over new sheetrock and then 1 coat of Glidden Duo and it looks fantastic.
Primer is a fraction of the cost of paint, so my method is cheaper than 2 coats of paint.
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Jake Thomas
Residential Real Estate Agent · Grand Rapids, MI · Member since 2013 · 803 posts · 689 votes
10y
What were you painting where quality wasn't a concern? I paint everyone of my rehabs with my partner so I paint quite a bit each year. When I look at others work and notice they skipped two coats on the corners/cuts or didn't use primer I get annoyed but I guess I don't have to live with it. I always primer drywall and especially the mud joints. The paint & primer is all I use when painting but by itself it is not effective enough to cover all the mud spots without being seen. Do it right and primer then paint with two coats sanding in between every coat or don't do it at all, that is how I do it.
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Ryan K.
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Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2015 · 139 posts · 43 votes
10y
It was a volunteer project with a local Christian housing repair program. Funds are tight and most all work is done by volunteers with little experience. Quality of finished paint surface is the least of their concerns in these cases. Most homes are in poverty stricken areas and very run down. It's about getting the homes back to "better" conditions and certainly not for resale or rental purposes. They used the paint and primer in one product to cut down on time to get projects done.
I've always primed bare surfaces before painting but I'm getting mixed opinions on using the all in one products.
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David Handel
Madison, WI · Member since 2014 · 46 posts · 26 votes
10y
What is the finish of your top coat?
Drywall is easy to adhere to, so getting it to stick is not an issue. The bigger issue I see is when you are using a sheen other than flat.
When someone puts a higher sheen (eggshell, satin, etc.) it shows more imperfections in the wall. The evenness of the sheen also becomes much more apparent. A primer will give you better enamel holdout, meaning it will do a better job of promoting the sheen on the topcoat.
Who hasn't been in this situation... You patched a spot on wall and got it feathered in perfectly. It hasn't been that long since the wall was painted, so you save a step by putting a coat of eggshell across the whole wall. You come back after it has had ample time to dry and still see the patched spot after top coat? The resin of the coating sucks into the more porous areas and sits on top of the sealed areas, leaving a dull spot where your repair was made. I've seen the same thing happen with P&P in one.
Paint and primer are made to do separate jobs. If a product is made to be a killer finish, it probably isn't that great of a primer and vice versa. As stated earlier in the thread, primer is less costly than finish paint and you have the same labor and material quantity 2 coating with the paint or priming and top coating. It makes more sense to use an actual primer.
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Jassem A.
Investor · PA · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 602 votes
10y
I typically only get one coat coverage with oil based paints. The "ultra premium" latex paints sold at Home Depot or Lowes come pretty close but cost about 10/gal more than the oil based paint. I'm about to try mixing a gallon of kilz original primer with a gallon of oil-based rustoleum gloss yellow paint to see if I get 1 coat coverage for 20/gal. I hate painting enough as it is and I don't want to do more work than I have to.
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Michael Mullins
Investor · Cedar Park, TX · Member since 2016 · 463 posts · 177 votes
10y
I love the high quality of behr paint, even on dry sheet rock you can put behr paint on and it looks good. I normally purchase the highest quality behr paint because after a rental is empty you can go in and wash down the walls and it looks brand new again.
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Wayne Brooks
Real Estate Professional · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2012 · 23k+ posts · 13k+ votes
10y
The "primer and paint in one" makes for a good Paint, but is no substitute for primer and paint, where a primer is needed.
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David Sisson
Architect · Providence, RI · Member since 2016 · 258 posts · 195 votes
10y
New drywall always requires primer. You can get by with really cheap PVA primer from the big box stores, the coat does not have to be perfect, but if you don't use it, paint won't look the same on the drywall mud vs paper surface.
Existing painted surface may not require primer, depending on their condition and the color you are trying to go over. I always prime darker surfaces before I put on a light color.
I only buy Sherwin Williams paints for my projects, for 2 reasons - 1) because I get a good discount as a professional, which brings their cost close to "big box" paint and 2) because I can get real 1 coat coverage, if I select the right paint - this saves me time and actual $ over a cheap paint.
I like SW "Harmony" for interior projects. My previous favorite was SW "Super Paint". Both of these are great paints. I think the Harmony has better single coat coverage and it's zero VOC, so your project smells better sooner. I think SW says that Super Paint is a "paint and primer in one" product. I'd rather do a quick coat with $10/gallon primer and then a single finish coat at $40/gallon SW paint, than two or 3 coats with $20/gallon paint. Even better is just a single coat of $40/gallon paint.
I do see some owners using more "property maintenance" paints - from Glidden, Ben Moore or SW. I find that I end up doing 2 coats with these, so the time is so much more that I'd rather spend a bit more on materials. If I was doing a really cheap project, and doing a light color over a light color, I'd probably pick an affordable paint by Glidden.
Ben Moore also makes great paints, I'm just not as familiar with them because my discount is better at SW.
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