Primer Worth the Price? Valspar, Behr, and Kilz Review
You may be thinking, “Wait, did I already read this post?” Congrats, you are not crazy, this is a sequel to Paint Worth the Price? Valspar, Duron, Behr, and Ralph Lauren Review AND Valspar One Coat Primer.
After my previous posts, I received a lot of good input from fabulous readers like yourself, who recommended Kilz Primer, since my experience with Valspar left me wanting more. So, I took your advice. But, just to make the research project a little more valid, I compared Kilz to both Behr and Valspar.
The project was to prime over my very red walls. On the top of the chair rail will be the color “Sea Star by Benjamin More” (review coming soon). Below, the chair rail will be painted white and will eventually be
wainscoting. Particularly for the bottom half, it was important to fully cover the red.
Valspar Primer
$17.98/gallon
Pros: Even coverage.
Cons: Higher cost comparatively, requires multiple coats of paint to provide full coverage and therefore is more work.
Conclusions: For a small job, you will need only one can of paint and therefore it may be the most cost
efficient. But it’s not worth the time and effort, in my opinion.
Behr Primer
$10.98/gallon
Pros: Even and full coverage, low cost, required one coat
Cons: None!
Conclusions: Behr is well worth the money! Buy Behr!
Kilz Primer
$13.78/gallon
Pros: Even coverage, lower coat than Valspar.
Cons: Required two coats, and on the bottom, still needed two coats of paint over that to cover the color.
Conclusions: For a small job, you will need only one can of paint and therefore it may be the most cost efficient
So was the cost worth it? Valspar and Kilz are not worth the cost, even though Kilz is comparatively inexpensive. Kilz was a little lumpy out of the can and for those of us with texture/sensory issues, this was a little gross, but it went on fine. Behr was worth the cost – it was by far superior, and in the end will save you money because you use less paint, and save time and effort.
Recycle and Paint Disposal
Just about everyone has leftover paint they’d like to get rid of, but it’s important to dispose of paint properly. Did you know that paint can even be recycled into new paint or a completely different product? Check out this great post detailing different solutions to disposing of old paint.
What do you think? Do you agree with the pros and cons? What brand would you recommend?
Comments & Conversation on this Article...
48 Responses to Primer Worth the Price? Valspar, Behr, and Kilz Review
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June 19th, 2008 7:39 am
I’m really surprised that Behr covered the best. My past experiences wit Behr have been bad to say the least. I think one thing that may be an issue is which primer seals the best and creates the best base for accepting the top finish coat. Unfortunately you can’t really compare that visually.
Nice post…..I’m still shocked at the results…..
June 19th, 2008 8:54 am
While I haven’t used Behr primer, I love Behr paint and believe it is far superior to the higher priced brands.
In regards to KILZ, I’ve seen the magic it has worked on one of my own catastrophic rooms. I had to cover up neon blue and sponge-painted green walls. After 2 coats of Kilz, it was amazing the difference.
June 19th, 2008 8:55 am
Surprised to hear that, Todd. Have had good experiences with Behr stain over the past decade and with their paint over the last 5-6 years. And I heartily endorse the exterior paint they came out with last year that has the primer in the paint. Used it to paint my whole house. While I did have to do two coats (dark colors are SO unforgiving) we had a harsh winter, a supersoaking spring, and the color looks like I just painted it. So, I have high hopes.
June 19th, 2008 9:00 am
We build six to ten houses a year plus at least one big commercial project and each time we’ve used Behr it’s been problematic. When we use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore…..everyone compliments the paint instead of complaining. I guess I just see it from picky customers every day and complaints stick in my mind forever.
June 19th, 2008 10:47 am
While I have not used the Behr primer, I am a big fan of Kilz. Most of my use of pimer is to prime (bare wood, plaster, drywall) or to seal stains (moisture, wood sap, etc.) This is very different than covering up paint. Of course it is much harder to prove in a quick side-by-side demo. The Kilz oil based is pretty smelly (though not so much as it was years ago) but the results are amazing.
BTW – when I have used primer to cover paint, I get it tinted to move towards the final wall color. Also, you can ask the paint store to shake up any can of paint, even if you don’t get it tinted. This is good for primer that may have sat on the shelf for a while.
June 19th, 2008 2:20 pm
Thanks for posting this we need to do some painting this summer. I’ve always heard Kilz was the best so I was also surprised by the results.
Also, I had a quick question. We’re trying to cover up some small stains on white walls. Do we need to use primer on the entire room so it looks even or just the walls with stains? I’m guessing we have to do the entire room but I’d love to only have to do a wall or two.
June 19th, 2008 10:36 pm
Robin – Our experience here is that you can just do the wall. If there is a difference over the primer it will likely be minimal as long as you are painting similar colors. You wouldn’t want to do just a small part of the wall, though, as it is possible that you would be able to see the difference in that area.
June 20th, 2008 9:36 am
For new work Behr is the stuff, especially if you are using Behr finish paints. In terms of coverage, behr is a heavier bodied paint and does lay down a thicker coat.
Kilz is the product if you are painting over marker,especially ‘magic marker’ or ’sharpie’ ink, or smoke damage, either fire or bad habit.
The distinction between the two is that Kilz is a sealer primer, and behr is a primer.
I would not recommend valspar for any reason. As you mentioned it requires multiple coats, by virtue of being a much thinner bodied paint, both in primer and cover styles.
P.S. I hope your samples used dry erase marker or you will need Kilz to cover:)
June 20th, 2008 5:58 pm
I’m currently using a can of Valspar primer… it is VERY nice. OF course, my can cost me $4 at Habitat, so it’s worth the money for ME…
June 21st, 2008 9:35 am
Kilz works great. But I usually use Kilz 2 (latex). It covers stains and unwanted colors very well. With the additional benefit of cleaning up with water. And has almost no smell.
June 24th, 2008 3:33 pm
Hi all! Thanks so much for your thoughts and experiences. Sorry for not responding, I was lost in a cyber black whole while on vacation.
Tish – Great idea with tinting the primer. I have heard others with good experiences with this. I with I had known this when I originally painted the walls red! In this case, I chose not to tint the primer since the bottom was going to be white.
Alan – I used Sharpies to write on the primer and used KILZ over top. Interesting though, I wish I had thought to compare KILZ, Behr, abnd Valspar in covering the marker as well. Maybe next time…
-Jocie
June 28th, 2008 10:35 pm
Using Valspar to cover a neon blue wall right now. Third coat – still can see through somewhat. It is very nice and smooth, even coverage, but you are right – several coats is not worth the time
June 29th, 2008 8:48 am
@Dmitriy, Thanks for the info. It’s always great when other people can share their own paint experiences. Good luck with the neon blue!
August 28th, 2008 5:05 pm
Try the Valspar High Hiding primer instead as that is the one specifically designed for a high hiding ability. One coat, never had a problem. As far as I’m concerned you cannot compare the Kilz with the other two unless you used a water base as the oil bases are better hiding primers/sealers. I’ve had more issues with Behr Paints than either Valspar, Ben Moore, or Sherwin Williams.
September 12th, 2008 12:56 am
Would anyone recommend any of these products for painting over a cheap wood-like desk (think IKEA or office store)? I’d like to get away from the blond wood color, but think that just painting it won’t work. Need to prime first. Thoughts?
September 12th, 2008 9:23 am
KJ-You’ll definitely need to prime first… and you’ll probably want to lightly sand the surface since ikea furniture will already be varnished. disassemble as much as you can, lightly sand, prime, then paint.
October 9th, 2008 9:29 pm
I want to paint over cheap laminate paneling by doing some faux painting with Valspar interior acrylic granite paint. This product has texture in it. I had purchased Kilz primer but am not sure whether that will actually work adequately. Can anybody give me some guidance as to how to get this project accomplished? Is painting over this stuff even an option?
October 9th, 2008 10:05 pm
Hey TJ, If you are going to paint over laminate you need to first lightly sand, or the paint and primer won’t stick. You may want to try KILZ Premium (rather than original or general purpose), since it claims to also adhere to glossy surfaces. Good luck and let us know what works!
January 20th, 2009 7:04 am
[...] 2. Prime each letter using your favorite primer. See my previous post on which primers work best. [...]
February 1st, 2009 2:22 am
I have a new home with drywall ready to paint. It has a hock and trowl textured finish. I need to prime it and was told I should go with the Kilz latex vs other types of primer and give it two coats. Do you think it would need two coats of the primer. Seems like a lot for something that doesn’t really have color yet. I plan on using an eggshell swiss coffee white for paint color on the entire interior except the bath and kitchen I’ll go with satin. Anyone have any comments or suggestions on this project? I am doing it myself and have professional sprayer. Do you know how long the primer takes to dry before applying the paint to it?
February 9th, 2009 3:52 pm
I’m in the process of priming my entire new addition. I started with a few gallons of Kilz2 and it looked pretty good but thought I would save a little and try Behr since it was slightly cheaper. It wasn’t worth it. With the Kilz2, I could stop with one coat and put my top coat on and be finished, but with Behr, I need to put another coat on just to try get it covered. There is more to paint than if it can just cover a darker color the way Jocie did her comparison. One thing I struggled with in Behr was trying to cut in the corners. I can really see a difference between the edges and the wall and if I didn’t go back right away to fix it, I have to now sand it. Kilz2 blended much nicer. Lastly, I’m not a big fan of paint odor, not sure anyone is, but be prepared to open all the windows with Behr. I didn’t have that problem with Kilz2. I’m going back to Kilz2.
February 16th, 2009 1:46 pm
I just want to add that I tried Behr Ceiling paint and it is much nicer than their primer. I bought 10 gallons to do all my ceilings, the first area looks very nice.
February 17th, 2009 3:08 am
I am a GC and I used Behr for many years. I used to stand by it but it has become nothing but a line of problems. I have had more complaints using Behr paints, primers and stains than I have with any other issues combined in the last 3 years and it has only gotten worse. And to make matters worse, whenever there has been a failure with any of their products, they have never once made good on a warranty. There is the usually response, “we feel the directions were not followed”, funny how that has never happened with any other brands or any other products for that matter. I would avoid Behr, unless you are forced to use it, and then you had better get a waiver to make sure it doesn’t come back on you!
March 3rd, 2009 8:54 pm
Kilz does do a good job of hiding things on a diy homeowner’s wall in preparation of painting.
March 4th, 2009 5:00 pm
I’m buying what I call a “Crayola-Condo” and want to make sure that Kilz 2 Latex Primer is what I need to use. I call it that because whoever lived there must have lost their mind when chosing colors…Orange-Yellow-Green-Dark Brown! Thank god they left the ceiling’s white. I’m going with either an off white or a very light tan throughout the entire unit. Should I expect to apply 2 coats of primer? Can the Kilz 2 be tinted towards the finish top coat? I’d hate to have to paint the entire place 3 times to achieve the final color…unless I have to.
March 14th, 2009 1:12 am
All of the woodwork in our older home has been painted with oil-based enamel paint and I want to start using latex. What should I use…..Kilz or Behr primer? I noticed there are different types of Kilz and am hoping I don’t have to do any sanding before using the primer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
April 18th, 2009 3:23 pm
I HEARD THAT IF YOU USE KILZ PRIMER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WASH YOUR WALL iS THAT TRUE?????
May 18th, 2009 3:42 pm
I am currently repainting drywall that all the paint peeled off of,this was a builder problem for not selecting a proper drywall primer. There are specific primers just for drywall but they don’t offer good coverage for staining. I have staining from permanent and sharpie type markers that seeped down into the drywall.
One product going through this abused house that I have been pleased with has been Kiltz 2,another primer that I love but was not on sale at the time is the Zinsser Gripper.
In case you are wondering the primer I am using for the drywall is a PVA primer by Glidden it stinks to high heaven ,however, it equalizes the walls two bases (drywall and mud) each suck up the paint differently which can be noticeable with any non-flat paint.
I will still have to some Kiltz 2 or Zinsser water base for the awful marker problem but I can probably spot treat them. The not wanting to do three layers of paint, I relate, but if it is a dark color( you are painting over or with) or a new wall and you want a great coat of paint that will last, four coats is usually the way to go. That is two primer and two of your chosen color-especially with non-flat paints as any acidental backrolling of a second coat of paint color will show a sheen variation.
May 21st, 2009 2:34 pm
Is there any certain primer that is good over wallpaper? We purchased a used mobile home in Florida. The walls are individual panels that are covered in what seems to be wallpaper that cannot be removed. The panels are put up and then a matching wallpapered strip runs from ceiling to floor to cover the seams. The patterns of the mobile home were picked out by an elderly lady. We want to prime the walls and paint a seashore light blue. Looking for the best primer and paint. Any suggestions?
May 25th, 2009 8:33 pm
How much Kiltz primer should be on the roller
May 28th, 2009 1:06 pm
I live in Florida and have home with a garage. When the car is parked and the garage door is closed after a rainstorm, the humidity and dampness has caused the ceiling popcorn and drywall tapes to loosen and fall off. I am having the popcorn removed and the ceiling repaired and coated with ‘orange peel’. I want a good water resistant finish using latex paint, if possible. If I prime with Kilz2 or with Behr Primer and then put a finish coat of Behr Premium Satin white, will that combination provide effective dampness resistance? Do I need to use Kilz oil based primer and then the Behr Prmium Satin? All coats will be white.
June 8th, 2009 7:21 am
I can’t beleive those results. I just got done painting some walls in a house and used both Behr and Kilz. With Behr had to cover blue room used a primer and paint and had to use two coats of paint. With kilz on another room, an unforgiving loud purple, i just used the casual colors one coat and no primer and only had to use Kilz paint one coat and it did an excellent job some areas of the wall required another coat. Kilz is superior in my book. Low smell and great coverage and it washes nicely. I’m sold on Kilz paint from now on.
July 1st, 2009 6:25 pm
I have never seen such lousy paint primer as the Valspar that I am packing up the take back to Lowes. I should have listened to my head and past experiences than listen to that loser who was pushing the Valspar Primer. I doesn’t even stick to the paper around the can. If your taking the time to prime before you paint, I would you a good sealer/primer like Kilz…you won’t go wrong.
July 12th, 2009 4:26 pm
“for those of us with texture/sensory issues, this was a little gross”
Jeez…grow up little girl!
July 14th, 2009 6:35 pm
I have a question, I just used kilz to seal my basement which I just cleaned mold from. I have applied several layers (to some areas) to cover water stains that keep coming thru. Is this normal and also does this mean the chances of future water damage is high?
July 16th, 2009 3:14 pm
I was going to buy Kilz to cover wallpaper before painting. I have Behr primer and sealer, would this work as well? One of the walpaper walls have a slight texture, any recomendations? thank you
September 21st, 2009 11:23 am
Hello, Will KILZ PRIMER COVER MOLD and stop it? Less than 1 year ago I had the exterior of house painted. Now I am seeing some RED spots under 2 soffits located under the gutter. Each NEW soffit is in a different area of the house. I don’t know if the painters used a primer first as they should have and then applied 2 coats of paint or if the wood was already moldy and they just painted over it. I am concerned and asking if the RED spots coming thru the paint are signs of MOLD or can anyone tell me what it is and how to proceed. IF it is mold, would KILZ PRIMER cover it (plus 2 more coats of paint) and essentially STOP the mold coming thru or should the wood just be removed (and be a bigger project)?
September 22nd, 2009 7:59 pm
Help please. I need to paint the walls of a mobile home which look like wallpaper, but are actually dark brown flowered pattern panels. I’ve been told to use Kilz primer, but I’m not sure that’s my best choice. Is there a 1 coat primer which is sure to block the dark pattern before painting a sage green? Thank you! Susan in Folsom, Ca.
September 23rd, 2009 9:54 am
I am so in love with the results I get rom Kilz. My house was smoked in 15 years before I bought it. I have been using it in every room. I usually need one coat sometimes two. But I’ll tell you I am not sure why people are saying it smell is not so bad. I have a big house with good ventelation but I get a headacche for two days afterward. My last room to paint now is my bedroom I keep procrastinating because of the headache. Any ideas? Am I just to sensitive for this primer?.
In the end the primer has been worth the headache.
September 24th, 2009 1:22 pm
To answer Jaimie Skeeters question. When you are sealing water based stains you need to use oil-base sealer. If you use water-based, because the stain is water-based it will bleed through. Same goes for oil-based stains, you need to use water-based sealer.
November 21st, 2009 7:45 pm
I love Kilz! You can’t go wrong with it. I bought a house where the previous owner hadn’t cleaned in years and was a smoker. Even though I cleaned the walls first there was still tons of staining. I painted everything with oil based Kilz (this is the stinky version) because of the nicotine, wallpaper residue (removed wallpaper in one room) and the likely hood of oil based paints on the walls (house is a 1948). You would never guy a smoker ever lived in my house. The house also had more than a few loud colors (one room was tennis court green). I also used Kilz2 (water based) to go from red/black to light green/white and it required one coat. I work in the construction industry and there isn’t single contractor I talked to who would use any primer except Kilz.
For those who don’t know if you will be painting over anything with an oil based finish you will need to use oil based primar to switch to a water based finish such as latex paint.
November 24th, 2009 11:28 am
I’m a painting contractor. I never use latex primers. They don’t cover most stains. Oil-based is THE only way to go. For a dark wall /color change a homeowner might use latex primer. I just use a fat roller nap and two coats of paint. Sherwin Williams promar 200. Thick and clumpy? And a few tablespoons of water and stir. Use a 3/4 purdy nap.I use a 5 gal. Bucket, screen, pole and just dump 80% in the bucket and use the can for my brush.in my opinion latex primer just suck unless it’s new sheetrock.red spots outside under the eves?? It’s tannin bleed. Oilbased primer or shellac it. They used latex primer or none at all.
December 2nd, 2009 7:03 am
Hi, folks. I’m in Moscow, figuring out how to paint some IKEA furniture. One site tells me to scuff-sand the wood, use a primer like KILZ, then paint as I wish. So far I haven’t found KILZ here. Could you tell me what ingredients I should look for? We have lots of European products, like Alpina, which is apparently an alkyl primer. Is that the same thing?
This is a bit tricky when you’re not a DIY whizz, plus are reading Russian translations of German labels…
December 31st, 2009 9:28 pm
I work at a small independent hardware store in business for over thirty years, and we carry Kilz and Zinsser. Two bits of advice for several of the questions I’ve seen here:
1. For covering water stains with a water-based primer, the Zinsser is probably the only one that will do it. Zinsser is in the Rustoleum family, and is in my mind the best primer on the market. The Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer should be considered by all those who have had other primers fail.
2. On IKEA/plastic/laminate shelving/tile/glass: there are few primers which will adhere to these surfaces. For IKEA furniture or laminate shelving or plastic, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to at least lightly scuff the surface. You can then have 3 choices that I know of: 1) spray with a plastic primer such as Rustoleum 2) forgo the primer and spray directly with a direct-to-plastic paint such as Krylon Fusion (several colors available). 3) once again, the Zinsser primer. Both the B-I-N shellac-based and the Bull’s Eye 1-2-3 water-based primer will adhere to plastics including PVC and laminates, tile, and even glass.
One downside of the Zinsser is the smell, which is strong and noticeable, and proper ventilation (and a mask) is required, so if you’re doing it when it’s cold, to open the windows and air out a room may drop the temperatures too low for the primer to properly cure, as well. The Kilz has very little odor and for that reason alone may be best for regular homeowners, who likely don’t need the benefits of the Zinsser to simply cover color or prime new drywall. But if even the Kilz fails you, go to Zinsser. The other two don’t even deserve having their names mentioned here.
February 21st, 2010 6:45 pm
I know it’s an old thread, however for what it’s worth I just used the Lowes Valspar multi-purpose primer (~$20) and was not very happy with the results. I chose the multi-purpose over the cheaper high coverage formula (~$15) thinking that it was the better way to go. I don’t have the room dimensions available, however it is a relatively small childrens room in a typical northeast raised ranch style house. We removed a wall paper border that ran the middle of the room that presented some surprising paint colorings underneath that needed to be primed over. It took the entire gallon ~ apprx 2.5 coats to get the room in relatively decent shape to paint. I will not be using Valspar for the final coat – I am looking at Sherwin Williams. My sons room is the next project, I will try the SW primaer and post my findings.
Am I alone on this – should I expect to put more than one coat for relatively clean walls (no bright red/blue/etc)??
February 22nd, 2010 3:53 am
Thanks. In the end I used an alkyd primer (European firm called Alpina). Scuffed up the surface, put down two coats. Then painted with a water-based paint , antiqued the surface and covered with a water-based varnish. It turned out really well.
March 2nd, 2010 11:02 am
It may cover(Behr), but with my own experience with it, “It won’t last” it will begin to peel in short time!!!!!
March 5th, 2010 2:20 pm
I used Behr to paint my bedroom and it would roll up on the wall and leave balls all over the wall. It was awful. It also dried so fast it wouldn’t spread. Never again.