Don’t Bother Using Primer Before Painting | Consumer Reports

The old rule was that you always put on a coat of primer before painting your walls. The new rule is that you can skip it. Consumer Reports experts explain why.

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[Chasmodius]

That felt more like an ad than an informative consumer-oriented test and explanation.

[TOMVUTHEPIMP]

Is Consumer Reports going to come repaint everything when the paint+primer does not work?

[scottcarruthers]

I have never had any luck not priming existing painted walls. New paint will eventually bubble and peel off. Always use a separate primer to ensure a long lasting finish

[RealJoshBinder]

Using a paint/primer-in-1 on new drywall that has never been painted before won't create an even surface. I learned the hard way. Ignore this video.

[heroicalx]

From the description " Consumer Reports experts explain why." the video never explained why, this video simply said just buy it, cause we say so.

[erikwilson]

Been painting for 30 plus years. They are incorrect people!  You need to prime!!

[robertmurray]

Not true I work in paint store skipping primer most the time is bad idea

[TheOpinionSports]

There is no paint that has primer built into it. Those are just paints that are thicker and cover really good.

[ryanmckay]

Lol sure listen to every thing you hear on YouTube 😂 I'm a professional painter, and I'll tell you this is straight bs. You put paint over straight drywall mud even if its a paint and primer in one, its going to peel TRUST ME I have had to fix many jobs where homeowners try to skip the priming stage and it becomes a mess and costs them double. Another example, I just did a job where the homeowner had painted the closets bright green, then wanted to change the color to Cloud White. Needless to say it took three coats of primer and two coats of finish in order to cover that. Primer is cheaper than finish paint, we would have wasted multiple gallons of finish paint trying to cover that color if we didn't prime it first. So don't believe everything you hear or see on the internet, ask a professional.

[lonespartan]

Do you guys review Sherwin-Williams and Ben Moore paints? Because if you do, i don't know how you can recommend Behr or Valspar over them, they suck. Painter with over 10 years experience here, also, lots of things need to be primed first. Paint and primer in one may be fine on walls that are already painted, but not on bare wood with knots, stains, or water damage.

[moniquemonicat]

Every single professional painter I've asked says to ALWAYS primer bare wood, such as replacing rotted fascia on exterior of house. Each of them warned me "don't bother with the 2-in-1 primer+paints" because they do NOT seal bare wood and tannin bleeds through bare wood which makes it imperative to primer BEFORE paint (on bare wood).

[jeffreystuder]

My experience tells me you need to prime first every time! Every time I’ve tryed to paint without priming I use 3 times as much paint. Paint and primer in one is not the same as priming first, and you will actually spend more money in the long run.

[nilonilo]

Yep I agree this looks like an ad. Sad face emoji for CR. This is also misleading. I bought a house where previous owner painted the rooms for the main living spaces, kitchen, dining, living, etc.with same paint/color. They used a highly rated and advertised all-in-one primer/paint bought at one of the big boxes and it bubbled in the main entrance area. That tells me that the paint did not stick to whatever was below. Which then makes me believe that if they had primed the walls before, it should not have bubbled. Also, i've seen ads where these all-in-one paints last for approximately 10 years. I now need to paint the entire room. Beware of these all-in-one paints and the amount of advertising they deploy.

[moderndaysojourner]

No such thing as a paint and primer in one. Just a marketing gimmick.

[chrisfreemesser]

Horribly misleading video. There are times when you NEED a primer coat, and the extra binders they put into a primer+paint combo aren't gonna cut it. Not in a million years would I paint directly on top of something like non-silicone caulks or glazing compound...you NEED to prime them first. On bare wood, latex paint will cause the grain to raise...using a primer first allows you to sand that grain down flat before applying your topcoat.

Besides, primer is usually half the price of a good gallon of paint and dry in an hour or two. Better safe than sorry!

[gskibum]

The implied claim that primer is not necessary is nonsense. Exactly the kind of nonsense I expect from Consumer Reports. Which is why I stopped trusting them as a source probably 20 years ago.

I always buy only high-end paint products. Not all paints with primers are created equal. Some hide better than others.

My favorite paint of all is Sherwin Williams Cashmere flat, which is a paint & primer combo. The end result with this paint is stunning. And the tactile effect of its finish is the cherry on top. However, it is a bit more watery than other all-in-one paint-primer products I have used, so when covering any wall that has stains or already painted with a mid-tone shade I will still use a coat of primer. But in the end it is worth it.

Regardless of paint, if I'm covering a surface previously painted with mid to dark colors, I'm using a coat of primer followed with a light sanding.

Consumer Reports really gets so many things wrong.

[AleksanderSzadurski]

lol the propaganda.... you can paint without a primer if the color underneath is lighter or similar. Prime separately if applying on bare wood, drywall, plaster or concrete for best results, and if old colors are much darker than what you're trying to cover. Otherwise you'll end up applying more than 2 coats of the paint. Primer is cheap 10-18 bucks a gallon.

[BTC]

If you are painting dark to light you better use a primer. Possibly twice.

[smithsfan]

Worst recommendation ever, paint+primer is the biggest marketing gimmick ever. If your research is limited to listening to what a marketing agency like consumer reports is paid to say, I feel for you. Read up a technical data sheet found on the paint company’s website and understand what volume solids and the difference between acrylic latex vs acrylic vinyl are. Understand how certain pigments (colors) simply cover better than others regardless of the paint. Compare specs of a “paint+primer” and a paint that doesn’t have that label and be amazed at how much more you’re paying for sometimes literally the same quality paint without a moniker. Have fun covering with a red over a different color without a grey primer and spending more money on more coats. Pft.

[garylangley]

Buffalo Biscuits!! I have a house where someone power washed and scraped some wood then painted it with exterior paint and primer in one, and it is peeling off 3 years later. I painted some wood using a primer first, then painted and it still looks like new. Paint and primer has a lot of solids and adheres well. If you prep the surface right and clean it properly, you will get a fantastic paint job that lasts with paint and primer. Use the right primer for the subsurface.