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walkin_yesindeed

'Gripper' primer? or what's the best primer?

walkin_yesindeed
16 years ago

Various HD employees have sung the praises of this stuff to me, and I bought a gallon. But everyone here seems to use KILZ or Bin, and I haven't found any discussion of the Gripper stuff. Are the HD folks just all drinking the same Kool-Aid?

I have to take a dark pink wall to pale warm beige, so the primer's gotta do its job!

Thanks, all.

Comments (20)

  • patricianat
    16 years ago

    It is probably just another brand. I don't like Zinser Binzer, personally. I like the old Kilz better, but to each his own. To me it has to do with the way it spreads and does not drip. I get very little drip with Kilz and find that my time is worth money and when I am not chasing drips and runs, I am saving time and time is money. It might be worth giving it the chance and let us know how you like it. We might all become addicted.

  • mahatmacat1
    16 years ago

    brushworks recommends 1-2-3, and I have had no problem with it, but just for comparison's sake I bought the Kilz "premium" at Lowe's yesterday to use with the red wall I'll be doing. Has anyone used the Kilz Premium yet?

  • patricianat
    16 years ago

    My painter used it on my doors yesterday and today (interior of exterior doors?). He said he liked it okay. He is a big Zinser guy which I am not. I got the Kilz Premium where I shop. I furnish paint and he furnishes labor. He probably likes the Kilz better, just cannot admit it.

  • judiegal6
    16 years ago

    My DH is a builder and owner of rental properties. He is not a painter but hires painters regularly and always uses "Gripper" primer from HD. We also use it in our own home. We have used it in a sprayer and rollers, it is a fine product.

  • dfw17
    16 years ago

    I used Gripper primer (tinted) on my entire wall of dining room built-ins, and then followed with 1 coat (only!) of Ellen Kennon (ICI/Dulux) paint. I went from a mauve color to Putty (grayed green). This was 2 years ago and I'm still pleased with the outcome. Definitely liked the primer.

  • robin2007
    16 years ago

    We just built a new home, and did all of the painting ourselves (which we will never do again, LoL). We bought our primer from a local home improvement store. We used a spray gun for all of our primer. We were down to just one wall left to prime, and we were out of the 5 gallon buckets that we had purchased from the home improvement store. So we made a quick trip to walmart and purchased a couple of gallons of KILZ. My inlaws swear by this stuff. The coverage was terrible, in my opinion. I almost felt like it wasn't working. It seemed too watery. We went ahead and used it, and painted the room as normal. Everything looks fine now that it's painted. But, I wouldn't buy the KILZ again. I was surprised too, because we spent a lot more $$ on the KILZ that we did on the other stuff.
    If you are interested, I will try to scrounge up a bucket of the original stuff we used and see if I can find a name on it. It had a green label. That's all I can remember.

  • igloochic
    16 years ago

    I personally only use a primer from Sherwin Williams that can be used to cover anything (click on my name and look at my clippings...there are details there). It goes over anything with one coat, and then allows for a perfect paint finish...no sanding ever needed on the shiniest of surfaces. I use it for everything.

    It's far superior to Kilz (which I've used quite a bit of over time) and I like the texture and smell far better than the gripper paint as well.

  • Faron79
    16 years ago

    Hi guys,
    Some of you know I work at a C2 dealer (Fargo, ND), so...with that said...

    It is sincerely some of the best stuff I've used...and I've used most of the above.
    * The "C2-One" primer: Great all-purpose Latex Indoor/Outdoor Stain-blocker. VERY nice dry-hide & stain-holding properties. Final appearance...looks better than most topcoats! To ME...VERY low odor.
    * C2000 WBP: Wall-Board Primer. For drywall, or general Interior priming. Also VERY nice dry-hide & appearance; very low odor.

    Once I used these, I was hooked...

    "C2-One" averages ~ $21/gal.,
    "C2000-WBP" avg.....$19/gal.

    Kilz...I've never been too fired-up on those.
    Bullseye 123...Good primer, but, to me, it smells bad!

    Faron

  • walkin_yesindeed
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks, all. You've restored my faith in HD (well, for the moment, anyway).

    The "accent wall" in our MBR, which we hoped would turn out a brick-terra-cotta color (kinda like Flyleft's Brick... Hearth) wound up deep rosy *pink* instead. Ick. We made this mistake years ago, long before I discovered this forum, and have been living with it ever since, b/c we're too busy and lazy to deal with it.

    But DH and the kids are going to be out of town for the next week, and I am going to be working, but I am thinking about priming over that heinous pink, just to distract myself from the book for a few hours. I'll give the Gripper a shot and report back. Igloochic: Purdy brushes, huh? Any other equipment I need before starting?

  • mahatmacat1
    16 years ago

    patricia, do you mean your painted used the Kilz Premium? I don't like the Kilz usually, but since it was a step up from their usual, I thought maybe I'd try it. Maybe I should take it back, since I know I like Zinsser. Don't have access to C2, faron, unfortunately.

    UPDATE: I just got curious and opened the Kilz Premium (my middle name is Pandora :)). Um...it leaves soft peaks like egg whites when I pull the brush out of the paint. It bounces when I touch it with the top of the paintbrush.

    faron, is that normal??

    It's 100% acrylic, opaque as all get-out, but I feel like I should be putting floetrol in it or something...I've never seen anything *this* thick before.

  • Jim Ford
    7 years ago

    Calling on the PT contractors for 30 years. Devoe pt carried gripper in the 70's.

    No one used anything but that. Controlled 80% of all commercial orders.

    Then gripper was sold 4 to 5 times. PPG bought gripper and they have it now.

    Great product still, but SWP has a primerB51W450 is a multipurpose latex primer.

    I'm sure it is great as well. Primer is more important than paint. A great primer extends the life of paint another 4 to 5 years.

  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    7 years ago

    It really depends on what one is priming. If it's wood with knots, a shellac based primer such as BIN is essential. Kilz covers stains very well - they will not bleed through. A good paint store with a knowledgeable manager is ones new best friend!

  • dianethompson600
    4 years ago

    Are gripper primers sandable?

  • Lucy Flynn
    4 years ago

    I think so, but it levels really well, and is not at all bumpy or needing sanding. I JUST used it tonight, two coats on tile floor. We will see. It is very smooth after an hour. I was not careful painting with a brush. Self leveling much better than other brands I have used. FIlls in cracks on the tile well too. Does not smell bad.

  • Lady L
    4 years ago

    I had never used PPG Gripper before so I thought it might be a new and improved version of primer. so I tried it on one room. The coverage was not great and it seemed thinner. Then I found a gallon of Kilz in the house. I used that on my second room Which was a much darker color. I am going back to Kilz. Much better coverage, thicker, not runny.... what can I say? Sticking with the old timer.

  • HU-148170077
    3 years ago

    Been using gripper for 24 years and still think it’s the best latex primer.

  • PRO
    modern technology consultant and pools
    3 years ago

    for outdoor Santa Barbara smooth stucco what would you recommend so even if it rains it don't Bubble some one from vista told me gripper with some other sealer I forgot the name that you apply after gripper acriglo or duratone

  • Sandra Walker
    2 years ago

    Gripper gripper gripper! Wins over every product for wood, drywall, metal... Glidden does horrible job of promoting this product. Would not use other if u give it to me. I tint is to color of my finish paint and eliminate needing 2nd coat of paint over the primer. Have used 100's of gallons of this stuff. Has a slight sheen like a satin so I use 2 coats of it for my rentals with no final paint coat. Easier to clean up and only 1 coat needed when tenants move. Feather brush areas with dark marks or water spots when needed to report bad areas.


    Comes in premixed grey for foundations porches... but must order it as none of the box stores stock it any more. Glidden is Home Depot product rather than Lowes.

  • Janice Goff
    last year

    GLIDDEN GRIPPER SOLD TO PPG ... VERY disappointed in the new formula! In fact it made me angry! I've never had Gripper drip off my brush. I'll need two maybe 3 coats to protect and finish the job. I'm a metal artist and have used hundreds of gallons of the old Gripper. PPG exposed itself with this product...in a world where quantity leads over quality these companies tell us QUALITY IS NOT PART OF THEIR BRANDING! So sad another one bites the dust!