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Painting Technique- what is more effective?

makeithome
13 years ago

So, I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about us painting our dining room. I told him we'd be going with beige and I explained that we had a gold on the walls now from the PO. Now, this friend flips houses for a living, so he knows a lot about construction and renovating and being very budget conscious.

I told him that we had gone to the BM paint store and the guy had talked us into using 2 coats of Aura paint, rather than 1 coat of primer and two coats of their Regal paint. I also told him that the Aura paint costs $50 a gallon. He almost fell out of his chair.

This is what he proposed: buy a bucket of Kilz stain blocking primer and get it tinted to our BM color. Do one coat of that and then one coat of the Regal BM paint. He's convinced that it will cover as well, if not better than the 2 coats of Aura, and it will cost us considerably less (with the same number of coats).

Has anyone ever tried anything like this? What are your thoughts? I am all about saving money, but I also want to create a beautiful finish that lasts.

Comments (11)

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    13 years ago

    Listen to the guy at the Ben Moore store. The friend who flips houses should probably stick to flipping houses because his paint strategies are excellent for his business - it's a great idea as long as it's somebody else's house. The final coat of Aura will give you a proper build of film for durability and wear plus superior color quality and finish.

    It's never a good plan to do just one coat of color - you don't get proper build up of the film and the color quality suffers. There's a lot that gets "completed" with that second coat of quality paint.

    It'd be interesting to see a comparison of numbers - his product/method vs. two coats of Aura. I'm bettin' there's not that big of a price difference. i.e. is saving a nickle per square foot really worth the hassle of dealing with two products? Far easier to pour Aura and dip one brush and one roller to finish the job. . . and one set of supplies to clean up.

    Remember, if you do the math, you absolutely should not base it strictly on price per gallons. You have to calculate it based on price per square foot. How much is the Aura per square and how much is the Kilz/Regal per square. Then compare the price per square figures, not price per gallon. Don't forget to factor in an extra brush, roller, paint tray/liner if you're planning on new ones instead of washing your brush/roller/tray when you switch from Kilz to Regal.

    Most everyone makes the mistake of comparing price per gallon - that simply does not paint an accurate picture. And there are many times when the "cheaper" product will end up costing more in the end - money and often more time too.

    Fine Paints of Europe's has a great tag line, "There is nothing more expensive than cheap paint."

  • les917
    13 years ago

    Funcolors is the expert,so certainly everything she has written should be your guide.

    I will say one other thing. Several people have had the experience with Kilz that it has a faint, lingering odor that sticks around for not just a couple of days, but months. Perhaps they are more sensitive noses, but it is not something I would want in my dining room.

  • PRO
    Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
    13 years ago

    "There is nothing more expensive than cheap paint."

    I like that!

  • makeithome
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you all for your input! Honestly, I figured I would just stick to the Aura for consistency and because it's probably an easier product to work with. I also doubt that my friend is interested in a long-lasting finish. He's probably used to just creating finishes that look good now, and the next owners can do whatever the heck they want, lol.

    Funcolors, you are a font of knowledge and I certainly trust your judgment. I am just really hoping that the Aura does truly cover in two coats, because the color I want to achieve is a nice soft gray/beige and I really don't want the gold shining through.

  • tracey_b
    13 years ago

    Please post back and let us know if you're satisfied with the 2-coat results. I'm wanting to repaint a room or two in our new house with the least amount of work as possible--otherwise, I'll just live with my original choices a while longer.

  • franksmom_2010
    13 years ago

    I can't think of any reason to ever use Kilz. Have you read any reviews on that? There are much better primers out there.

    And yes, you need two coats of whatever paint you use.

  • Faron79
    13 years ago

    I always laugh at the...
    "A coat of tinted primer means you only need 1 topcoat..."

    ONLY if you're the world's best painter...

    YES...with a high-end paint like AURA, two coats without primer would look great...assuming a CLEANED wall without many repairs. You can't do much better than that.

    KILZ primers....blechhhh.
    * Use Zinsser's 123 Latex, C2-One latex (if you're near a C2 dealer!), BM's Fresh-Start latex, or Gliddens Gripper.
    * Now you've got a even base, so new topcoatS of paint will show & wear beautifully.

    I've actually used some FPE stuff....Wow. Unreal stuff!
    Don't tell him my QUART was $45.
    Eurogallons run ~ $100.
    This level of paint will outlast your house....

    Faron

  • jillinnj
    13 years ago

    Do not use Kilz. Les917 is correct. It has a terrible odor. And not a faint odor. Very strong. My painter just recently used it to cover water stains before painting in my house. Smelled terrible and it took a long time (with the window open in cold weather) for the smell to go away.

    2 coats of Aura will be perfect, will definitely cover, and almost no odor at all (if you care about that).

    Good luck!

  • patser
    13 years ago

    Your friend flips houses for a living.

    Please question all advice from anyone whose business is to 'do it on the cheap' and then maximize profit.

    Your house will hate you.

  • lazy_gardens
    13 years ago

    This is what he proposed: buy a bucket of Kilz stain blocking primer and get it tinted to our BM color. Do one coat of that and then one coat of the Regal BM paint. He's convinced that it will cover as well, if not better than the 2 coats of Aura, and it will cost us considerably less (with the same number of coats).

    It all depends on what color you are covering up, and the color of the new coat. And it depends heavily on your painting technique too. After much practice, I can get excellent coverage with a single coat, but it took me quite a while and several houses to get there.

    If you are covering up anything in the medium to dark range, one coat of high-hide white (tinted or not) goes a long way towards getting you true color for the top coat.

  • mjsee
    13 years ago

    And if your house doesn't hate you...the next owners will.

    Aura can be a little tricky to work with until you get used to it...it REALLY resents being back-brushed/rolled. One has to lay it down and leave it. Regal is more forgiving. That said...I LOVE Aura. It's all I use anymore.