Best KILZ® Primer Products to Use After a Natural Disaster

August 31, 2022

When disaster strikes, it’s natural for you to feel defeated. Especially when you finally can assess the damages. Smoke residue from a fire or mold and mildew that creeps in after flood waters recede is a considerable challenge in the renovation process. In many cases, disaster recovery calls for the help of a professional. But if you want to DIY your restoration, KILZ^® Primers can help with your painting project. Let’s look at the best KILZ^® primers for situations you may encounter in the aftermath of a disaster.

Best KILZ^® Primers for Inside the Home

For Smoke Damage

Covering smoke and soot is a tough challenge when painting the interior of your home. Whether the damage came from a wood-burning fireplace or a kitchen fire, you don’t want it to bleed through your fresh paint. That’s why cleaning it properly and using the correct primer before painting is essential. If you have smoke damage in your home, follow these steps to cover it.

1. Clean the surface using a dry cleaning sponge. These natural rubber sponges have tiny, porous cells that work to lift the soot from the surface without smearing or streaking.

2. Wash the surface with a grease-cutting dish detergent and water.

3. Rinse with a solution of one part water and three parts vinegar.

Once the walls and ceiling are squeaky clean, it’s time to prime. Properly applied, primers provide a foundation coat that ensures the topcoat looks its best and lasts longer. The following KILZ^® Primer products work tirelessly at blocking smoke stains and odors.

• KILZ^® ORIGINAL Oil-Based Primer blocks most heavy interior stains, including smoke, and is suitable for wood, drywall, plaster, paneling, wallpaper, masonry, and brick.

• KILZ^® ORIGINAL Interior/Exterior Primer is a fast-drying oil-based sealer that blocks the most severe stains, including those from smoke and fire. And it seals against any lingering smoke odors. Use it on interior and exterior surfaces, including wood, drywall, plaster, brick, stucco and masonry.

• KILZ RESTORATION^® Primer (Formerly KILZ MAX) is a water-based primer, sealer, and stain blocker you can cover with either a water-based or oil-based topcoat. Performing like traditional oil and shellac-based primers, it blocks tough stains like smoke and seals against its odor. Use it on drywall, wood, plaster, masonry, and brick.

For Water Damage

Anyone who’s lived through a flood understands the shock after the water recedes. There’s a definitive line marking the water level. The drywall is ruined, ugly stains are everywhere, and the smell is nauseating. Unfortunately, the odor comes from another set of problems for homeowners who want to repair the damage left behind–bacteria, mold, and mildew. And all are challenging to cover with paint. If this sounds like what you’re facing after a hurricane, tornado, or flood, KILZ^® Primers can help.

Once clean-up is complete and all soil, mold, and mildew removed, you’re ready to prime the surfaces for painting. The following KILZ^® Primer products are the best choice for blocking water stains, sealing against odors, or preventing mold and mildew from recurring.

• KILZ^® ORIGINAL Oil-Based Primer blocks most heavy interior stains, including water, and is suitable for wood, drywall, plaster, paneling, wallpaper, masonry, and brick.

• KILZ^® ORIGINAL Interior/Exterior Primer blocks the most severe water stains and seals against any persistent odors. Use it on interior and exterior surfaces, including wood, drywall, plaster, brick, stucco and masonry.

• KILZ RESTORATION^® Primer is a water-based primer, sealer, and stain blocker that blocks tough stains from heavy water stain damage and seals against unwanted odor. Use it on drywall, wood, plaster, masonry, and brick. And topcoat with either water-based or oil-based paint.

• KILZ 2^® ALL-PURPOSE Primer (Previously KILZ 2 Latex) is a water-based primer with a mild odor. It’s suitable for multiple surfaces with excellent adhesion and primes, seals, and blocks medium stains from mild water damage. It also has a mildew resistant finish.

• KILZ 3^® PREMIUM Primer dries fast, has low odor, and is very low in VOCs. In addition, this water-based primer has excellent adhesion, provides a mildew-resistant coating, and blocks most medium to heavy stains caused by water. Use it on interior and exterior woodwork, drywall, plaster, paneling, masonry, and brick.

Best Primer for Damage Outside Your Home

Fire, hurricanes, and other storm damage happen outside your home just as readily as inside. For restoration jobs on exterior surfaces, the following KILZ^® primers provide excellent adhesion and durability on most surfaces.

• KILZ^® ORIGINAL Interior/Exterior Primer

• KILZ 2^® ALL-PURPOSE Primer

• KILZ 3^® PREMIUM Primer

• KILZ^® MOLD and MILDEW Primer

Before Disaster Happens

Primers provide a foundation coat that solves various surface problems, ensuring the topcoat looks best and lasts longer. While it cannot prevent any physical damage from natural disasters, a primer does help the paint stick to the wall better and more evenly, thereby helping to avoid damage to some degree. So, before a tragedy, remember to prime your surfaces with KILZ^® primers correctly.

Trusted by pros for over 40 years, most homeowners choose KILZ^® products for tackling stains and odors caused by fires, floods, and smoke. They’re available where most paints are sold.

Always remember to refer to our website kilz.com or product back labels for additional information on which primer is right for your project and detailed instructions on how to apply our products. Check out our Coverage Calculator to understand your estimated paint needs for your upcoming project.