Tag: Primer Tips
Odor Blocking Primers for Fresh as Spring Painting Projects
March 16, 2020Spring brings new beginnings and is often the perfect time to tackle a painting project you’ve been putting off. If you have a room renovation project that includes the added challenge of ridding the space of stale smells or bad odors, KILZ® Primers can help. From pet odor to the lingering smell of smoke (even long after the smoker is gone!), unpleasant odors can get stuck in your home and seem near impossible to remove.
Odor may penetrate fresh paint, so simply repainting the walls will likely leave you with a still smelly space. For a room that looks and smells as fresh spring, we recommend priming before painting. Priming provides a barrier that prevents odor from penetrating fresh paint and KILZ offers several primers with the ability to block medium to severe odors. So which primer is right for your project?
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty odor blocking primer, KILZ® Original primer is a great choice. Trusted by pros for over 40 years, it has excellent sealing properties and can block heavy odors and stains.
Working on a project outdoors? KILZ® Original Interior | Exterior primer offers the heavy-duty power of KILZ Original in an all-weather formula with excellent adhesion to both interior and exterior surfaces.
For spaces or areas that might be sensitive to solvent odors, KILZ® Original Low Odor is an interior oil-based stain and odor blocking primer that puts off less odor than typical oil-based primers.
Looking for a water-based primer? KILZ Restoration® is a new generation water-based primer, sealer and stain blocker that offers the performance of traditional oil and shellac-based primers. It tackles tough stains and seals persistent pet, food and smoke odors. It can also be used to block odors from subfloor when replacing carpet or wood flooring.
If your next painting project includes tackling lingering odors, you can breathe easy knowing that KILZ primers can help you get the job done.
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.
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These Three Rooms Call for a Primer that provides a Mildew-Resistant Primer Finish
February 12, 2020We believe that every project is worth using KILZ® brand primer. Priming before painting is what the professional painters generally like to do, and we would not recommend any other way.
If you talk to a professional painter about priming, they will tell you that certain rooms in the home call for primers with specific properties. From stain blocking to hiding a previous paint color, the KILZ brand has a primer to solve the most common and the toughest painting problems. In this post, we’re going to look at three rooms that all share one specific use case – the need for primer in a moister prone environment.
Mildew can be a common problem in areas of the home where there may be excess moisture. In these rooms, consider using a primer that will provide a mildew resistant primer finish. The first room in which we would most often recommend using a primer with a mildew resistant finish is the bathroom. From small powder rooms to grand master bathrooms, this area of the home is subject to high levels of moisture and humidity nearly every day.
KILZ® Kitchen & Bath Primer is another great choice, as this product not only offers a mildew-resistant primer finish but also provides excellent adhesion and stain blocking properties. We recently used KILZ Kitchen & Bath in a pretty in pink bathroom renovation, you can check that out here.
That leads us into the next room in the home on our list, the kitchen! We recommend priming both your walls and kitchen cabinets with a mildew-resistant primer like KILZ Kitchen & Bath or KILZ 3® Premium. If you’re interested to see a step by step kitchen renovation using KILZ 3 Premium, check out this recent post on a Colorful Kitchen Cabinet Transformation.
Last but not least, there is one more room found in most homes that calls for the use of primer with a mildew resistant finish. The laundry room! This small space is often overlooked when it comes time to think about repainting, but it is one room in particular where you definitely want to use the right primer.
Similar to kitchens, we recommend priming the walls and any cabinets in the laundry room with KILZ 3 Premium or KILZ Kitchen & Bath. If you’re looking to refresh your laundry room, keep an eye out for a light and airy laundry room makeover coming up on the blog in March!
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Pretty in Pink Bathroom Makeover
February 12, 2020It’s February, which means Valentine’s Day and all things pink are top of mind. This month we’re talking about colors and spaces you can fall in love with, including this pretty in pink bathroom. A once boring bathroom was given new life with painted faux wall paper, a bright pink vanity (with matching mirror!) and a dark accent wall. And just as important as picking the right vibrant colors for this small space renovation, was the prep work that went in before we painted to ensure that this makeover would last for years to come.
Before the paint went on, we wanted to ensure that our hard work would withstand a bathroom’s typical humidity, moisture and changing temperatures so we primed the walls with KILZ® Kitchen & Bath Primer. This water-based primer is specially designed for residential surfaces exposed to humidity, moisture and fluctuating temperatures such as kitchens, bathrooms, powder rooms and laundry rooms.
Proper priming also provides a solid anchor for paints – in this case a deep purple wall and coral-hued bath vanity. A painted “wall paper” accent wall and pink mirror complete the space. For this bathroom makeover, BEHR Premium Plus® in Watermelon Punch, KILZ Tribute® in Spanish Fortress and Beetroot Purple were used as accent colors over a white wall to create the fun faux wallpaper. Beetroot Purple was also used for the dramatic dark wall behind the vanity, with Watermelon Punch coating the vanity and matching mirror.
An everyday space gets a coat of unexpected flair in this stylish bathroom makeover. Read on for step by step directions to complete this paint project at home including the dark accent wall, painted “wall paper”, bathroom vanity and matching mirror.
The Dark Accent Wall
Step 1: Wipe down the chosen accent wall with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust and allow the surface to dry.
Step 2: Once dry, tape around the baseboards, trim and moldings.
Step 3: Apply 1 coat of KILZ Kitchen & Bath (stirring thoroughly before and occasionally during use) and allow to dry. Apply primer using a brush first to “cut in” around the edges, then use a roller to fill in.
Step 4: Once primer is dry, apply KILZ Tribute in Beetroot Purple using the same application method as the primer (using a brush first to cut in around the edges 4 to 6 feet at a time, then use a roller to fill in those sections before moving along).
Step 5: Remove tape before paint is fully dry.
The Painted “Wallpaper”
Step 1: Once the wall is primed (use same method as above), apply base color.
Step 2: Starting with BEHR Premium Plus in Watermelon Punch, use a brush and apply vertical strokes across entire wall. Once dry, use KILZ Tribute in Beetroot Purple and repeat, slightly overlaying the vertical strokes across the first pink strokes. Allow to dry and repeat with KILZ Tribute in Spanish Fortress.
The Vanity
Step 1: Remove drawers and hardware. Put the screws back into the hardware, then seal the hardware and screws in painter’s tape and label it. It’s always best to put every screw back exactly where it came from. That will put the least amount of stress on the wood.
Step 2: Sand the surface; do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.
Step 3: After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry. Once dry, apply painter’s tape around the countertop edges.
Step 4: Apply KILZ Kitchen & Bath (stirring thoroughly before and occasionally during use), moving in the same direction as the wood grain for best results. Allow primer to dry for 1 hour.
Step 5: Next it’s time for a pop of pink! Apply BEHR in Watermelon Punch (a satin or semi-gloss finish is recommended for superior mildew resistance). Remove the painter’s tape before the paint is fully dry.
Step 6: Once the vanity is dry, reattach your hardware and you’re done!
The Mirror
Step 1: Sand the mirror frame, first with 100-150 grit sandpaper and then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.
Step 2: After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry.
Step 3: Apply painter’s tape to the interior edges of the frame to protect the glass.
Step 4: Apply KILZ Kitchen & Bath primer with a small paint brush. Allow primer to dry for 1 hour.
Step 5: Next, apply BEHR Premium Plus in Watermelon Punch (a satin or semi-gloss finish is recommended to ensure superior mildew resistance) using a nylon or polyester brush. Remove the painter’s tape before paint is fully dry.
Always remember to refer to our website Kilz.com or product back labels for additional information and instructions on how to apply our products.
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How to Choose the Right Primer for Your Paint Project
January 31, 2020Do your New Year’s resolutions include taking on that painting project you’ve been putting off? Or maybe you have a list of several different DIY home improvement projects on your list to complete in 2020. No matter the size or scope of your project, taking the time to do proper prep work will ensure results that you can be proud of for years to come. Prep can seem like a time-consuming extra step, but trust the pros, it’s worth the time spent.
If your next DIY venture includes painting, the first step is choosing the right primer for your project. The KILZ® brand offers a family of primers to help you complete a wide range of painting projects and tackle a wide variety of common painting problems. With so many primers to choose from, how do you know which is right for your project? To start, assess the type of surface you will be painting.
If you just moved into a new house or completed an addition and you’re painting new drywall, KILZ® PVA Drywall Primer or KILZ® 1 Standard Interior Primer are both made for the job.
Perhaps you’re painting a surface that ordinary paint might not stick to, such as a slick glossy surface, aluminum, vinyl, ceramic tile or glass. In that case, KILZ® Adhesion Interior/Exterior Primer is an excellent choice.
Pro painters and DIYers alike are often in need of a primer that offers multiple surface solutions – which is why KILZ 2® All-Purpose Primer is the choice of many! A fast drying, water-based multi-surface primer-sealer-stain blocker, it offers excellent adhesion, a mildew resistance primer film and can block light to medium stains like felt marker or minor water stains. It’s also a good choice for a simple color change, to ensure the truest color from your new topcoat.
And for projects that require even heavier lifting, KILZ Restoration™ offers the performance of a traditional oil-based primer in a water-based formula and can tackled the toughest odors, stains and even fire damage.
For those taking on more complex projects, including blocking smoke or pet odors, covering dark paint colors or heavy stains, there is a KILZ® Primer for you too! KILZ 3™ Premium is one of our more heavy-duty and high hiding formulas, making it ideally suited for blocking old dark colors or covering substantial stains.
If you’re still unsure what primer to use for your next project, answer these simple questions below and don’t be afraid to ask a friendly pro at your local hardware or home improvement store for help.
Choosing the Right Primer:
- Identify the surface type you will be painting.
- Assess any problems you need to tackle, such as stain or odor blocking, and determine the severity of the issue.
- Take into account any unique scenarios like needing a mildew resistance finish coat (good to keep in mind when painting moisture prone areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms), or if you’re covering a dark paint color with a new lighter hue.
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.
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Craving a Kitchen Makeover? Start with the Cabinets!
January 9, 2020Does the new year starting have you dreaming of a new kitchen? A complete kitchen overhaul can seem like a daunting task, especially if heavy demolition work is involved. But in many cases, you don’t need to break out the sledge hammer and start from scratch to achieve a fresh new look in your kitchen. Simply repainting your cabinets can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your kitchen.
For a kitchen cabinet makeover that is both beautiful and durable, start with KILZ 3™ Premium Primer. This superior sealer-stain blocker provides excellent adhesion and a kitchen-essential mildew resistant primer coating. In this kitchen makeover, a celery-green paint color for the cabinets created a space that is cheerful, airy and inviting. The makeover went step further and also added new counter tops, a kitchen island (an addition that luckily didn’t involve tearing down any existing cabinetry!) and new modern gold light fixtures and hardware.
Is a kitchen renovation on your upcoming DIY project menu? The first step to a brand-new kitchen might be as easy as a new hue for your cabinets!
Read on for a step by step recipe for painting your kitchen cabinets:
Step 1: Remove the Hardware
Use a screwdriver to remove all door handles and hardware. It’s always best to put each screw back exactly where it came from to ensure the least amount of stress on the wood. Next, remove the cabinet doors and drawers from the cabinet frame.
Step 2: Prepare the Cabinet Frame and Doors for Priming
Sand the doors, drawer faces and cabinet frame. Do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper, always moving in the direction of the wood grain. After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry. Next, tape around the cabinet frame to protect the walls and any areas you don’t want to get primer or paint on.
Step 3: Prime the Cabinet Frame and Doors
Apply KILZ 3™ Premium Primer on the doors, drawer faces and cabinet frame using a brush to ensure a mildew resistant finish. Stir thoroughly before and occasionally during use. Allow 1-hour of dry time.
Step 4: Paint the Cabinet Frame and Doors
Apply KILZ® Tribute® paint in Subtle Celery TB-74 with a brush to the cabinet frame and doors, moving in smooth strokes in the same direction as the wood grain. Remove your tape around the cabinet frame before the paint is fully dry. Once dry, reattach hardware to doors and then reattach doors to cabinets. Now it’s time to decide what delicious dish to whip up first in your refreshed kitchen!
Always remember to refer to our website (kilz.com) or product back labels for additional information on how to apply our products.
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Pro Tips for Painting Over a Dark or Light Wall
December 6, 2019A fresh coat of paint can go a long way in changing the look and feel of your space, and the last thing you want after meticulously selecting your perfect shade of white is for the old, unattractive color to seep through! One of our favorite neutrals is KILZ® Tribute® paint in Alaskan Mist and it was the perfect color to lighten up this living room.
Taking the heavy olive-green walls to a bright white could have posed a challenge, including a need for excess coats of paint which we definitely wanted to avoid. It was time to prime! We chose KILZ 3™ Premium primer for its thicker, high hiding formula. This water-based primer hides surface imperfections and reduces the need for multiple coats of paint to allow a truer, richer color from the topcoat. A coat of KILZ 3™ Premium primer on the unpleasant green walls followed by paint in Alaskan Mist, and the color change was complete!
If dark paint colors are what you’re after, we have professional primer tips for a light to dark color change as well. It might seem like a dark color like BEHR® paint in Nocturne Blue can easily cover a lighter one in this bedroom refresh, so why prime? However, if you want that deep gray with dark blue undertones to look just right, we would suggest priming first with KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer. This water-based primer offers enhanced hiding, making it ideal for changing colors and helping to lessen the number of coats of paint required.
When painting to hide a previous color, KILZ® Primer reduces the need for multiple coats of paint to allow truer, richer color from your topcoat.
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Seal & Block Odors
August 26, 2019There is a lot to love about pets and the KILZ brand loves furry friends. That’s why we’re excited to celebrate National Dog Day on August 26! In honor of the upcoming holiday, we thought it was a great time get real about odors – pesky pet odors that is.
While more than a few KILZ brand team members share our homes with dogs or cats, no one likes their home filled with unpleasant stains or odors left accidentally by the family pet. Seemingly hard surfaces in your home including floors and walls can actually absorb stains and smells, making it that much harder to get your place smelling and looking fresh after the dog has made a mess. Luckily, there are KILZ® Primers formulated specifically to seal and block odors.
Simply painting over a blemished wall won’t always do the trick and you can be left with stains (and smells!) seeping through. Using the right primer before painting over a pet stain helps with providing a barrier that keeps odor from penetrating the new paint. A great choice for this purpose is KILZ® Original primer. Trusted by professional painters for over 40 years to tackle the toughest odors, this hardworking primer helps to block most heavy interior stains including water, smoke, tannin, ink, marker, pet stains and more. And if you’re looking for a water-based primer that can help seal and block odors, KILZ Restoration™ primer is a top pick.
If you’re in need of ridding your home from unpleasant stains and odors, keep on reading. We’re sharing the simple steps below to tackle odors, repaint and leave your home fresh as new!
Steps to Seal & Block Odors:
Step 1:
Wipe down the wall with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust. Allow the surface to dry. Ensure adequate cross-ventilation prior to priming.
Step 2:
Tape around any baseboards, trim and moldings.
Step 3:
To seal and block pet odors and stains, apply KILZ® Original primer. Stirring prior to and during use, apply primer using a brush first to “cut in” around the edges, then use a roller to fill in.
Step 4:
Once primer is dry (allow 1-hour dry time), apply a fresh coat of paint using the same application method as the primer – using a brush first to cut in around the edges 4 to 6 feet at a time, then use a roller to fill in those sections before moving along.
Step 5:
Remove tape prior to paint fully drying and your work is done.
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Prep & Paint a Porous Surface
August 20, 2019As with most any painting project, prepping and priming the surface is key before its time to paint. Choosing the right primer depends a lot on the surface type you’re painting, a choice that is second nature to professional painters but can be confusing to some! When selecting a primer, the first step is recognizing the surface you will be painting and taking into account its condition – and some surfaces are trickier than others.
In this gorgeous green bedroom, the red brick fireplace was drawing too much attention and taking away from the serene and calming feel that was desired. The fix was easy, paint the fireplace! This led us to the first step in selecting the right primer – knowing and assessing the surface that will be painted. In this case, brick, a porous surface that if not properly sealed can soak up a lot of paint. And that can cost time and money!
To prep this brick fireplace for painting we took a cue from the pros and chose KILZ® 1 Standard to seal the porous surface and ensure a professional looking finish. Other porous surfaces that are commonly painted include concrete, new wood and drywall. For any of these KILZ® 1 Standard or KILZ 2® All-Purpose are both great primers to choose.
Priming a porous surface before painting ensures your topcoat will look its best.
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Prep Mildew Prone Areas Like a Pro
August 6, 2019Professional painters know that priming can be a crucial step for any paint project. Whether you’re painting fresh drywall or looking to hide a previous wall color, a primer should always be properly applied before your topcoat. The necessity of this prep step is even more advantageous in mildew prone areas like kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. These rooms often have excessive moisture making mildew a common problem, and simply painting over the issue is only a temporary solution.
For results that last, a primer created with specific mildew-resistant properties is what professionals often choose. The last thing you want is a mildew ridden kitchen or smelly bathroom and KILZ® primer is here to help with professional tips for ensuring a mildew-resistant finish on your next paint project.
First things first, start by choosing the right primer. KILZ® Kitchen & Bath is specially designed for high-humidity and moisture-prone rooms like kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms. It has an enhanced mildew-resistant film that protects the primer from mildew growth. Another professional quality choice is KILZ 3™ Premium. Formulated for both interior and exterior use, this water-based primer works well for a variety of home improvement projects.
Now you’ve got the right primer, what’s next? Start by cleaning any existing mold or mildew off the surface you’re going to be priming and painting. Once the surface is fully dry, it’s time to prime!
For results that last, a primer created with specific mildew-resistant properties is what professionals often choose.
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