Self Priming Paint or Regular Paint

by Jack
(Granada Hills, CA)

We're taking bids from painters. Most say they will use Dunn-Edwards paint but one of them says he wants to use a Behr paint that requires no primer. It has it built in. I spoke with Home Depot. They say it's a new product and very popular. Can I go with the Behr or should I stick with a painter who uses Dunn-Edwards?

Answer

First, I need to state that this is my opinion! I’ve heard this claim before from all kinds of different paint manufactures over the years. Personally, I’m a firm believer in steps when painting and one of them is priming where necessary and using the right primer for the surface that will be painted.

I also wonder about the Behr paint, "How much of the paint can is primer and how much is paint?" and "Did they reduce some critical components to make this work?"

The steps I've written about in Exterior Paint Preparation are the same ones I use to paint houses here in Colorado. My paint jobs last for 10+ years with very little peeling.

I have used some Behr products in the past (customer supplied) and I wasn’t impressed. I have also used Dunn-Edwards and liked it, the paint actually worked for me instead of against me (like the Behr paint).

I would go with a painter that includes all the necessary steps, including priming, in their bid.