10 Best Oil Based Primers for 2022 – Reviews & Buying Guide

Adding primer to your subsequent paint undertaking can drastically boost the good quality of the last coat of paint. Not only does primer help paint adhere to the wall, but it can make the paint seem better as properly.

However, not all primer is produced equally. Some brands and formulations are wonderful, and others really don't perform as effectively, leaving you with the sensation that you got ripped off. This chance is much increased when buying on the internet, as it can be more difficult to get a come to feel for the product’s good quality.

We want you to be self-assured when you shop online, which is why we’ve assembled these critiques of some of the very best oil-primarily based primers of the year. We also created a buyer’s information designed to support you find out about primers so that you know what you want in a primer ahead of you go to acquire.

A Quick Rundown of the Winners in 2022

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		KILZ Interior	Blocks stains and smells Good for most wall surfaces Dries in one hour	CHECK PRICE
		WeatherAll Exterior	Exterior primer Weatherproof Good for basement floors	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Zinsser Cover Stain	Interior/Exterior Adds shine Good for beginners	CHECK PRICE
		Rust-Oleum	Comes in spray can Powerful spray Easier application	CHECK PRICE
		INSL-X Prime Lock Plus Alkyd	Fast-drying Adheres well to glossy surfaces Seals stains from water and smoke damage	CHECK PRICE

Top 10 Best Oil Based Primers – Reviewed

1. KILZ Interior Oil-Based Primer – Best Overall

The KILZ 10902 Interior Oil-Primarily based Primer is the regular-bearer for inside priming tasks. It is an old model utilised by pros for a lengthy time, and it has ongoing to get much better over the several years. In its modern integration, it does a great job of covering stains. If you have wall hurt owing to leaking drinking water, this primer does a fantastic occupation of producing your final coat of paint appear the very same on damaged and undamaged wall. But, not only does it seem great, but this primer also blocks smells.

Water-damaged resources can smell awful, but this formula also blocks smells from animals and using tobacco that have seeped into the partitions in excess of time. This primer dries to the touch in thirty minutes and is ready to be painted in excess of in as tiny as an hour, however you get the ideal end result if you enable it dry completely, which will take a day or two. It’s also appropriate with most wall surfaces, such as masonry, brick, and painted metals with which other primers battle. Even though it does have powerful fumes until it dries, you’re receiving the best primer on the industry when you buy this brand name.

2. WeatherAll Exterior Oil Based Primer Sealer

Correct Worth HP208-QT Exterior Oil Based mostly Primer is an exceptional oil-dependent primer that is made for the rigors of working outside. Any paint or paint-like item that you use outdoors is going to be topic to not only likely harm from h2o, but also have to offer with the sun’s harming rays. And, this brand lives up to those anticipations, doing well in all outside programs.

This formulation also works well on raw basement flooring, which is uncommon among primers. The often moist, soiled conditions of basements is no match for this primer’s resistance and sturdiness, even just before paint is put down. Plus, it has the added bonus of assisting your paint keep a regular color, which is very good for conditions the place there is injury, even if that injury wasn’t your fault. However, this model is very high-priced, even among primers, so while it operates quite well, it’s not heading to in shape into everyone’s price range, and that’s what drops it out of very first place.

3. Zinsser Cover Stain Oil Based Primer – Best Value

The Zinsser 03504 Interior/Exterior primer is some of the best on the market place for newbies. 1st, it is excellent for the two inside and exterior software, so if you are not positive the place your next venture will get you, this formulation is a very good option. It also adds a little bit of shine to whatsoever pain you end up employing, so it can make your occupation have a bit of extra pop, even if you’re new to this kind of venture. It also sticks well to most surfaces, even if they are poorly-sanded, or not sanded at all, which can make them excellent for newcomers.

Even better, it is moderately-priced, which in the globe of primers is declaring a great deal. You’re receiving really good price with this formulation, so you really don't want to miss out on this opportunity for your next task. The a single knock on this primer is that it is not mildew or mildew-resistant, which implies that you’re heading to have to use an additive or acquire a various model if you are in an region in which that is a problem. Overall, you can get this primer for a excellent cost, but presented how effortless it is to use, it’s also the greatest primer for newcomers.

4. Rust-Oleum Oil-Based Primer

The Rust-Oleum Corporation 03609 has all the functions and flaws that you would assume from aerosol-dependent primer. The great areas contain the reality that it arrives in a spray can, which implies that application is likely to be generally less complicated than employing a brush and normally will require less cleanse-up, too. If you are making use of primer to in irregular object with a lot of nooks and crannies, then an aerosol spray primer is probably the proper path to go. This brand name also will come with a effective spray system, which indicates you can spray vertically, which is not achievable with all brands.

Nonetheless, you are receiving a restricted quantity with a spray can, and you have to change the can each and every time you operate out, which signifies you are having to pay for spraying mechanisms every single time that you wouldn’t pay for if you experienced bought a normal can. There’s also the danger of more than-spraying onto issues powering or beside what you’re priming, so you need to be cautious and cover issues you really don't want to be primed. Although there are some upsides to a spray primer, it is not going to be the greatest decision for most large-scale assignments, which sinks it to the base of our record.

5. INSL-X Prime Lock Plus Alkyd Primer

If you require an oil-based mostly primer that can adhere to shiny surfaces, then the INSL-X Prime Lock Furthermore Alkyd primer is 1 you might contemplate. Although it is on the increased conclude of the price spectrum, it is very efficient. It’s rapidly-drying, so you can insert your next coat in just one hour. In our testing, it did need a handful of coats to get the very same coverage as some of the other primers, so the rapid-drying became a apparent time-saver. After several coats have been applied, this primer was very effective at blocking all kinds of stains. It also experienced fairly extraordinary coverage that does aid mitigate the higher cost. General, it is a great merchandise, just not the greatest one particular that we tested.

6. Rust-Oleum Zinsser Odorless Primer & Stain Blocker

The very first point you’re most likely to discover about the Rust-Oleum odorless oil-based primer is its really reduced price tag. At 1st glance, it appears like a wonderful offer, right up until you realize how little the coverage region is—100 sq. feet for a gallon is not really impressive. That stated, it does offer enough stain-blocking attributes, even with just one particular coat. The minimal-VOC formulation is very good, even though the assert of odorless is not just real. In our encounter, the odor was not mind-boggling, but it was undoubtedly visible. In all, this is a helpful item, but the bad protection means it is just not that fantastic of price and there are other merchandise that we’re much more comfy recommending.

7. Diamond Brite Oil Base Primer

This affordable primer from Diamond Brite is available in volumes as large as 5 gallons for covering work of any size. It can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed on and has a respectable coverage region of 300 square feet. The 6-to-eight hour drying time isn’t wonderful, but it’s not as poor as some.

The place this primer fails is in longevity. We initial observed that the finish was swiftly dropping its shiny sheen in just a few months. Apart from this, it scratches very effortlessly from only light-weight speak to. Most disappointing though, was the flaking and peeling that we experienced in a number of places in which the primer just did not look to stick appropriately. The place it labored, it was fantastic, but the spotty overall performance signifies we simply cannot suggest it in excess of other primers that done much better.

8. Rust-Oleum Primer Spray Paint

As much as spray primers go, the Rust-Oleum 7528383 professional primer spray paint is fairly affordable. Nevertheless, once you aspect in the minuscule coverage spot of just 14 sq. feet supplied by one particular can, you are going to rapidly realize that it is not this kind of a deal. The spray can does make application swift and effortless, and the rust defense this primer supplies is adequate.

After we evenly coated our surface with the Rust-Oleum spray, we waited for numerous hrs. Sadly, it didn’t seem to be to tack up nevertheless. Times later, it was only just reaching a completely dry condition. This was a large downside in our view. Making matters worse, it was not even sandable after dry. Instead of smoothing out, it basically gummed up our sandpaper. Some areas even cracked when drying was complete, indicating more operate would be essential to achieve a clear finish.

9. Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Plus Spray Primer

Affordably priced and straightforward to use, the Bulls Eye 1-2-3 spray primer from Rust-Oleum will be attractive to many buyers at first look. However, the poor coverage of just twelve sq. toes signifies it is not as fantastic of a deal as it 1st appears. This item does sand well, but it does not use nicely. No make a difference what we experimented with, our end was chunky, and the nozzle was continuously clogging. When we attempted to use this on plastic, it stayed tacky for above a thirty day period, refusing to dry fully. All round, we didn’t feel this spray supplied enough worth, even at its minimal price.

10. RUST-OLEUM Bullseye Oil Base Primer

Offered by the gallon in a paint-on or roll-on type, this oil-based primer from Rust-Oleum rounds out the base of our record. It did sand effectively in our tests, but that was our preferred thing about it. And for what it offers, we really feel it’s overpriced. It only performs on unpainted surfaces, so you may be undertaking a whole lot of sanding, relying on what you are making an attempt to cover. Whilst it did operate as a stain blocker, it was not as successful as some of its rivals. When you figure in the large cost, we just simply cannot recommend this item when there are much better priced and more able alternate options.

Buyer’s Guide – Finding the Best Oil Based Primer

We hope that our critiques have presented you some starting tips about what you ought to be hunting for when you go to store for primer. If you nonetheless have concerns, that’s alright. This buyers’ guide is designed to give you the lowdown on primer, so if even if you have by no means utilized primer ahead of you can know every little thing to take into account before you go to acquire. Or, if you’re an experienced painter, this guidebook ought to provide as a great refresher system so that you make confident you have not forgotten anything at all important.

Stain coverage

1 of the ideal functions that you can locate in modern primer is the potential to protect up stains in the base material. In principle, paint is intended to protect up stains, but paint, and specially low cost paint tends to seem diverse when place on various components. Occasionally the stains “show by way of,” given that the spots the place they search much less shiny or have a slightly diverse coloration than the rest of the wall. Consequently, locating a primer that does a good task of masking up stains by supplying a regular base for the paint you use is critical.

You ought to also keep in brain that some stains ought to be taken off instead of lined up. Primer can do a good deal of issues well, but it can’t repair structural hurt. If your drywall is nonetheless soaked, masking it up with primer and paint can lock in the dampness and direct to additional injury. And, water coming from guiding will trigger your paint to seal and operate, so make positive that you just take treatment of extreme issues ahead of commencing your paint work.

Smell

Smell is yet another critical factor that you need to take into account just before embarking on your paint job. Some primers can lock in smells that have accrued in your partitions, specifically if these partitions are drywall. If you are in a property that employed to have smokers or animals in it, then smell-preventing primer can be a lifesaver. In these circumstances, you have to make sure that the odor is coming from the walls. If it is locked into the carpet, then portray the walls is not heading to do much very good.

You also have to think about the smell of the primer alone. Painting or using primer is a smelly process in most situations. If you’re specially sensitive to odor, you may possibly take into account purchasing a low-scent formulation. That could value you more, but it can be well worth it. In some cases, outdoor primer would work just as properly indoors, but it’s labeled as outdoor since its fumes are frustrating in an enclosed area.

You also want to make confident that the spot in which you are functioning is effectively ventilated. Opening home windows although painting within, or shifting transportable assignments exterior can be a wonderful way to minimize the volume of fumes that you breathe in.

Drying time

How long your primer normally takes to dry is an important thought. Diverse brand names have distinct drying times, which signifies that the brand you purchase should be fairly dependent on the amount of time that you have to complete the project. Some organizations make primer that they declare dries in as minor as 30 minutes or an hour. This is only partly correct. You can include a layer of paint soon after just 30 minutes or an hour, as the primer will be dry to the touch and also dry adequate to maintain paint.

However, even with quick-drying primer, it is typically far better to wait 24 to 48 hours right after you utilize the primer to enable it dry totally during. That added time typically results in a much better bond between the paint and the primer and the primer and the wall, and also usually tends to make the whole venture look a tad greater.

How each primer affects paint

Every oil based primer has a somewhat diverse result on the paint you afterwards utilize. Although all primers are created to preserve your paint firmly bonded to the wall or other surfaces, some can alter how it appears as nicely. Some primers make the final paint you implement look glossier or a lot more matte, so it’s crucial that you get the time to analysis what results certain primers have on paint.

You’ll also want to maintain in brain the truth that some primers do a greater job than other people at masking up stains. If you’re dealing with stains, make confident that you get a primer that is intended for stain-covering. Otherwise, you’re possibly heading to have to paint in excess of everything again soon.

Which primer is right for you?

There are a whole lot of makes of primer on the market place, and a great deal of folks make the mistake of buying the cheapest variety they can find. Even so, not all primers are designed equally, and there’s a likelihood that you’re cheating your self out of a very good deal by currently being inexpensive. Don't forget that you have to appear at your walls each and every working day, and if your primer does not dwell up to your expectations, you are likely to be consistently reminded of that reality. Make confident that you get a primer that handles your needs, even if it charges a bit a lot more.

Conclusion

The KILZ 10902 Interior Oil-Based mostly Primer is one of the best primers on the market place and rises to the top of our record owing to its scent-blocking homes and compatibility with most wall surfaces. Correct Benefit HP208-QT Exterior Oil Based mostly Primer arrives in second simply because of how well it works but is kept out of initial by its quite large price. The Zinsser 03504 Inside/Exterior primer offers the very best value and is also the greatest for newcomers because of to its reduced price tag and versatility.  The Rust-Oleum Company 03609 is a good spray primer but falls quick of the price that you can get from classic primers.

With any luck ,, our reviews and buyer’s guidebook have assisted you find out about primer and what you ought to be looking for when you purchase. You’re now ready to uncover the ideal primer for your next massive project.