You have never used primer? Bad girl!

Lifemaster by ICI is what I recommend. Any quality primer will work under a quality paint. Even Zinsser has low VOC and odorless primers.

Michael

The F&B primer is pretty non-stinky. So was the C2 primer. The one I thought stank to high heaven (by comparison, it probably wasn't really so bad) was Pratt & Lambert's wallboard primer. peeeyewww.

Ivette

Ivette, I am leaning towards buying the F&B primer. Does is cover as well as the paint? I usually need less F&B paint per coat...wondering if the primer stretches too...

Tracey, please let me know how the Harmony is when you get to it. I agree, a basement is scary! Good luck!

When I finally started to prime my new basement today, I remembered I was supposed to respond to this post....

Sherwin-Williams Harmony primer has no detectable odor to my nose. I spent 2 hours cutting in the corners and ceiling line and holding a qt. container of it up pretty close. So, no headache from fumes.....only neck ache from my efforts so far (and only 1/4 done in this part). Can't comment on quality since this is my first ever experience painting/priming.

Tracey

Tracey, thanks for letting me know. Maybe I will use that primer for my garage after tax season when it is painted and in my closets so avoid the headaches and eye pain I got from all the painting going on. I am very sensitive to chemical smells.

Lynn--on second day of priming, upon opening the can, I did detect a smell, but only a slight one that seemed to disappear once I started priming again. I guess that first day I'd been painting some SW paint samples (and they're not low-VOC), and compared to them the Harmony was odor-less. Still, I'm pleased so far--no headache (or post nasal drip--my big problem caused by "fumes") and the basement and house smell "normal" (but I only just finished cutting in--later today I start with the rollers on ceilings and walls). If I notice a big difference then, I'll report back.

Tracey

Thank you Tracey. Yes, I get post nasal drip and an awful headache from the paint fumes so I guess I should be using Harmony paint. Please keep me updated.

Well, I primed a whole room today--ceiling and walls. Didn't realize it'd be such slow going (never painted before); boy are ceilings hard on the neck! Anyway, can't detect much of anything from the primer. However, the plastic I had to use to cover hubby's weight bench and my treadmill is bothering me; could be that's masking anything I might smell from Harmony. But all in all, I can't imagine using anything else (smell-wise). No "abnormal" PND and the only headache is from the actual physical work. Don't be afraid to try it, especially if you really need to paint something. Good luck!

Thank you tracey again for letting me know.

I had to give away my shower curtain vinyl liner since the outgassing bothered me so much. I now have a nylon shower curtain liner.

I can still smell my bathroom that was painted last Monday and wish I went with a low Voc Primer and Paint sinc m Master Bathroom is next to my bedroom and I am sensitive to smells.

I will be repainting my bedroom from Deep Cream (is a lemony linen white I am finding out... had to repaint my bathroom from Deep Cream to Navajo White and I am so happy with the slight color change that is peaceful to be around) to a warmer darker color so will need to prime it again and paint before the new Antique White Furniture arrives in about 8 weeks. While the room is partially empty with the platform bed gone now since it broke, I thought I should paint before the furniture arrives. Any suggestions of paint colors that will look nice with Antique White furniture and be neutral enough to change the bedding when I get tired of it without repainting?

I did a search for a low Voc Primer and then remembered this discussion that I will print since the paint smell took months to go away and I need to avoid being sick so I need a low voc primer and paint for my bedroom.

Just wanted to mention that the tint may contain VOC's. I think I found online that in the US you can get no or low VOC tints but here in Australia we always seem to be behind with such innovations. Found out how bad it can be when we painted a feature wall with low VOC paint in a very dark colour. Anyway, thought I'd mention it, better to make sure you have exactly what you want than to find out later that the amount of pigment has ruined your efforts to avoid the fumes.

Best wishes to all who have issues with VOC's and outgassing.