Clark + Kensington (Paint & Primer in One) Review 2021

Clark Kensington Paint reviews online state that it is one of the top paint manufacturers for affordable and mid-tier brands. Ace Hardware owns the brand and provides paint that is cheaper and more feasible for anyone to purchase. 

It is one of the experiments done by Ace hardware. Ace hardware sold this Clark + Kensington paint as a solution for many paint problems. That has paint and primer in the same can, and this combination appeals to many customers because it gives both paint and primer for the price of paint only! 

This facility is rarely seen, especially in colors! Mixing paint with primer brings many problems, but it worked fine with Clark Kensington as they made many combinations to make it possible.

Qualities

As this is a different paint solution, a new P and P bandwagon has raised many dealers’ eyebrows. Everyone was so sure that it would become an unfortunate thing to mix them both. 

But the paint worked well and unexpectedly became one of the colors that many households prefer. It has its negatives, but almost every other paint has some negative points in them. There was no fault in that specific combination! It even has many qualities to look at!

Stain-proof!

Well, the title says it all! Many of the users stated out in Clark Kensington’s reviews that the company’s stain-proof promise has been working out correctly. A simple rub with a piece of fabric is enough to wipe the stains out of your beautiful walls. This quality also prevents the browning of walls because of dust!

Texture

As it is a primer mixed paint, it gives out a thick yet soft feel to the walls. The paint is a lot thicker than any usual paint. The premium feel of the paint is one of the added features that made this product a hit! Ace primer is the one that is mixed in the paints, and the quality of Ace paints is a very well-known thing.

Dealers

One of the rare things that never happens with any other product happened with C & K. Many Clark Kensington reviews have stated that they had very friendly dealers. When the paint came out, it was an experiment, and the customers had their doubts. 

So, the dealers gave out the paint and assured customers that they would give them a normal one for free if they did not like the paint. 

This tactic sure did make the customers buy the paints, but from then it was the quality of C& K that made them profitable.

Style

The finish is quite good, and when the job is done correctly, it gives out a classy look for your walls. One thing to remember is that all the paints do not need a primer mix in them. It is only for a few reasons that one mixes primer. So, use Clark Kensington paint only when the walls need primer coating. Only then it would give a premium look, or else it might look patchy or wet.

Cons

Like any other paints, Clark and Kensington have negative reviews too. Many customers felt it was unnecessary to mix primer and paint. Many others thought it was terrible. Let us explore negative reviews and the cons of C & K.

Resistance

Ace promised that this paint is stain-proof and weather-resistant. But the paint is not much water-resistant. Its resistance is weak for a product to withstand any weather; not bearing a few water streams disappointed many users.

Thickness

Because of the paint and primer combination, the paint is thicker than regular paints. This thickness is promoted as an advantage for giving an extra layer of protection.

But this thickness is also a significant disadvantage when it comes to painting it. 

While painting the coating on walls, it feels like brushing up and down with glue sticking to the brush. It feels so hard and sticky that it annoys one very much.

Spreading

Paints need to spread around with a single coating mostly. A few walls need two or three coatings at maximum. But many Clark and Kensington reviews state that it takes multiple coating for the paint to stick correctly. Even if you applied the paint in less than three coatings, it should be a heavy coat with thick paint, and it annoyed many customers using it.

Against the Idea

Many other customers did not like the idea of mixing paint in primer. No one can do anything about not liking something. But there are specific reasons for people to go against the purpose of this combination. 

Many Clark Kensington paint reviews state that primer is only used when the substrate is in poor condition. If everything is fine with the substrate, there is no reason to use a primer.

 A Few Reviews

“There is NO primer in paint, never was never will be” – Christopher Nelson

The user, Christopher Nelson’s review on Clark + Kensington paint, is just one of the hundred other negative opinions on primer and paint combination. 

“I absolutely and unequivocally do NOT recommend Clark & Kensington. I used it in a room, and it supposedly had primer in it. I painted over a light khaki color, and it took two coats -heavy coats to cover it, and it was still thin in a few places.” – Designing Homemakers

This firm who designs homes said they would not recommend Clark and Kensington to anyone. 

This review is peculiar because many other reports stated that the paint is thicker than other paints. But this review is the only one that claims that the paint is thin and leaves white unpainted marks.

Many have reported that they had to coat the paint over and over for it to stick. But no one had reported it being thin. It only proves that the thickness or being thin is dependent on the mixing of paint. You can either mix it thick or leave it thin. 

“I bought three cans of Clark and Kensington paint for my bathroom. It rates up there with Valspar as being the worst paints I have ever used. It does not cover in one coat, and the white was so thick it was like painting with glue.” – Tami Magoon 

There are many similar reviews to Tami Magoon’s review. These customers reported about the over-thickness of the paint. This review and other hundreds of reviews are contrary to the above review that suggested the thinning paint! Once again, this proves that the thickness can be thinned, and the above customer over-thinned the paint.

Overview

Overall, reviews about Clark Kensington are mostly mixed. As it is an experimental substrate, many were not welcoming towards the product. Many negative reviews came from people who did not want to see the change. 

But because of many dealers’ innovative ideas, they finally got it into the market, and many people have genuinely welcomed and used it. 

Not just that, it is mid-ranged, but it also offers premium features that are available for higher prices. Qualities like weather-resistance are only available in expensive paints.

Final Words

Before buying C & K paint, one thing to be remembered is that ‘do you need a primer?’. Because if you do not and you just bought it because it looks fancy, it is a bad investment. 

Go for C & K if you need primer and paint. Because that way you can save more and even the work is cut in half!