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Priming Drywall for New Construction

18K views 31 replies 19 participants last post by  CApainter 
#1 ·
Would like to get a few different opinions on priming drywall for NC. Processes and methods for dusting, do you backroll or just spray, favorite spray tip etc., and favorite products.

Also, trying to come up with a general SF price. Obviously it's going to depend on texturing etc., but what is a good general target SF per hour range once masking, prep, and the actual priming process are included?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I use a push broom with soft, floppy bristles to knock off the dust. It works nice because I can screw it into an extension pole and reach high spots. This gets most of the dust off the walls. I know a lot of paint crews then use a vacuum to suck up the rest of the dust off the wall. I don't. After the primer dries, I then use my random orbital to sand the walls. Then I mop off the dust remaining from that process. Usually the walls are smooth and dust free after mopping then they are ready for paint. I'm old school and still roll rather than spray.

SF pricing is next to impossible to nail down. I'm in the heart of Appalachia where if you get $3 or $4 per SF, well, you are living like a king. In suburban and city areas, that SF price wouldn't put food on the table. I would ask other painters in your area to get a better idea. Also, pricing by the SF is usually a tough route to go. You will always be short-changing yourself. GC's want the LOWEST rates possible from their painters, so, beware.........
 
#29 ·
Good stuff. The point I guess is less about the SF price and more about the best way to quote and estimate.

I typically would get measurements on wall and ceiling SF, then multiply by my estimated SF completed per hour based on texture, ceiling height, etc. That would just be for time on the job. Other factors of course for material and overhead would be added on to the price.

So, just wondering what others find is the best way to come up with an estimate on how long the project will take?
 
#3 ·
Priming Walls

I have to ask Gymschu, why are you removing dust the drywall sub left there?
I'm assuming there was a drywall company on site before you. I would check their spec section, as it often directs them to clean up their own mess - we have to!
 
#4 ·
I have to ask Gymschu, why are you removing dust the drywall sub left there?

I'm assuming there was a drywall company on site before you. I would check their spec section, as it often directs them to clean up their own mess - we have to!


Yeah, I wish. Personally, I have Never worked behind a drywaller that cleaned up their own mess. Some contractors will have laborers clean the dust from the floor before we arrive, but I've never had anyone dust the walls for me.

I'll usually go over the walls with a dust mop, and vacuum out the outlets and crack along the bottom. Then if possible I use an electric leaf blower to blow the rest of the dust out of the house using fans to pull the dusty air out.

Spray and back roll the primer.


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#5 ·
I've never dusted walls down after the drywallers primed. Around here the drywallers usually prime their own work. Get at it with 120 grit and go from there.

Last time I dusted the walls for a GC with a dust mop after sanding the primer down he looked at me and said "I've never seen anyone do that before". Then he complained about paying for it. All the subs said "Bill's walls look like glass when he's done". GC didn't care. Thus, I try to only work for homeowners.
 
#9 ·
you guys must be making good money to be sweeping the dust off the walls.

Good enough to ensure the bond of your coating system isn't compromised by surface dust. A call back where your paint is peeling off in sheets can potentially cost a lot more than making sure the wallboard is in a suitable condition for coating.

I'm not aware of any paints or primers that don't spec removal of surface dust on new drywall as a preparatory requirement before application.



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#11 ·
I have yet to find a good old fashioned dust mop that fits on the end of my Sherlock extension pole though. My Dad was a janitor for 28 years. I kind of get a kick out of using his old dust mop which is in pristine condition to mop the dust off walls.

Using your Dad's old tools is fun. I doubt he'd think so, but I do. He kept much better care of his stuff than I do.

"Yer gonna wreck that thing!"
 
#16 ·
No smooth walls around here so I don't have to dust walls and have never had a problem with adhesion. Some jobs I back roll primer, depends on the lighting. I'm starting one tomorrow where I will back roll primer and final second coat because of ceiling height and light. I always back roll final finish coat. I will sand between between coats on smooth walls, which I hate with a burning passion.
 
#19 ·
I'll use a cordless leaf blower for the walls and set up fans at windows blowing dust air outside for level 4 & 5. For textured walls I'll skip the leaf blower and vac the outlets crevice along the floor. Unless I'm using Gardz, drywall dust can cause adhesion issues. I'd rather spend a little time upfront to avoid adhesion issues that may pop up later in the project.

I'll spray and backroll everything except the closets, those just get sprayed unless its a huge walk-in.

My favorite primers are Zinsser 123 and Gardz. No PVA.


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#21 ·
Did I mention Gardz?



If I am painting new drywall that is not textured I might vacuum the walls first. Vacuuming is more thorough and less messy than sweeping with a brush and certainly less messy than blowing with a leaf blower, but it does expose pock marks. After I do this I apply at least one good coat of Gardz (2 coats if I am painting an eggshell or higher sheen). Gardz sealer is thin, about as thin as an acrylic floor sealer (it started its life as a concrete sealer reformulated by Scoth Paint into their product Draw-Tite, which I have yet to use) and looks, flows and smells like an acrylic floor sealer. The difference between Gardz sealer and white pigmented primers is that the thinner Gardz will soak into the new surface right through any leftover dust whereas the primer will not soak in nearly as much. The dust then becomes a permanent part of the wall rather than a layer of material waiting to cause adhesion failure to your primer. I put 2 coats of Gardz on one bedroom where the walls were new drywall without doing any dusting and the eggshell finish came out perfect. I also did not notice any pock marks. On another job I did that was drywalled, taped and mudded by the same drywaller, I vacuumed the ceiling that was skim coated first and found extensive pock marks which I then had to fill. I need to do more experimenting to actually find out if Gardz over unswept, unvac’d walls or ceilings will mix with the dust trapped in pock marks and leave a smooth surface that does not need another skim coat.

Painting over Gardz is like a dream. The Gardz seals the surface so that the water in the paint does not soak through, giving you time to work it and get a smooth coat. The lines from the edge of the roller will not set up because of water being soaked into the surface. On porous surfaces I have gone back to smooth out paint lines only to find that they have pretty much “set” and now will have to be sanded when dry.

Gardz may not be the cheapest or fastest solution to prepping new drywall for painting, but it is about the best product I have found for ensuring a fool-proof good job.

futtyos
 
#23 ·
If I am painting new drywall that is not textured I might vacuum the walls first. Vacuuming is more thorough and less messy than sweeping with a brush and certainly less messy than blowing with a leaf blower, but it does expose pock marks. After I do this I apply at least one good coat of Gardz (2 coats if I am painting an eggshell or higher sheen). Gardz sealer is thin, about as thin as an acrylic floor sealer (it started its life as a concrete sealer reformulated by Scoth Paint into their product Draw-Tite, which I have yet to use) and looks, flows and smells like an acrylic floor sealer. The difference between Gardz sealer and white pigmented primers is that the thinner Gardz will soak into the new surface right through any leftover dust whereas the primer will not soak in nearly as much. The dust then becomes a permanent part of the wall rather than a layer of material waiting to cause adhesion failure to your primer. I put 2 coats of Gardz on one bedroom where the walls were new drywall without doing any dusting and the eggshell finish came out perfect. I also did not notice any pock marks. On another job I did that was drywalled, taped and mudded by the same drywaller, I vacuumed the ceiling that was skim coated first and found extensive pock marks which I then had to fill. I need to do more experimenting to actually find out if Gardz over unswept, unvac’d walls or ceilings will mix with the dust trapped in pock marks and leave a smooth surface that does not need another skim coat.

Painting over Gardz is like a dream. The Gardz seals the surface so that the water in the paint does not soak through, giving you time to work it and get a smooth coat. The lines from the edge of the roller will not set up because of water being soaked into the surface. On porous surfaces I have gone back to smooth out paint lines only to find that they have pretty much “set” and now will have to be sanded when dry.

Gardz may not be the cheapest or fastest solution to prepping new drywall for painting, but it is about the best product I have found for ensuring a fool-proof good job.

futtyos
I've never used Gardz for walls. I sometimes use it to seal 3M 2020 masking tape on baseboards. It acts just like Frog tape.

Is it messy stuff to work with? It looks pretty watery. Not sure i'd risk it over carpeting even though it is covered with a drop sheet. There is always a bit of shifting near the baseboards that could expose the carpet. I may try it on a dark feature wall that has a lot of angular exposed light. I can't find any way to get rid of lap lines on repaints. I've tried every trick in the book including acrylic paint conditioners. Even matte sheens don't work. That said I'm never there after it has had time to cure. I wonder if that stuff fades out over time?
 
#22 ·
I recently used Zinsser Drywall Primer on a level five bare wall. It actually sucked the sheen right out of the Regal Pearl Finish. But the Zinsser DP TDS did suggest using 123 primer in order to retain the natural sheen of a finish.

So, be careful of what you're using. Just because the paint goes on thick and covers well doesn't mean it's the preferred primer for a particular finish result. PVA actually does what it is intended to do. And that is, to be compatible with the chemistry of bare joint compound substrates while sealing the surface. It's not intended to look pretty, or be built up mil wise.
 
#32 ·
In reference to futtyos' post, I had primed one wall with GARDZ on the same job I had experimented with the Zinsser Drywall Primer (Don't ask:(). What I discovered was where the sheen of the BM Regal Pearl was sucked out with the Zinsser DP, the Regal Pearl was way too shiny over the Gardz. Fortunately a second coat of the Pearl over everything evened it all out nicely, leaving the intended sheen.
 
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