Drywall primer

[ddawg16]

A little late to the party.....

But....

I've been using Killz for years....no issues.

Some people suggest using paint with primer. Yea...it works ok....

But......

When you are doing drywall, texture is one of the issues. I personally don't like heavy texture walls. I do my drywall with a smooth finish...it's a bit more work....but makes for a wall that is a lot easier to clean.

But.....

We don't want it 'that' smooth......

But.....

Every time you apply a coat using a heavy nap roller, you get a bit of texture. Kinda like orange peel. It can do a good job of hiding some drywall defects. Especially if you use mat or eggshell paints.

 

[JRC3]

A little late to the party.....
...
Some people suggest using paint with primer. Yea...it works ok....

But......

When you are doing drywall, texture is one of the issues. I personally don't like heavy texture walls. I do my drywall with a smooth finish...it's a bit more work....but makes for a wall that is a lot easier to clean.

But.....

We don't want it 'that' smooth......

But.....

Every time you apply a coat using a heavy nap roller, you get a bit of texture. Kinda like orange peel. It can do a good job of hiding some drywall defects. Especially if you use mat or eggshell paints.

To summarize: Use USG First Coat. *Big smile as tooth gleams* lolll

 

[yeldogt]

The only way to get really smooth walls are when they are plaster walls -- Drywall is not smooth -- it's paper. If the taping is done to a high level (most is not) it's not going to match in texture. Sheetrock First Coat is designed to make the mud joints match the paper field. The stuff is great.

It also fills in bad tape jobs where many scratches are present.

 

[machsnell]

The only way to get really smooth walls are when they are plaster walls -- Drywall is not smooth -- it's paper. If the taping is done to a high level (most is not) it's not going to match in texture. Sheetrock First Coat is designed to make the mud joints match the paper field. The stuff is great.

It also fills in bad tape jobs where many scratches are present.

Yeltdog I feel like you are talking directly to me. Ok so my tape job isn't the best and first coat will save me? Done!

I will be returning the kilz today and getting first coat. Had a hard time finding on line who carries in big box? Any big chain carry?

Wal-Mart is showing order only.

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[yeldogt]

Yeltdog I feel like you are talking directly to me. Ok so my tape job isn't the best and first coat will save me? Done!

I will be returning the kilz today and getting first coat. Had a hard time finding on line who carries in big box? Any big chain carry?

Wal-Mart is showing order only.

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Nothing is going to fix a bad wall -- but the first coat evens out the surface. Any area that looks really glassy or has a lot of little marks I go over first and let dry ... I may even sand the glassy spots for better grip. I then do the whole wall -- look over again .... possibly repeat. I have done my share of old rehabbed buildings. The goal is uniform surface ... applied correctly, it should be impossible to see the texture difference -- the field of the drywall just needs a uniform coat.

It really is great stuff .. while you need a primer IMO under any good job. With drywall you need to fix the surface. The primer aspect is secondary and easy to achieve with fresh drywall. PVA primer makes a film -- IMO it's often not enough.

There are many premium primers -- they have a place. Say when you have a leak -- or a difficult surface. I'm a picky painter and have moved from using universal primers on my projects. Fresh drywall is a place for a speciality primer.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The only way to get really smooth walls are when they are plaster walls -- Drywall is not smooth -- it's paper. If the taping is done to a high level (most is not) it's not going to match in texture. Sheetrock First Coat is designed to make the mud joints match the paper field. The stuff is great.

It also fills in bad tape jobs where many scratches are present.

No high level drywall finishing here. I despise drywall and have told the wife that much, a few times during this project.

Your description is quite accurate and for a DIY'er that hates finishing drywall, it helps make my work look better.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I will be returning the kilz today and getting first coat. Had a hard time finding on line who carries in big box? Any big chain carry?

Wal-Mart is showing order only.

I bought mine at Menard's. Home Depot carries USG Sheetrock product line but online doesn't show first coat. Lowes, I tend to avoid. Menard's had it in stock.

Maybe I should have put two coats on but what I saw after the initial coat looked good. I then rolled on a coat of paint. The paint, Glidden Paint&Primer of the Diamond series, and it was also eggshell has dried. It looks nice but I have almost another full gallon. I will be rolling a second coat tomorrow morning.

All in all, I think the First Coat hid alot. Two coat would probably hide even more.

 

[rustyjames]

I bought mine at Menard's. Home Depot carries USG Sheetrock product line but online doesn't show first coat. Lowes, I tend to avoid. Menard's had it in stock.

Maybe I should have put two coats on but what I saw after the initial coat looked good. I then rolled on a coat of paint. The paint, Glidden Paint&Primer of the Diamond series, and it was also eggshell has dried. It looks nice but I have almost another full gallon. I will be rolling a second coat tomorrow morning.

All in all, I think the First Coat hid alot. Two coat would probably hide even more.

I've been using the Glidden Diamond, too. I'm working with new drywall and just laying on one heavy coat of that without primer. Looks good enough to me--one heavy coat and done.

 

[machsnell]

No Menards in our area. After hearing about it so much here on gj I am jealous of all that do.

I will ask hd if they can get.

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[Johnson]

I am going to give first coat a try on my next project. Been scraping heavy textured walls. Basically the house was drywalled, then over the years wallpapered. At some point, in an effort to cover the wallpaper, drywall mud was liberally applied to the wall, then stippled using a sponge or rag, leaving a very heavy, very sharp texture. I after I scrape it all off, I am left with a pretty gnarly finish job. In the past I found valspar new drywall primer to have a result I liked but this usg product sounds great!

 

[bighouse01]

Benjamin Moore Fresh Start primer

 

[NUTTSGT]

No Menards in our area. After hearing about it so much here on gj I am jealous of all that do.

I will ask hd if they can get.

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Got any Carter Lumber or 84 Lumber stores ? Maybe try a chain store that is going to buy in in bulk.

 

[machsnell]

Got any Carter Lumber or 84 Lumber stores ? Maybe try a chain store that is going to buy in in bulk.

I do have an 84 lumber not too far from me. Closed right now but I will call them when open. Thanks

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[The Wizard]

How about these? I was planning on using one of the Valspars for the first coat on fresh drywall...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-Multi-purpose-Primer-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/3108585

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-Pva-Primer-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/3343246

The Zinser Bullseye 1 2 3 gets pretty bad reviews on Lowes website; surprised so many people here recommend it. Not to mention it's twice as expensive.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Zinsser-Bu...-Primer-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/3439970

 

[JRC3]

^
I don't know about bad reviews, often the product isn't to blame. More than likely most people buy a cheap roller and then blame what they are applying with it.

No matter what primer you choose, buy a good roller. Even better then use that good roller to apply First Coat.

 

[benjamintmiller]

USG First Coat is the absolute best primer I've ever used on drywall and I learned long ago that it's worth spending the extra money. I've had no troubles using inexpensive roller covers to apply it, and wouldn't pay the extra money for a nice one for primer.

 

[strutaeng]

Use whatever is cheaper, probably PVA. My painter used SW PVA on my house and then he ran out and I went and got that Valspar blue can, and I have no idea what area got what.

Zinsser 123 is a very good quality primer, interior or exterior. The 2 gallon pail at THD is a bargain:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser...r-Exterior-Primer-and-Sealer-259115/202713102

I would say 123 is an overkill for walls. I use it for doors/trim and it works great.

It is worth nothing that although paints are marketed "paint and primer in one," the TDS always say primer + two coats for new work, LOL.

 

[machsnell]

For First Coat -I have called everywhere and no one here in dc has it! Crazy. I even went to the website and tried to get locator and none of those stores have it.

I called usg and they didn't sell to anyone close.

Wal-Mart will ship the cheapest but can't get until March 8 to 15.

Sure wish I had a menards!

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[mike93lx]

Glad i saw this thread as i have a couple rooms of fresh taped drywall to prime and paint. Just ordered a 5 gal pail of First Coat from TrueValue. $74 with tax shipped to the store

 

[yeldogt]

For those using First Coat if you have any remaining ..make sure to go over the room with a light at an angle ... you can hit any spots that look different. don't worry about the extra coats as long as you feather it out. The paint is doing a coupe of things -- it a primer ..so the top coat will not soak into the paper .. but most important it's making the surface texture uniform .. that's the important aspect of this paint and what makes it different. It's also providing great base for the top coat to flow.

 

[machsnell]

Glad i saw this thread as i have a couple rooms of fresh taped drywall to prime and paint. Just ordered a 5 gal pail of First Coat from TrueValue. $74 with tax shipped to the store

I even tried the true value and the guy shad no clue what I was talking about. I will stop by the other one tomorrow which is close to a j9b I have tomorrow.

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[mike93lx]

I even tried the true value and the guy shad no clue what I was talking about. I will stop by the other one tomorrow which is close to a j9b I have tomorrow.

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Order online and ship to store

 

[machsnell]

Order online and ship to store

Yeah I will try another place Wal-Mart was deliver on March 8 to 15. Which is crazy. I just didn't check another place yet

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[NUTTSGT]

I never thought this thread would help so many others when I started it. That's one of the great things about this site is the valuable knowledge that you learn even when others are in need of advice.

 

[2Big2Ride]

Clip.. Sheetrock First Coat is designed to make the mud joints match the paper field. ...clip

My joints were pretty good and used just an ordinary primer (don't remember the brand and wasn't a PVA). When first painted I could see a very slight difference between the paper field and plaster of the joints. It is a very minor difference and I might be the only one that noticed - I know the better half can't see any difference. But wish I had used a primer made for fresh drywall before painting.

 

[Slednut]

I never thought this thread would help so many others when I started it. That's one of the great things about this site is the valuable knowledge that you learn even when others are in need of advice.

I agree, always used any flat paint I had on the shelf but this thread has opened my eyes.

 

[Dragfluid]

Zinsser® Bulls Eye 1-2-3® Water-Base Primer

I've used this for many years for all of the reasons you mentioned. It should be available at most of the big box stores near you.

That stuff is great. Like soft serve ice cream. I get mine from my local TruValue. Since I was buying so much to do the walls in the Shed, he gave me a little off. Since then, I buy it by the gallon for all my projects.

 

[yeldogt]

My joints were pretty good and used just an ordinary primer (don't remember the brand and wasn't a PVA). When first painted I could see a very slight difference between the paper field and plaster of the joints. It is a very minor difference and I might be the only one that noticed - I know the better half can't see any difference. But wish I had used a primer made for fresh drywall before painting.

Well, next time you will know. The first coat is great stuff .... for a few bucks more the job is easier and better. Most people stick with what they know .. professionals included. I'm not a fan of universal primers ... most pros use them because they are easy.

I recently did a project with BM advanced water modified oil paint ... My local dealer did not stock the BM advanced primer. They told me BM makes too many primers and the advanced was expensive and since the Advanced is a speciality line .. not sold much. Told me to use the standard BM oil primer ... I used it for all the sample boards. When I decided on the colors -- I ordered the proper primer. The difference was not to be believed. The advanced top coat with the matching primer ... looked like I sprayed it. Now the other primer job looked good ... but, with the same effort and about $30 extra for the two gallons of primer ... my time produced a really special job using the primer made for the top coat.

First coat is made by USG .. they know something about drywall.

 

[NUTTSGT]

......

First coat is made by USG .. they know something about drywall.

That was one of the reasons I decided to use it.

 

[Schumi]

So I just primed (one coat) my new drywall with SW PVA and wish I had read this thread first and used the First Coat product. I can see joint banding or "telegraphing" at the drywall seams.
Before I spend the money and time painting, can anyone tell me if this will be visible after two coats of a good SW paint? Should I re-prime with the First Coat product? Thanks!

 

[benjamintmiller]

I think at this point I'd keep applying top coats instead of more primer. Assuming a good drywall job, the telegraphing will eventually stop.

 

[Schumi]

benjamintmiller - thanks! I followed your advice and went ahead and put on a coat of SW Resilience on the ceiling and it looks a lot better already. I bet I have to do two coats on the walls though. Thanks again.

 

[machsnell]

Finally a victory?

So after searching high and low in my metro area I finally found one store that has some First coat leftover from a year or two ago.

I assume this is still good?

The bonus says getting it delivered from Walmart or Ace was going to take a considerable amount of time and what's going to be in the $80 to $90 range per 5 gallons and the place I found locally sold it to me for $44 per 5 gallons! Score....if it's still good?

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[yeldogt]

Finally a victory?

So after searching high and low in my metro area I finally found one store that has some First coat leftover from a year or two ago.

I assume this is still good?

The bonus says getting it delivered from Walmart or Ace was going to take a considerable amount of time and what's going to be in the $80 to $90 range per 5 gallons and the place I found locally sold it to me for $44 per 5 gallons! Score....if it's still good?

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Surprised .. can buy it from my local Lumber Yard. Would think it could be ordered from a distributer of the USG drywall?

 

[Radix2]

Finally a victory?

So after searching high and low in my metro area I finally found one store that has some First coat leftover from a year or two ago.

I assume this is still good?

The bonus says getting it delivered from Walmart or Ace was going to take a considerable amount of time and what's going to be in the $80 to $90 range per 5 gallons and the place I found locally sold it to me for $44 per 5 gallons! Score....if it's still good?

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Just rub it in a bit (and to help others) First Coat is on sale at Menards right now for $39/5gal ...and 11% off sale is on... so $34.71 for 5 gal.

Sorry

 

[machsnell]

Just rub it in a bit (and to help others) First Coat is on sale at Menards right now for $39/5gal ...and 11% off sale is on... so $34.71 for 5 gal.

Sorry

Wow that's cheap. It crazy how widely the price varies online. Literally 80 to 160 bucks delivered.

I was pumped just to find it for 44. 34 is a great deal.

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[ishiboo]

What are you guys using for primer new interior drywall ?


My go to primer for the garage has been oil based Kilz but this is for the utility room project in the house. No way am I using that stuff in the house. However, I'd be open to use some of there water based primer.


I'd like something that doesn't have a real strong odor. Like I mentioned above, new drywall so I don't need a "stain-blocker" primer.



Kilz water based ?

SW Pro-Mar ?

Zinsser ?


What else is out there ?

Mistint

 

[cohen]

Are you using pva primer with exterior latex paint?

Garage is currently drywalled and mud/taped. Planning to paint with SW Superpaint exterior latex. Was looking at using their interior/exterior primer as well but hoping to find something a little cheaper

 

[mike93lx]

This weekend, i laid on 2 coats of First Coat on some new drywall. Can't say the results were any better than the PVA primer i used elsewhere in the room plus it made a god aweful mess. I have never seen paint that splattered of a roller as much as this did. There are white specs all over the floor... Thankfully i am repainting that as well anyway.

I used about half the 5 gal bucket for 600sq ft. I'll use is for the rest of the room and doubt i'd buy it again.

 

[yeldogt]

This weekend, i laid on 2 coats of First Coat on some new drywall. Can't say the results were any better than the PVA primer i used elsewhere in the room plus it made a god aweful mess. I have never seen paint that splattered of a roller as much as this did. There are white specs all over the floor... Thankfully i am repainting that as well anyway.

I used about half the 5 gal bucket for 600sq ft. I'll use is for the rest of the room and doubt i'd buy it again.

What type of roller ? I just did ceiling with a dove (3/8) w/o any problems. I do go slow -- maybe too thick a roller and fast?

The whole point of the paint is to eliminate the variations between the drywall face and the mud face .... you should notice the difference with the top coat.