What paint do I use?

[bjaspud]

My new garage has fresh drywall with typical textured / rough surface finish. a) Do I need to prime it before painting? b) Paint it with regular wall paint? c) Or paint it with the combination primer / paint in one step?


Which would be best and why?

Thanks,
Spud

 

[Oggy]

Prime then paint. Using products that are made for a specific task is always best. Think of it as using an adjustable wrench vs using an open end wrench. The adjustable will work, but it's not the best, and there could be more problems caused by using it. The most likely problem i that the new sheetrock would soak up the paint and cause an uneven sheen, requiring multiple coats. Even using a primer/paint you could have this problem.

I would use a New Construction primer, and follow that up with a good quality semigloss paint.

 

[Eds Garage]

You'll want a base coat of PVA primer/sealer for new drywall. The sealer keeps the topcoat even looking plus it will use less paint.

 

[pipsters]

HD sells a cheap PVA primer for fairly cheap, $40 for 5 gal IIRC. Whatever you do though don't buy the cheap paint; I did and everything sticks to it and is pulling it off. Ridiculous they could even sell this as paint...spend a bit more on the finished paint even if it's a garage.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yes, prime before paint.

 

[Will67]

I would use Zinsser bulls eye 1-2-3 primer for the garage
Seals uniformly, blocks stain bleed thru, tries in under an hour, and can be used with any top coat.

My .02

 

[stoveboltgunnut]

I agree, prime it. You'll be much happier with the result.

 

[skyking]

Years ago I sprayed a bedroom (new sheetrock).I swear the paint went all the way through to the 2x4's .you could have put 10 gallons in there and not covered it.Yes, prime it.

 

[Outlawmws]

Definitely prime it and I'd do the top coat in high gloss, even with the texture, as it is MUCH easier to clean when (not if) it gets splattered with something... High gloss lasts longer also. (25 years and counting in my garage)

 

[JasonW]

If you haven't guessed already, prime it. As noted a good PVA primer is where you want to begin when working with raw drywall. The primer and paint in-one is fairly new and at this point I am not ready to trust it. My guess is that it will work well for painting over an 'aged' painted surface but probably not hold up as well on virgin unsealed surfaces. If I am going to take the time to paint, I am going to do what I know works. As to finish, I have had few problems with semi-gloss and actually the satin and eggshell finishes wash up pretty well. Just depends what type of work you are doing in there. A disadvantage to high gloss (and even semi-gloss) is that you need to etch it prior to repainting. Of course if it lasts 25 years, I guess that's not such a big problem.

 

[ddawg16]

As you already know....prime it...

I would suggest semi-gloss exterior paint on the walls...high gloss on the ceiling. The high gloss helps reflect light better....and the semi-gloss does not let dust and dirt stick to it as well.

Me? I used high gloss on the walls....I do a lot of wood working and it's easier to keep the walls clean....(leaf blower is your friend).

Click on the Garage Build link in my signature to see pics of the garage.

 

[beemerguy]

I have 4 ft of plywood along the floor and drywall above that, and I used Zinsser bulls eye 1-2-3 primer and thats the way I leave it. When wall get marked up or needs a spot of repair I always have the priner ready and it always blends right in.

 

[Plump]

If for no other reason, prime so you don't go through 800 gallons of paint. That drywall will **** it up like nobody's business!

 

[trainer]

If you know what colour your topcoat is going to be, then have the paint place pull the formula up. It should indicate if a tinted primer will help and what colour it should be tinted.
When I painted the lower walls in my garage red, a dark grey primer was indicated. It only took a single coat of primer and a single topcoat. If you have ever tried to paint anything red, you will know what I mean.

 

[ericburns4]

Definitely use a separate primer and paint. I don’t think a combination product would be beneficial for you in this case. Once you choose an interior paint, grab a primer you should be in good shape.