# best drywall primer



## Miniroller

Figure I'll ask the pros because the pros know. I just finished taping and mudding a 12x10 room. After I sand I'm going to prime it with Ben Moore Super-Hide flat paint. This is what I've always done on previous drywall jobs I have completed. A friend of the HO told the HO I should only use a primer on raw drywall. I told told the HO this is how I've always done this and this is how I priced the job (I have lots of leftover Super-Hide around). 

I know the customer is always right but is a friend of the customer always right?

Thanks in advance for your responses.


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## Davey

*Primer answers.*

In my experience, the flat ceiling type paint is an acceptable primer. The goal of drywall primer is not to 'hide' anything but to equalize the absorption rates of the drywall and the gypsum mud and prepare the surface for the final coats of paint. The brand usually does not matter but with Benjamin Moore you won't go wrong.

Primer tends to raise the grain of the paper a bit more, which may require a bit of sanding in some spots before the final coats.
If you are trying to acheive a #5 fiinish, CGC sells a product called 'TUFF HIDE' which is a primer with a high gypsum content. It is sprayed on just like paint.
p.s. freinds of the owner are usually a pain in the you-know-what!


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## CapeTaper

Hi Miniroller,
Ben Moore Super Hide is fine for priming drywall. I sed it for years before switching to SW Builders Solution, or SW MasterHide when level 5 is not needed. Both are superior to SuperHide, IMO,but the Ben Moore is perfectly acceptable. As for the HO's friend, ask if he or she wants to do the paint work in exchange for a small token amount taken off the final invoice. That usually shuts them up. If the customer starts with that " I have a friend that said......." stuff when I start a bid, I usually pass on the job.:whistling 
Hey, where are you on the Cape? I'm Hyannis area.
Good Luck.
CapeTaper


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## Miniroller

Thanks for the tip on SW, I will try that next time i do drywall. I was kind of scared that all this time I've been doing it incorrectly by not using "primer." I was going to offer the HO's friend a free lunch; i make a mean knuckle sandwich.

CapeTaper I'm in Lower Cape area. I try not to do new construction drywall too much- it's something I can't even come close to competing with "bigger" companies pricewise at least. Many times I get offered and complete lots of smaller jobs, a bedroom here, bathroom there, and many ceilings and repairs. I do top quality drywall work and skim coating and it is a part of my business I am proud of. Good luck to you CapeTaper.


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## 747

Cape cod isn't that where slickshift makes his home?


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## steve-in-kville

Just my experience... I keep a 5'er of SW Pro-Block on hand. I think its their heaviest primer. Stuff works great as an all-around primer/sealer. I know SW makes a primer just for new drywall, but who wants to stock three different primers when one will do it all?

steve


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## DPainting

Devoe has an excellent primer for new drywall/compound mix repairs. It leaves an even flat white finish. Great coverage.


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## JohnFRWhipple

The best drywall primer I have found for bathroom's and kitchen's is Zissner's Cover Stain. Here in Vancouver I pick it up at Cloverdale Paint or Dicks Lumber.

I find that it sands great and will powder and not peel like a Latex Primer.

It also helps keep the paper beads from lifting to some degree which I think is critical in a heavy steam setting like outside a steam shower. Everywhere else in the home it's fair game but I think in our small en-suites, steamer rooms and kitchens this added expense is worth it.

Unlike a latex based primer it needs a much cleaner surface over drywall and we brush out are walls with a 3" brush and shop vac. This gives us a great bit and killer end result!

The best way to open paint can's is with my little lifting key from ACO! I keep it on my key chain and use this little key every week for something! I don't think I will ever toast a home key again.

John Whipple
By Any Design Ltd.
North Vancouver


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## JMC1981

USG Tuff Hide is the best drywall primer out there, it's one of the few level 5 finish primers on the market -- I know someone mentioned Builders Solution but that isn't a Level 5 primer (at least according to SW). Problem is it has to be sprayed and it has to be sprayed with a larger sprayer. That immediately rules out people who are doing side drywall jobs such as yourself. If you are looking for a relatively fair priced product I would use Sherwin Williams Masterhide, this product can also be used as a finish paint so if you second coat the ceilings it should be good enough to call finished. If you're willing to spend a little more for a little bit of a nicer finish I would use Sherwin William's drywall primer which gives a bit of a different feel and finish than the masterhide even though they are both flat latex paints. Hope that helped.


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## AARC Drywall

Guys keep this in mind...lets say you tape and finish a wall... then prime it with the primer of your choice....the next day you come and have a second look...and you see a spot that needs attention...lets just say its a bevel joint that has been over sanded a bit...it happens.. the paint used as primer will cause problems because the mud you put on it to fix the over sanding will get small bubbles..and the mud will not bond as well. Regular drywall primer will not do this. This is our experience, but give it a try and you will see what i mean.


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## JMC1981

AARC Drywall said:


> Guys keep this in mind...lets say you tape and finish a wall... then prime it with the primer of your choice....the next day you come and have a second look...and you see a spot that needs attention...lets just say its a bevel joint that has been over sanded a bit...it happens.. the paint used as primer will cause problems because the mud you put on it to fix the over sanding will get small bubbles..and the mud will not bond as well. Regular drywall primer will not do this. This is our experience, but give it a try and you will see what i mean.




You wont have this problem with any of the primers / paints mentioned in this thread unless you're putting the mud on too heavy; which if the case will bubble regardless of the surface. The only time I have problem with bubbling - if the mud is applied correctly - is over old surfaces that have had finish paint, or multiple coats of finish paint, sitting on them for a while. You can get around this by putting multiple tight skim coats on the area that needs fixing.


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## AARC Drywall

Correct, thinner coats work much better.


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## Mike-

Thanks for all the posts on this.


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## mrcharles

Myron R. Ferguson the author of many editions of the the "Ultimate Guide to Drywall" says he prefers to use a flat latex paint as a sealer. I have found this to my favorite as well. I agree with the post above that the Zinsner product works well, it is what I use if there are heavy stains or pen marks I think might bleed through.


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## Big Shoe

I'll take a stab at this. I tell all my customers to use PVA primers on newly finished drywall.

Or any brand ''made for drywall'' !!!!!!!

If you want to use cheap latex paint as primer, your drywall job better be near perfect or any touch-ups will flash. Just like AARC says.

My 2 cents worth.

Almost 28,000 views. :biggrin:


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## angus242

SW PrepRite ProBlock.

Of course, most of my bathroom jobs are over DensArmor with first coat Durabond and finish coats of DensArmor Cote.

Even when I spec out the materials for drywallers and painters, they are all surprised at how well this combo works.

Finish is usually with SW Bath paint.


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## JMC1981

I have used Zinsser quite a few times to prime. You wont find a better stain blocker than their oil based product. If two coats on Zinsser Stain Block Primer doesn't cover the stain than nothing will. Having said that, the fumes are overwhelming and I find it difficult to work around. Second, because it's oil based, it's more difficult to roll out and more likely to allow the seams to flash. 

This is just my opinion.. As someone said above, I always recommend sticking with a flat latex for a prime coat simply because of the problems you can have with flashing with different sheens of paint.


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## gbruzze1

Big Shoe said:


> I'll take a stab at this. I tell all my customers to use PVA primers on newly finished drywall.
> 
> Or any brand ''made for drywall'' !!!!!!!
> 
> If you want to use cheap latex paint as primer, your drywall job better be near perfect or any touch-ups will flash. Just like AARC says.
> 
> My 2 cents worth.
> 
> Almost 28,000 views. :biggrin:


PVA primers are considerably cheaper then 100% acrylic primers, such as Benjamin Moore Fresh Start.


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## world llc

PVA primer...

no need for a thicker acrilic for prime coat on drywall....


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## WilsonRMDL

I always use SW promar 200 drywall primer, kida expensive but works great


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## 4uremodel

Everything has their own purpose, primer is primer, primer for first time wall it needs to use it, otherwise your wall will peel


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## heavy_d

4uremodel said:


> Everything has their own purpose, primer is primer, primer for first time wall it needs to use it, otherwise your wall will peel


How soon until you start trying to sell us marketing services?


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## Yianno

I haven't used BM primer in years even though BM is my #1 choice for paint. All my wall paint is always BM unless I end up getting Sico or BEHR. 

However, for primer I really like the BEHR primer. I find it covers well both in terms of sq.ft of wall plus the way it hides. 

I have been using SW paint this past two months. Been doing insurance work as a sub for this company my buddy work for. They supply all materials and they use SW paint. Their drywall primer covers and hides well. No complaints. 

I do have to say that with regular primer, something seems off about it when your going over compound. I find it "bleeds" though and you can tell where most of the spots you've touched up are lol.


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## avenge

Yianno said:


> I haven't used BM primer in years even though BM is my #1 choice for paint. All my wall paint is always BM unless I end up getting Sico or BEHR.
> 
> However, for primer I really like the BEHR primer. I find it covers well both in terms of sq.ft of wall plus the way it hides.
> 
> I have been using SW paint this past two months. Been doing insurance work as a sub for this company my buddy work for. They supply all materials and they use SW paint. Their drywall primer covers and hides well. No complaints.
> 
> I do have to say that with regular primer, something seems off about it when your going over compound. I find it "bleeds" though and you can tell where most of the spots you've touched up are lol.


There are primers then there are primers/sealers, using the incorrect primer and your paint will flash.

And I wouldn't use Behr anything even if they gave it to me for free.


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## EricBrancard

avenge said:


> And I wouldn't use Behr anything even if they gave it to me for free.


Which is really just closed minded. The regular Behr drywall primer that comes in the orange can works very well. It also powders up instead of loading the sandpaper like many other primers will. There aren't many Behr products that I like to use, but that primer is definitely one of them. Actually, it may be the only one.


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## blacktop

What's this term ... Touch ups ? :blink: Is it a painter thang?


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## avenge

EricBrancard said:


> Which is really just closed minded. The regular Behr drywall primer that comes in the orange can works very well. It also powders up instead of loading the sandpaper like many other primers will. There aren't many Behr products that I like to use, but that primer is definitely one of them. Actually, it may be the only one.


It's not being close minded when I've used several Behr products and they all sucked. If I go to HD for primer I'll walk a few feet further and purchase Zinsser, I have no reason to purchase or try any Behr product ever.

I'm not going to support a brand where everything in their line totally sucks balls by purchasing one product when I have other options.


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## EricBrancard

avenge said:


> It's not being close minded when I've used several Behr products and they all sucked. If I go to HD for primer I'll walk a few feet further and purchase Zinsser, I have no reason to purchase or try any Behr product ever.
> 
> I'm not going to support a brand where everything in their line totally sucks balls by purchasing one product when I have other options.


I've used both and more. It's not about walking further to buy another product in the same isle, it's about purchasing said product because it works well. If it didn't I wouldn't use it. In fact, I had no intent of using it before someone told me to just try it. So I tried it, and I'm glad I did. That's all there is too it.


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## hdavis

4uremodel said:


> Everything has their own purpose, primer is primer, primer for first time wall it needs to use it, otherwise your wall will peel


Most drywall primers have worse adhesion than a decent paint.:thumbsup:

It's easy to check, get a bunch of quarts of different paints / primers and do some tape tests.


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## hdavis

I can put either Glidden Duo or Behr Paint + Primer Ultra straight on new drywall with no problem. Behr is slightly better IMO.

Patched previously painted drywall I use Gardz first to get everything sealed and minimize flashing.


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## avenge

EricBrancard said:


> I've used both and more. It's not about walking further to buy another product in the same isle, it's about purchasing said product because it works well. If it didn't I wouldn't use it. In fact, I had no intent of using it before someone told me to just try it. So I tried it, and I'm glad I did. That's all there is too it.


I don't give a **** what primer you like or don't like, you like Behr so much have at it but I refuse to buy it plain and simple end of conversation.


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## hdavis

I know a lot of small guys that go with SW paints. They just say what they're doing, and they get the right paint or primer that performs well.

Other than that, I've used just about everything locally available at one time or another. Ben Moore, Olympic, Valspar, Glidden, Behr, Zinnser and a few others. There are still some for painting cabinets I'd like to try, but I have to drive a good way to buy those. Sometimes only one product in a brand is worth using, and only then until formulations change again.

Paint is my nemesis - just when I have it nailed, it gets un-nailed...


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## EricBrancard

avenge said:


> I don't give a **** what primer you like or don't like, you like Behr so much have at it but I refuse to buy it plain and simple end of conversation.


Ok...:thumbsup:


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## hdavis

....


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## TNTRenovate

EricBrancard said:


> Which is really just closed minded. The regular Behr drywall primer that comes in the orange can works very well. It also powders up instead of loading the sandpaper like many other primers will. There aren't many Behr products that I like to use, but that primer is definitely one of them. Actually, it may be the only one.


Just close minded? No, it's an informed decision based on passed experience using said manufacturers products. Maybe the subject is closed, but its hardly closed minded to try products and not want to keep trying just because someone said you should.


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## EricBrancard

TNTSERVICES said:


> Just close minded? No, it's an informed decision based on passed experience using said manufacturers products. Maybe the subject is closed, but its hardly closed minded to try products and not want to keep trying just because someone said you should.


That wasn't the point. It's more like saying you know everything you need to know about an F150 because you've driven a Taurus. many companies have large product lines. They may be mostly great products or mostly poor products. But I choose my products on the merits of the product more so than the brand stamped on the side.


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## hdavis

Miniroller said:


> A friend of the HO told the HO I should only use a primer on raw drywall. I told told the HO this is how I've always done this and this is how I priced the job (I have lots of leftover Super-Hide around).


So, here's the heart of it again. And the answer is most drywall primers aren't as good as a coat of decent paint, and the best performance is given by some specific paints.


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## TNTRenovate

EricBrancard said:


> That wasn't the point. It's more like saying you know everything you need to know about an F150 because you've driven a Taurus. many companies have large product lines. They may be mostly great products or mostly poor products. But I choose my products on the merits of the product more so than the brand stamped on the side.


Sure it is. You said he was being close minded by writing off Behr.

And your point isn't any where comparable to what he said. He said he didn't like Behr and wouldn't use any Behr product because of his experience with other Behr products. So it's not like driving a Taurus and know everything about an F150. It's more like buying a Taurus, Focus, Escape, Ranger and then saying he wouldn't buy another Ford because the four that he has owned he didn't like and didn't live up to expectations.

That's not close minded, far from it. He has experience with the manufacturer and chooses not to use their products based on other products they make.

You are more upset that he doesn't think the way you do, but that doesn't make him close minded, just not as open as you. There is a huge difference, IMO.


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## TNTRenovate

hdavis said:


> So, here's the heart of it again. And the answer is most drywall primers aren't as good as a coat of decent paint, and the best performance is given by some specific paints.


Primer and Paint serve two different functions. A good DW primer will beat most paints for prepping the surface. I would never paint a surface before priming.

It's also just a waste of money. Why would you pay a premium for something primer good do faster and easier? I agree with Eric concerning sanding. Find a primer that doesn't gum up but powders. It would be a PITA to sand that first coat of paint. Zinnser for me, easy to apply, easy to sand and coverage is great.


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## EricBrancard

TNTSERVICES said:


> Sure it is. You said he was being close minded by writing off Behr.
> 
> And your point isn't any where comparable to what he said. He said he didn't like Behr and wouldn't use any Behr product because of his experience with other Behr products. So it's not like driving a Taurus and know everything about an F150. It's more like buying a Taurus, Focus, Escape, Ranger and then saying he wouldn't buy another Ford because the four that he has owned he didn't like and didn't live up to expectations.
> 
> That's not close minded, far from it. He has experience with the manufacturer and chooses not to use their products based on other products they make.
> 
> You are more upset that he doesn't think the way you do, but that doesn't make him close minded, just not as open as you. There is a huge difference, IMO.


I'm not upset at all, but your point is plenty valid. Fair enough.


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