# Priming Drywall for New Construction



## PaintWM (Feb 4, 2016)

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!


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## Gymschu (Mar 11, 2011)

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.........


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## LynnJ (Mar 5, 2016)

*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!


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

LynnJ said:


> 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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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

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.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Wildbill7145 said:


> 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.


Overachiever!


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

We open all the windows put fans in a couple and use a leaf blower like Jmays.


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

you guys must be making good money to be sweeping the dust off the walls. NC i put on two coats nice and thick with backroll, sand in between


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Vylum said:


> 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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## TKbrush (Dec 30, 2014)

Sanding, sweeping, priming


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

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!"


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Wildbill7145 said:


> 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!"




Here's one from Wooster; 

http://www.woosterbrush.com/other-tools/prep-sanding-cleanup/dust-eater/













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## mattpaints82 (Mar 7, 2013)

Jmayspaint said:


> Here's one from Wooster;
> 
> http://www.woosterbrush.com/other-tools/prep-sanding-cleanup/dust-eater/
> 
> ...


That's what I use, works real nice. 

I typically hit outlets and the crack underneath with a backpack blower, get what i can off of the wall. let it air out and then go over everything with the dust eater. It gets it about as clean as it can get. 

We spray high build primer with a 1221 tip, no back roll. Especially with high build i feel like back rolling causes more problems than it fixes.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

I dust out corners and outlets. Prime and sand prior to and between finish coats.

Exceptionally dusty walls get a light pressure washing.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

I did a thread on NC (new construction) painting, spraying, etc.

http://www.painttalk.com/f2/anyone-want-thread-vids-nc-spraying-29956/

Maybe it'll help you some. 

One key: Don't use PVA. Grab yourself some hi-build primer and save a lot of struggle.


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

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.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Vylum said:


> you guys must be making good money to be sweeping the dust off the walls. NC i put on two coats nice and thick with backroll, sand in between


I start making good $ as soon as I walk in the door, it matters not what I am doing:whistling2:


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

PaintWM said:


> general target SF per hour
> 
> Thanks!


:blink:


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

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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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

woodcoyote said:


> One key: Don't use PVA. Grab yourself some hi-build primer and save a lot of struggle.



Im curious which high-build primer you recommend?




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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Did I mention Gardz?*



PaintWM said:


> 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!


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


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

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.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

futtyos said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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?


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

epretot said:


> I dust out corners and outlets. Prime and sand prior to and between finish coats.
> 
> Exceptionally dusty walls get a light pressure washing.


????? You gotta post a video pressure washing new drywall, I gotta see this one...


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Mr Smith said:


> 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?




Gardz can help with uniformity for sure. It seals so well the finish paint has maximum time to flow out during coalescence. Rather than the moisture of the finish paint being absorbed by a porous surface, it can evaporate into the air. This increases open time and better allows for maximum smoothness of an applied finish. 

I'm curious if in your quest to try every trick in the book to eliminate lap lines you have tried rolling in one direction? I don't mean only rolling in one direction obviously, but making sure all finish strokes of the roller go in the same direction with the cage oriented the same way? 

That's the trick that helped me eliminate inconstancies and flashing in rolled walls. A roller nap produces a slightly different texture on the up stroke than it does on the down stroke. That slightly different texture results in a sheen differential that is visibly apparent at certain angles. 

Maybe you know this already, just thought to mention it. I finish all my rolling with a down stroke and the same cage orientation. It helps a great deal with flashing and lap lines whether the surface is sealed well or not. CA seems to think an upstroke finish works better, but he's kinda weird so who knows 


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

lilpaintchic said:


> ????? You gotta post a video pressure washing new drywall, I gotta see this one...


Satire.

It's what I do. Especially when we have topics about dust. As though painting over dust is ever ok.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Dang it....I was hoping for some entertainment....things are pretty boring here these days...


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

PNW Painter said:


> Im curious which high-build primer you recommend?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I like to use the Sherwin Williams Hi-Build. 

They run it for us at a real good price. Plus it's a high build primer. What that means...is that it obviously seals the new drywall mud, but it's designed to go on thick enough to cover minor imperfections. 

I like it because around here the mudders tend to leave a lot of scratches after sanding and the high build hides a lot of those marks.

I've used other high build primers from other companies and while they may have more % solids than SW, they tend also not to level out as well either. And with paint, you want it to level out, otherwise you'll get an orange peel looking result where you don't want it. 

*Btw, that product is meant to be sprayed and not rolled. If your a rolling guy then you'll be better off with another product, but you won't have the advantages of any high-build products unless you plan on rolling 2 or 3 coats.


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## PaintWM (Feb 4, 2016)

Gymschu said:


> 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.........


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?


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Mr Smith said:


> 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?


Gardz can be messy to use, especially at first. For your first attempt at rolling Gardz, make sure that everything that needs to be dropped is fully dropped. Gardz is very thin compared to paint or primer and you will no doubt squeeze some (maybe a lot if you are not careful) out of the roller and possibly onto your face, so go slowly at first and don’t load too much Gardz into your roller.

My first experience with rolling out Gardz (other than with a mini-roller on damaged drywall after wallpaper removal) was on a skim coated ceiling. I started out with a thin napped roller cover and the materials was being sucked up so fast that I quickly searched around and found a ¾” nap cover. That worked very well for the very porous and absorbent skim coated ceiling.

I would start out with a 3/8” nap. Load the Gardz up, then squeeze out as much as you can by rolling it on the tray with pressure. Bring the roller gently to the ceiling or wall and roll very gently at first. On a wall I would start by rolling up. If you start rolling down you may squeeze the Gardz out and onto the floor. By rolling up first at least you will be squeezing it in front of the roller and onto the wall. If you find that you don’t have enough product in your roller, load up a little more next dip until you find just how much you can load your roller before it starts dripping or squeezing out too easily. After you get some of the Gardz out onto the surface, you can start applying more and more pressure to the roller.

You just need to try it out and get used to the viscosity until you can handle it without drips. Sometimes, if I haven’t used Gardz in a while, my first attempt at applying will result in a stream of Gardz coming down. Just be mindful of that and you will be okay.

It is definitely worth getting used to using Gardz, especially if you have a wall that will reflect a lot of light, even if you are painting it with flat paint as most flat paints today have a sheen to them.
Someone else here mentioned using 2 coats of Aura over bare drywall, so you might try that if using Aura. I have never had the chance yet to use Aura, but I do know that 2 coats of Gardz on a ceiling or wall will make you think that you have gone to painter’s heaven when you start applying the paint!

Good luck,

futtyos


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Good advice above^^. 
I like to use microfiber covers with Gardz. They hold more material and seem to be a little less prone to make a mess. 

I agree that it's worth the time to get acquainted with applying Gardz. 


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

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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