# Priming preprimed doors and casings with drywall primer



## sir paintalot (Oct 21, 2008)

Hello Everyone:
Has anyone used drywall primer on preprimed casings and doors after caulking and filling? or do you guys buy special primer like bullseye 1-2-3 etc. I have a fiver of drywall primer left over and with 42 doors and casing to paint I am considering using it on them. I can't see a problem with that but I would like some opinions. 

Also, has anyone just sprayed 2 topcoats on door casings after filling and caulking? I know that filler might flash but is it really that noticable after 2 coats sprayed?

Thanks everyone.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Dude, is it drywall and pre primed door primer?


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## Danahy (Dec 11, 2008)

2 coats should definately cover the flashing if the paint is good quality. Priming defeats the purpose/advantage of using preprimed in the first place.


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## dragula (Nov 19, 2008)

Drywall primer is a very vague description. 

As with anything, do an adhesion test. OTOH, I still would not recommend it.
Refer to Bender's response.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Actually, pre-primed doors seems to use cheap primer, on the Masonite doors, the edges are poorly sealed by the primer. If a trim piece is unprimed, I double prime it. If it is pre-primed I prime it one more time. Then two finish coats.

Now, on cheap spec homes, there have been times that I just shoot two coats over the pre-primed stuff, but this does not fly on my quality stuff.


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## MAK-Deco (Apr 17, 2007)

DeanV said:


> Actually, pre-primed doors seems to use cheap primer, on the Masonite doors, the edges are poorly sealed by the primer. If a trim piece is unprimed, I double prime it. If it is pre-primed I prime it one more time. Then two finish coats.
> 
> Now, on cheap spec homes, there have been times that I just shoot two coats over the pre-primed stuff, but this does not fly on my quality stuff.


I agree with Dean... We just used some waterborne enamel brushed on mdf doors and the factory primer was terrible... The paint just stuck to it and you could get it to flow at all.. if we sprayed them (wasn't going to happen newly installed in living space) it would have been fine... 

So after the first two we primed them with 123 and then top coat with WB and what a difference!


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I like to reprime them only for the fact that the builder usually has written all over them in ink - and that bleeds right through paint.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

I always reprime the preprimed doors and casings. 
What kind of drywall primer are you talking abnout anyways? Like a PVA sealer or something?


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

*Drywall* primer..? Think about it!


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## dragula (Nov 19, 2008)

Some drywall primers are acceptable, basically similar to the 1-2-3 formulation. Hence why I said "drywall primer" is a vague description.

If it is an acceptable formulation, high acrylic, good binders etc, then you are good to go.

Many drywall primers are just watered down vinyl/clay bases. While they work great at filling porous drywall because of the amount of clay, they are no good for hard surfaces.

While vinyl and PVA's both have absolutely TENACIOUS adhesion/hardness in the right formula, the amount of clay makes the film rather soft and easily marred, thus providing the topcoat a poor substrate in which to adhere.

Just call the manufacturer if that $60 five of primer is going to keep you up at night.

Merry Christmas


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

The quality of product on most pre-primed doors is bad, edges may not be done, and most require sanding. Almost any kind of drywall primer that is not a real high build product, applied over the newly prepped door will make an improvement in your topcoat.


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## Charles (Jul 1, 2008)

We use the same primer on both trim and walls. But we do alot of high volume projects. It works fine if your using a mid grade primer. We only use higher end primers on custom jobs. I wouldn't do 2 coats of finish though. We have tried it before and on MDF casings and doors, the brown starts to burn after a short time. They look good after there done, but after about a week, they go yellow and darken with time. Prime all the time!


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## tHe jOkEr (Dec 4, 2008)

The primer that is on so called preprimed wood is junk. Always re prime it.


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

*Reason for repriming preprimed trim*

The reason for repriming preprimed trim is for 3 main reasons.

1) the factory primer is very absorbent and can be washed off with water. Your first coat of finish (I don’t care how much you paid for a gallon or whos paint it is) will absorb into the primer.
2) sheen degradation
3) filling nail holes is night and day different. Putty breaks off in the hole clean and easy.

So all that said, you want:
1) A primer with a not-so-flat finish when dry BUT
2) You also want the primer to have some abrasiveness to it.

In other words, if you apply a primer that dries hard and smooth (like an eggshell) the putty will be difficult to use and fill holes flush but your finish is more likely to look great after 1 coat.

All-in-all you would have to spend the time to figure all that out by trying out about 15 primers to see which one works best on what but who has time besides me to do that. 

Use ICI Gripper but really… most any primer is better than factory but stay away from PVA over pre-primed trim and doors. Use Coverstain oil or use Zinsser PRIMECOAT2 from HomeDepot for the edges only. PRIMECOAT2 can be shot over those doors but it absorbs finish more than Gripper. Google jackpauhl+mdf for more on it. Pictures, reviews and stuff.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

sir paintalot said:


> I have a fiver of drywall primer left over and with 42 doors and casing to paint I am considering using it on them. I can't see a problem with that but I would like some opinions.


Exact product please...


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## NEPS.US (Feb 6, 2008)

jack pauhl said:


> The reason for repriming preprimed trim is for 3 main reasons.
> 
> 1) the factory primer is very absorbent and can be washed off with water. Your first coat of finish (I don’t care how much you paid for a gallon or whos paint it is) will absorb into the primer.
> 2) sheen degradation
> ...


The voice from Home Depot paints reappears .......:jester:


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

Putting your own coat of primer on a door is good idea. I think of that pre-primed primer as shipping protection.

But dont use up some paint not designed for the job just cause you have it laying around.

40 doors you say? I cant imagine risking the outcome of 40 doors just to use up a five of some wall primer.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I like to re-prime that stuff only because GC's have it all marked up with pen and pencil marks when measuring for cuts - pen ink bleeds right through paint! Sometimes that have a real smooth surface - something I'd like to scuff up. In that case I rub real quick with wil-bond - then put a coat of 100% acrylic all-purpose primer. That grey/brown crap is real hard to cover even with two topcoats. But if you trimmed your estimate of all the 'fat' in order to win the bid - then your forced to be more production and less quality oriented. Oil based trim paints I would paint over this stuff without pre-priming.


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## brushmstr (Feb 15, 2009)

Factory primer is crap. Does not seal well and sands poorly. For custom ( GCs for cheaper homes don't want to pay for xtra step of priming ) homes I caulk and putty then re-prime using oil-based Kilz. I know how everyone feels about Kilz but it is great for Int. trim priming. Seals great and sands fast and powders up to an incredibly smooth finish. After you spray your finish you will be shocked at a nice even look, no flashing and a beautiful sheen. I've tried everything and this works for me. Good luck


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## Faron79 (Dec 11, 2007)

*Put down the "5-er" and walk away...*

...to the REAL primers, like Coverstain, 123, Gripper, C2-One, etc.

MUCH better body, sandability (if needed), and toughness than the PVA-class primers.

Last Craftsman said it ALL...
"...can't imagine risking 40 doors just to use-up a 5 of cheap wall primer..."

Faron


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