# Importance of dust-free surface



## barnbunny (Feb 1, 2008)

I've always thought a dust-free surface was important before priming and painting. A painter recently primed and painted a dusty wall and the paint is easily peeling. He says that in new construction dusty walls are often painted with no ill effects. Is this true? There is not a single paint manufacturer who does not warn about the dangers of dusty walls.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

I think you have answered your own question.


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## barnbunny (Feb 1, 2008)

vermontpainter said:


> I think you have answered your own question.


Maybe not. Not everyone does things "properly." I think this guy did a bad thing, but what if it's a COMMON thing, as he claims?


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

There are plenty of bad painters out there taking shortcuts. Ignore them. When in doubt, follow manufacturers specs for application.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

If you are a professional - then dusting prior to painting is a given. Let guys like that get at all those condo/apartment customers.


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## timhag (Sep 30, 2007)

If you are not going to dust, then why patch, caulk, & prime. Any painter knows the dusting is a requirement. If not then ya need to find another profession, cause you kinda people are going to give us pro kinda people a bad name.


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## Housepainter (Jan 6, 2008)

barnbunny said:


> Maybe not. Not everyone does things "properly." I think this guy did a bad thing, but what if it's a COMMON thing, as he claims?



Just cause, "everyone is jumping off a ten story building does not make it right!"
At least that is what I was taught. Seriously, doing a quality job in the right way is what we are suppose to do.... When I was a young fellow, 20-21 I worked for a time with a crew of brick and block masons, all pro's, high quality work, that you would want for your own mother's house:yes:.

I then worked about a week between jobs with another crew, that actually were paying more per hour. The work was not par, they knew all the tricks of trade, and no I would not let them brick my mother's house:no:

Do it the best you know how and the way you know it should be done...
:thumbup:


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

*"Never had a problem...while my tailights were still in view"*



barnbunny said:


> ...A painter recently primed and painted a dusty wall ...and says that in new construction dusty walls are often painted...Is this true?


This is true
It is not good, but often in new construction the people painting don't bother to dust


barnbunny said:


> ...with no ill effects...Is this true?


This is not true
Although this type of "painter" will claim up and down they have been doing this for years and "never had a problem", there is a reason for that
It's because they are usually long gone when the problems show up
Put them on re-paints for a few years and they will be cussing out the ...people...that do that

There may be no ill effects until years later, or until it's repaint time
The simple act of trying to re-paint it can cause the whole nine yards to pull right of the wall
Sometimes it's not the first or second repaint, but even a later one

To be fair, it might hold...MIGHT
But you could also jump out of a plane w/o a parachute and MIGHT not die
Just because you can play a few rounds of Russian Roulette and not shoot yourself in the head...doesn't mean it's a good idea and you should keep doing it

It's bad....really bad...


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

I bet 6 out of the 8 painting companies I've worked for DIDN'T wipe walls at all after sanding. I only remember 2 companies doing it as a standard when they went over SOP's when first stepping aboard. 

Hack

My favorite word is Hack and it is defined by the painter's you speak of in this post. A Hack is someone who cuts corners that shouldn't be cut, EVEN if he knows it's absolutely wrong. He goes with the flow. He is scared to do the right thing because he feels it makes him less of a man. Strange. I look up and respect very highly those who do right, very highly. 

My 1 cent...(2 is so trendy)


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

The only time you could prime over dust - is a product that is specifically designed to incorporate the dust. I know from reading somewhere that companies like Ben Moore reformulated paints for the Hawiian market because of all the water reclaim laws that prohibit washers from letting wash water go all over the place - so Benny Moore reformulated their exterior paint to incorporate a dusty surface. I believe long dry oil based primers have half a chance - as well as those clear type acrylic sealants. But why not just do the right thing? I hate blisters on repaints and clients looking at me like it's my fault!


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Funny story. A couple years back, I walk into a huge addition remodel to install some wallpaper. There is a ton of dust in the air, so I assumed the drywall guys were still on site working. I walk down the hall, and see a guy spraying walls/ceilings. 

I ask his partner, "Whats with all the dust?" 

He says "I guess the dry wall guys didn't dust anything off when they were done."

So I say "Well, do you really think its OK to be spraying paint right over it?"

He says "Oh, its OK, the sprayer blows the dust off when it gets close."




Speaking of dust, I still want one of these.


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## APC (Sep 25, 2007)

yes it really just makes sense not to paint over dust but I have also worked with people who dont think twice about doing it---hacks


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## CobraCDN (Jan 8, 2008)

Hmm well I guess I'm a bad painter then...., I spray and back roll, sprayer removes pretty much all the drywall dust from the surface as I go, I'm in a small town rural situation.. have been here for years.. to date I have never had my product let go. I do how ever clean all the inside 3-ways with a knife as the sprayer does not get all the dust out of the corners. We also vacuum the wall to floor edges to keep anything from blowing back up on the bottom of the walls. Closets and tight rooms we vacuum the whole floor. We prime then pole sand all the walls and blow on a finish coat, which is again pole sanded and final coated after all the finishing is done.. that coat we do by hand.

I guess if your coating entirely by hand then you really should dust 1st. But coating new construction by hand is not something I would ever do.

Cheers


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

Ok
some things painters say are opinion, some things are undeniably facts...

let's break it down....

dust=dirt
paint does not stick to dirt :no: 

therefore, wiping walls before painting is ridding them of dirt

paint sticks to surfaces correctly and properly with no dirt on them 

Ahh, now we have the facts down...no opinion there


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