Painting - Proper new drywall priming

I'm finishing my basement and have new dryall to prime and paint. I've been told to get the cheapest paint for the first coat because the drywall will just soak it up anyway. What's the right stuff to use on new drywall? I don't want to invest a fortune, but I want a decent job. Any recommendations?

There are paints made just for new drywall priming.... they make the finish coat go on easier and with just one coat...

I've been told to get the cheapest paint for the first coat because the drywall will just soak it up anyway.

Incorrect, it is the foundation for the rest of the paint job
The cheapest stuff will not adhere, or allow the color coats to adhere like they should
The primer is not there just so you don't soak up more expensive colored paint
It's there to help the color coats adhere

What's the right stuff to use on new drywall?

A primer/sealer for new drywall
Most companies make a product specifically for this

I don't want to invest a fortune, but I want a decent job. Any recommendations?

Pittsburg Paints has a contractor quality line called Speed Hide
Their primer/sealer for new drywall is excellent and well priced

I agree, a cheap paint won't properly seal the wall which often affects how the top coat of paint will look. The only places I would ever consider not using a primer sealer on new drywall would be small closets and textured ceilings.

Paint is not primer. Primer and paint have different characteristics. Besides, even good quality primer isn't expensive.

The cheapest paint you'll find is builder's paint, often used in brand new homes. I always use a primer over that stuff before I put on paint.

This reminds me of a question I once had a long time ago.

A painting contractor was applying primer to a new home with the use of a sprayer. In my view, he was spraying the primer too light and not very evenly, because you could clearly see the drywall in many place, his lap marks were obvious- it seemed to me that he was just skimping on materials to save a few bucks.

He said not to worry about it- that the primer is doing its job to seal the drywall, that it doesn't need to have 100% coverage like paint would, and that it would all be covered up anyway by the sucessive coats.

Any thoughts on spraying primer?

This reminds me of a question I once had a long time ago.

A painting contractor was applying primer to a new home with the use of a sprayer. In my view, he was spraying the primer too light and not very evenly, because you could clearly see the drywall in many place, his lap marks were obvious- it seemed to me that he was just skimping on materials to save a few bucks.

He said not to worry about it- that the primer is doing its job to seal the drywall, that it doesn't need to have 100% coverage like paint would, and that it would all be covered up anyway by the sucessive coats.

Any thoughts on spraying primer?

In my limited experience, the primer doesn't have to be perfectly even, but you want some kind of coverage over all surfaces. And lap marks, or any other inperfection, will show up in the final coat. They may be less pronounced with flat paint or if you texture, but if they are there after priming, then there's a good chance you'll see them after your top coat.

When I spray primer on new drywall I am not very concerned about lap marks, or eveness. You dont want to see bare drywall but it doesnt have to be a solid white coat of primer/ That is a waste of time. AS long as you hit all the areas thats good.

I almost always spray primer on new construction. Some primer sealers don't cover well but the main objective is to seal the drywall. Generally speaking the more paint on the wall the better the job will look. I know some will skimp because a light spray coat will color the wall and the second coat will cover but I have always believed that the heavier you apply the primer and the finish coat the better the paint job will look. Another benifit of applying a liberal coats of paint - the paint will touch up better when necesarry.

... he was spraying the primer too light and not very evenly, because you could clearly see the drywall in many place,...
... that the primer is doing its job to seal the drywall, that it doesn't need to have 100% coverage like paint would,...
He was incorrect
You need 100% coverage with primer
Now I mean primer on drywall, not coverage like it "covered up the drywall and it all looked white like paint"
But coverage as in every bit of drywall has primer on it
Primer does not have to look like a finish coat of paint, or even a solid color coat of paint, but it does have to "cover" every bit of bare sheetrock

I use Sherwin Williams ProBlock for all of my priming. New drywall, previously painted drywall or wood, slick surfaces- you name it and it will do the job. It costs more than big box store primer but at the end of the day I know the job will turn out as good as my amateur painting skills will allow.

Very interesting- great replies, thanks guys!

So perhaps the guy was partially correct (I wondered if he was trying to snow me). But I still think that some of the areas were too light, even though he thought it was okay. I like Marksr attitude- "the heavier the primer the better". I would imagine that professional painters, who do it every day and really take pride in doing a quality job, would not cut corners.

I would imagine that professional painters, who do it every day and really take pride in doing a quality job, would not cut corners.




That is it in a nut shell. Pride in doing a good job is what seperates the pros from the .. uh.. others