Replies

1. 
   RW | Mar 02, 2006 05:20am | #1

   Theres varying responses to this kind of question because everyone has their own way, though I suspect most would say if your bag says prime first, it's because whoever made the stuff knows its going to have potential adhesion issues if you dont. When in doubt, follow the instructions. Not like its going to hurt anything.

   "A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor

1. 
   studhauler | Mar 02, 2006 05:32am | #2

   If i prime the wall before i shoot the texture, do I have to prime it again to make the paint stick to the texture?

2. 
   Huck | Mar 02, 2006 05:34am | #3

   I don't know why the bag states that, but I've never seen it done.  Primer is part of the painters job, and they don't start until the drywall crew is done. 

   "he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain

3. 
   trout | Mar 02, 2006 06:07am | #4

   Priming before texture is common in some regions.  Often it isn't done to save cost.  In my home town it is never done, while it's very common where I now live.

   The primer is really just whatever extra paint is laying around.  There is a misconseption that paint will not stick to new drywall, but just about any kind of paint sticks quite well.  What primer does do is smooth out the differences in surface texture so joints don't show through.  Careful taping and an extra coat of paint usually takes care of these things, but who am I to say the guys making $ of drywall primer don't know what they're doing. 

4. 
   butch | Mar 02, 2006 11:47am | #5

   I would prime before texturing, it not only helps

   with the bond but also with drying of texture if you are

   going to be doing a knockdown. I'm curious has to what kinda

   of "texture" you are using. The only texture I have ever used

   was just thinned down sheet rock mud.

   But if you are just trying to get-r-done then forget what I

   just said :-)

   edited to add that I would also prime after texturing.

   But that just me and I'm little anal...........

   okay, I'm a whole lot

   of anal

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/2/2006 3:51 am ET by butch

1. 
   studhauler | Mar 03, 2006 08:05am | #12

   Butch, the texture I am going to use is made by Sheetrock, it comes in a bag just like the popcorn for the ceiling.  I found it at Lowe's.  If i had instruction on how to mix up a pail of mud to shoot as wall texture I would  do that.  The bag comes with direction so that is what i use.  I think I will prime before and after. 

    The last time I did this I just primed before texturing and the paint didn't look to good, but then it was the cheapest 5 gallon bucket of paint i could find.  I guess I got what I paid for.  That time, I was finishing the inside of a garage so no harm done.  This time, it is a quick fix on the girlfriends house so she can sell it.

   Cody

1. 
   RalphWicklund | Mar 03, 2006 08:19am | #13

   Time is money to most of the textue applicators.

   When priming before texturing, the mixture, what ever it is, takes forever to dry to the consistency needed to work it further.

   Although a light stipple or orange peel is sprayed and left to dry, a knockdown keeps the applicators on the job, essentially "watching the paint dry".

1. 
   Huck | Mar 03, 2006 09:59am | #14

   When priming before texturing, the mixture, what ever it is, takes forever to dry to the consistency needed to work it further.  Although a light stipple or orange peel is sprayed and left to dry, a knockdown keeps the applicators on the job, essentially "watching the paint dry".

    

   that's been my experience also, I'm surprised at all the guys who say they primer first.  I've never noticed a problem with the texture showing up different on the wallboard surface vs the taped areas."he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain

1. 
   djj | Mar 03, 2006 04:56pm | #16

   The other thing around here is that the drywall guys are far less careful than the painters when it comes to masking off stuff like windows, doors tubs etc. I would much rather try to get texture off a fiberglass tub than I would primer. 

2. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 03, 2006 06:10pm | #17

   "When priming before texturing, the mixture, what ever it is, takes forever to dry to the consistency needed to work it further.""I just finished skim-coating over several walls of lath and plaster. I had fixed some cracks and patched in some drywall."And in a case like this with a substrate of skim coated painted (I assume) plaster, painted DW (I assume) and patched (and that might include replaced sections) of DW that would have areas of drastically different absorbtion rates and thus drying rates?Without priming wouldn't that make texturing difficult. Where you might have one area that is still very wet with a 4 sq ft patch in the middle that is drying up and ready to work.

1. 
   RalphWicklund | Mar 03, 2006 06:45pm | #18

   I imagine it would depend on the thickness of the skimcoat which would have the capacity to absorb the water in the mixture at a uniform rate. The thicker the better.

   If the texture spray is not to be worked after application it won't make any difference. It just dries in place.

   One of the things you don't want to do is have a mixed bag. For instance, spot priming a water stain and applying a knockdown finish will result in a slick finish over the primer when it's the optimum time to work the finish or if you wait for the texture to firm up over the primer you've lost the ability to work the rest of the texture.

   If you do the work youself, time is not a factor. But if you hire the job out be prepared to have a waiting time upcharge that could be substantial as they wait for the drying.

2. 
   studhauler | Mar 04, 2006 07:01am | #19

   Yep, I'm doing the work myself.  Dry time for the texture is not a issue because i am just going to shoot it and forget it.  I am not going to knock it down.  The walls are lath & plaster 3 layers of wallpaper and 3 or 4 layers of leaded paint.  If the wall paper was not sticking to the wall i removed it in those spots.  if the plaster was not attached to the lath  I removed the plaster in that area, then covered the lath with 3/8 in Sheetrock. then taped and mudded the seams.  Next i skim coated the whole thing, a bedroom and the hall and stairway.  yep 35 gallons of mud.  the skim coat is 1/2 in thick in some places and next to nothing in other. Those were the good rooms, the other bedroom had cheap wood panelling on three wall.  the knee wall the sloped wall? and the ceiling got covered with 1/2 Sheetrock.

   Now I don't think I will primer the walls first.  The whole surface of the wall it covered with mud by the skim coat, so the texture (mud) will just stick to the skim coat (mud).  Kind-of like the second coat of mud sticking to the first coat of mud when taping seams.

   Thanks for all the help, It is now time for bed and I have just returned from a 170 mile snowmobile ride past the headwater of the Mississippi river with the girlfriend on riding on the back of the sled.  (no she at her own house tonight)

   Cody

2. 
   butch | Mar 03, 2006 01:04pm | #15

   <If i had instruction on how to mix up a pail of mud to shoot as wall texture I would do that.>Nothing to it, just keep mixing water to it until the mud willpour, about the consistency of a real thick syrup. In other words youwant it thin enough that it will flow by gravity but if you get it to thin it will sag when the mud is sprayed on the wall.Its pretty forgiving stuff that if you get to much mud or to muchwater that you can remix again to bring the consistency back to where you need it.Clear as mud? (-:

   Edited 3/3/2006 5:06 am ET by butch

5. 
   JHOLE | Mar 02, 2006 03:37pm | #6

   For remod - I'm with butch on this one.

   Can't hurt.

   No big deal - either money or time.

   Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City

1. 
   trout | Mar 02, 2006 04:49pm | #7

   I'm actually with you guys as well, it's just hard to give up "the way we've always done it."  Priming is quick and easy so why not.

1. 
   blueshound | Mar 02, 2006 09:00pm | #8

   We do it around here because of the use of light weight mud's ability to absorb paint by prepriming you are trying to seal the surface so that the paint won't look mottled and show all the joints with compound in them.

    

6. 
   Danno | Mar 02, 2006 09:20pm | #9

   Last time (only time, and I hope, last time) I sprayed texture, we mixed primer in with the texturing mud. Then we just painted top coat when the texture dried. Seemed to work, but I guess you probably should follow the directions.

7. 
   DustyMan | Mar 02, 2006 10:59pm | #10

   Application of primer depends on the type of  texture you are applying:

   • If you are applying a standard 'popcorn' finish you typically prime beforehand, however, it is possible to mix latex primer with your texture and spray them both together. If you spray them together you cut back on the amount of water used and substitute the latex paint. Personally I prefer to prime and seal the ceiling beforehand because I want to ensure there are no shadows still showing from the tape joints. Another thing to keep in mind if you apply texture and paint at the same time is that it makes a mess of your equipment and leaves overspray on anything that is not covered.
   • If you do elect to paint after you have applied the popcorn finish then use an alkyd paint because it won't dissolve the water based texture. However, painted texture is very difficult to remove at a later date if you wish to do so. There are 'ceiling paints' on the market that I think are latex based so you should check these out as well.
   • If you are applying orange peel or knockdown texture you can prime beforehand or after. Again, I prefer priming/sealing beforehand. Also, with knockdown, you can apply colour to the ceiling, apply the texture and the colour shows through behind the texture. This looks very nice. I have not applied knockdown texture mixed with paint, but I imagine it would work.
   • In all cases am referring to ceilings above. I have not textured walls but I presume you would not want popcorn on them.

   Best of luck with your project.

8. 
   hammer | Mar 02, 2006 11:26pm | #11

   I always prime before texturing. I found that the texture dries more uniformed. If it's shot directly over unsealed compound the water is pulled from it faster than if over the DW.

   It was also suggested to subsitute primer for water when mixing. This is also a good practice. I then do a finished topcoat and the ceiling looks great.

   I found that primer is also cheap insurance if you have a ceiling water leak. the texture will stay up. Usually only have to kill the water stain and spray new paint.