Drywall Primer
 

for new drywall with mud on it, are those PVA type primers a lot better than just using a std. latex primer?

No. It doesn't really matter.

I don't even use PVA. As long as the mud joints and texture is thoroughly dry.
If your painting flat wall, I just use several coats of the finish product. The first coat acts as a sealer.
Lightly drag a sanding pole between coats to knock down any high spots. Don't sand raw texture, it will remove it.

If your painting an enamel wall or ceiling, I would suggest using a primer. Enamels don't have a lot of sealing properties.

What are you painting?

it will be walls and ceilings both

I plan to use a flat or nearly flat white topcoat - I usually use Benjie-Moore latex interior paints...

is that what you mean by enamel?

Excluding patch jobs, I prime bare drywall with a high-build primer and follow up with a sanding pad on a pole. I have no idea if you can apply this primer with a roller.

Enamel refers to a paint with high enamel content. It will usually be labeled an enamel paint. Most paints have enamel, but paint with flat finish will have very little to no enamel.

No. What I mean by enamel is the sheen. Walls and ceilings are usually flat or low sheen.
Trim, baths, kitchens, utilitarian areas are usually enamel.

If you are painting a bedroom, hall, living area you would probably use a flat or semi flat finish. Those paints are usually self sealing if it is a good product.

If you are painting a laundry, kitchen or bath you would want a higher sheen (enamel). Those products are easier with a primer/sealer first.

Whatever product you use, try to get the one with the most acrylic in it.
There are different grades of water base (latex) paint.
There is latex, which like it sounds is rubber. It is no good.
There is vinyl, which is slightly better.
Then there is acrylic, which is the best.

There are also blends of all these. Vinyl/acrylic, Acrylic/latex etc. What you want is 100% acrylic for enamel.
For flat try to get as much acrylic as possible.

I am not familiar with Benjamin Moore products but i just looked at their web site.
As you can see, the products list their resin base. The Aura and the Regal, look good.
They have a 100% acrylic resin base. That is what you want.
The product called Ben lists its base as acrylic/latex.
that is what you don't want.

It all applies the same, so you may as well get the best product you can. It will look better,longer and most times the better product has better coverage.

Being a contractor for the past 20 some odd years and doing everything from foundation work to roofing, I have found that Lowe's carries a new construction drywall primer that used to be called "first step" new construction drywall primer. I believe it is made by Valspar. It coats awesome and is easy to apply. I even use it to prime raw trim because it sands beautifully. But the best part is that it is only about $12.00 per gallon. If you spray your primer on new drywall, expect to lightly sand it after it dries with a sanding pole or sanding sponge. If you roll it on you are good to go. For a little trick, I get the people at Lowe's to tint the primer close to the finished color of the walls. This way you can usually prime and apply one top coat of the finished color. Hope this helps!
Oh yea, it is latex not oil.

We used "spray on latex primer" and it worked well. You'll apply it very generously and it will soak in. Do a few coats and let it dry between coats...

That is the product I used to prime ceilings after removing the "cottage cheese" crap. After cleaning up the taped joints, nail holes, etc. just roll it on and it looks great after painting.

thx!

The Benj-Moore "Regal" is what is in the rest of the house so I plan to use that as the top coat.

I have to buy it with real live cash dollars.

I can get gift cards for Home Depot off my credit card points & so I was planning to buy the primer from there - no Benj-Moore.

HD does carry Behr paints & primers tho.

It sounds like there is no real reason to use the PVA type primer (??)

I would not use Benjamin Moore paint over another manufacturer's primer. Stick with BM or stick with Behr.

Talk to the folks at your local paint store. They can give you the options to complement the excellent paint you intend to use.

One can get in trouble mixing brands, but not usually a quality paint over a generic primer/sealer. There are lots of first, or base coats to use. The purpose of PVA sealer is to seal up the differences in absorption between the drywall paper and mudded joints. Even if the whole thing is skim coated, it will suck the life out of your expensive top coat. Which brings me to my next point: PVA is much cheaper than using multiple coats of Benny Moore.

Paint is designed to dry to a specified thickness, thinning or allowing the fluid vehicle in the paint to be absorbed excessively into the substrate does not allow a proper thickness to form or the right skin to form. This is why many paints chalk prematurely.

I'd go back into architectural painting if people would listen and spend for a job that will last. But, they won't. I haven't seen a properly spec'd paint job in so long I don't know if anyone knows how anymore.

Well, I haven't been involved in hospital construction either. Paint jobs in hospitals are usually up to spec.

The Behr stuff at HD is pretty good for the money. Even my ex-painter Sherwin Williams disciple buddy admitted it when he helped me paint my house.

As cpsonst said, tinted primer is the way to go. You can get away with several fewer finish coats if you take this approach.

thx

walls will white BTW

PVA is a cost saving product, for production work. For what you are doing it might not make sense.
The reason I don't use PVA is because of the time involved in a product change.

It really doesn't matter, do what you want.

Brush, roll 3 or 4 coats of finish, First acts as a sealer.
Or brush, roll 1 or 2 coats PVA. Then 2 coats of finish.

You are going to have to buy 2 or 3 gallons PVA and then 2 or 3 gallons finish.
Then get stuck with 1/2 gallon PVA at the end of the job. Finish you will keep.

Or just buy the finish and have no PVA left at the end of the job.
White over new drywall will require at least 3 coats.
Do yourself a favor and buy a 3/4" lambswool roller, frame, a five and a screen. Don't use a tray and don't use a short nap roller. You can wash the lambswool, five and frame, and it will probably last you forever.

If I was you I would just use finish, from start to finish. It makes cut in easier, coverage easier and product purchase easier.
If you are just using white, buy 4 singles and then go from there. You may have to buy 1 more, you may get to return 1.
God luck.

thx

what's a "five"

I already have the frame I think - if it is the thing that fits into a 5 gal. bucket of paint with a grid on it for loading up[ the roller.

I used it when I painted the outside of the house a few yars ago.

A "five" is an empty five gallon bucket.
The thing that fits in the bucket is a "grid" or "screen".
The "frame" is what the roller slides onto.

Dipso, what is the benefit of the lambswool roller cover?

What's your opinion on tinting the primer and "one-coating" the finish? I have not done this before, but I have tried one-coat topcoat with S-W's Superpaint. The coverage was OK, but the sheen wasn't remotely close. It took the second coat to bring out the sheen. I don't see how Lowe's/HD paint is much better in this regard.

Lambswool covers hold more paint, I am sure you have seen them.
They also don't spit or drip as much.

Tinting primer is a great idea, I do it all the time.

Damn good advice here. It amazes me how many people think they'll get a good finished product with a cheap roller and pan. You get what you pay for.

Another benefit of the 5 is to mix multiple gallons together as you paint. Especially with tinted paint, there might be slight differences between gallons. Dumping several at a time into a 5 minimizes the difference.

ok, well I have a lambs wool roller cover - not sure what nap it is

and several fives kicking around the house to store/carry stuff in