New drywall takes one coat of drywall primer sealer, then two coats of paint. The primer seals the paper face and the joint compound, so the paint dries to one even color. Kompozit PRIME covers 300 to 400 square feet a gallon. A 5 gallon pail is $179, and local delivery in New York and New Jersey is free over $150. Painting a single room? PRO, our paint and primer in one, goes on bare drywall in at least two coats with no separate primer.
What a drywall primer sealer does
New drywall, also sold as wallboard or gypsum board, has two surfaces. The paper face and the taped seams of joint compound soak up paint at different rates. Paint the bare wall and the seams show through the topcoat as dull stripes. A primer sealer closes those pores in one pass, so both coats of paint land on the same surface. On a drywall job, "drywall primer" and "primer sealer" name the same product.
Best primer for new drywall
Use a water-based acrylic primer sealer. Our paint data sheets call for a latex primer sealer on new drywall, and PRIME is an acrylic one. It cleans up with soap and water and goes on inside or out.
Prep before you prime
New drywall has no old paint on it. If the same job touches old painted walls in a home built before 1978, test that paint for lead before you sand or scrape it, and follow EPA lead-safe practices if it tests positive.
- Let all joint compound dry completely.
- Sand the seams and patches smooth.
- Vacuum or wipe off the sanding dust. Primer over dust peels later.
- Check the air and the wall: both between 50 and 90°F now, no drop below 50°F for the next 48 hours, and no condensation on the wall.
- Wear protective clothing, gloves, goggles and a face mask as the label directs, and keep the room ventilated while you prime and while it dries.
How to prime new drywall
Sand, clear the dust, roll one coat of primer sealer, and wait 2 to 4 hours at 77°F before the paint. Cooler or damp air takes longer.
- Stir the primer well. Don't thin it.
- Brush a strip along the corners, the ceiling line and around outlets.
- Roll the walls with a 3/8 inch nap or larger, one even coat.
- Once it's dry, check the seams under a work light. A patch that still looks dull gets a second pass.
- Wait 2 to 4 hours at 77°F, longer in cooler or damp air, then start the first coat of paint.
One room: PRO, paint and primer in one
PRO is a 100% acrylic paint and primer in one, and its data sheet allows priming new drywall with PRO itself. Let the joint compound dry completely, then put at least two coats on the bare wall. EKO and NEO, our other wall paints, don't prime themselves, so they go on over one coat of PRIME.
A 12 by 12 room with 8 foot ceilings takes 3 to 4 gallons of PRO for two coats on walls and ceiling: $174 to $232, and that order qualifies for free local delivery in New York and New Jersey. Want primer by the gallon instead? PRIME 700 is a separate product: an interior primer that sands fast, $39 a gallon. PRIME is the interior and exterior primer sealer sold in 5 gallon pails. Call (718) 594 9337 to add PRIME 700 to an order.
How much to buy
A gallon of PRIME covers 300 to 400 square feet in one coat, so divide the area by 350 to get gallons. A 12 by 12 foot room with 8 foot ceilings has about 384 square feet of walls, or 528 with the ceiling. That's about 1.5 gallons of primer. A 5 gallon pail covers 1,500 to 2,000 square feet, about three rooms that size with ceilings, at 9 to 12 cents a square foot. For the paint on the same walls, use the math in how much paint do I need.
Price and delivery
PRIME is $179 for a 5 gallon pail, made in the USA in Florida. Local delivery in New York and New Jersey is $15 per order, free over $150, so a pail of PRIME rides free in that area. Orders ride on our own truck. Delivery runs on business days, to the curb or the ground floor entrance.
Questions we get
How many coats of primer on new drywall?
One coat of primer, then two coats of paint. If a seam still looks dull after the primer dries, prime that spot again before you paint.
What is a primer sealer?
It's a primer for porous surfaces such as new drywall, plaster and masonry. It seals them so the paint dries evenly over seams and patches.
How long does primer dry before painting?
PRIME is dry to the touch in about half an hour at 77°F. Wait 2 to 4 hours at that temperature before the first coat of paint. Cooler or damp air takes longer.
What else does PRIME prime?
Plaster, masonry, concrete, composition board, wood, aluminum and galvanized metal, inside and out. Floors are off its list. Steel and iron take a separate rust-inhibiting primer.
Do I need primer on new drywall under PRO?
No. PRO is paint and primer in one. Use at least two coats, over joint compound that is completely dry.
Do I prime new plaster the same way?
Let new plaster cure for at least 30 days first. If the surface is soft or powdery, follow the plaster prep on the PRIME data sheet. Then sand it smooth and prime it like drywall.
Can I use PRIME outside?
Yes. It primes interior and exterior surfaces.