The point of residential or commercial painting is to freshen up and perhaps change the color of the walls to spruce up the space. So whether you opt for a smooth or textured wall, you most likely desire long-lasting results. And that’s not all when it comes to drywall. Since these panels are taped and nailed, the joints might show under the paint skin. Is that why you need a primer for? Well, actually you need to prime drywall for various reasons. Let’s see.

1. Save money and time

It’s tempting to skip priming and go ahead with the office or residential painting. Isn’t it? Who wants to waste time on extra coating coverage? Well, no one. And that’s why most of the times, you need to prime drywall before you paint it. In spite of the common belief that it’s a waste of time, primers save time. Money too. Why? Because they help topcoats dry faster. Otherwise, they will be absorbed by the material and will take much longer to dry. And then, you don’t necessarily have to apply two hands of coating. If the drywall is in a relatively good condition (no need to hide blemishes with paints) and you are not trying to paint white over black, one hand of coating will suffice. Thanks to the primer.

2. Painting adheres better

One of the greatest benefits of primers is excellent paint adhesion. Look at it as the glue, which will make the paint stick to the surface. And that’s good news since it will keep the paint intact for a much longer time. On top of that, it will show off the color you choose – since it will not be absorbed by the drywall. This is particularly important when you paint walls with dark colors. They won’t fade away down the road.

And one more thing. Since paint adheres better on drywall when you prime first, walls are cleaned easier and without affecting the color. It’s best to apply one coating after priming than two coatings without priming.

3. Imperfections are covered better

Primers act as a seal, which won’t only block out paint penetration into the drywall but cover small flaws too. Although drywall repair is a must before painting for the best possible results, tiny blemishes are easily covered with the primer. And since this is an extra coating, it insulates better the walls and provide protection against drywall damage.

All in all, what you get is a uniform appearance because the primer will become the base that will protect both the drywall and the color.

Do you always need to prime drywall before painting?

It’s important to prime after new drywall installation. The new surface will be porous and will absorb the color of the paint. Primers will also cover the joint compound and provide a good base for texturing or painting over skim-coated drywall. Then again, you won’t need to prime if you choose a paint & primer in one – although separate products are always best. But you need to prime to cover patched drywall sections or when you want to paint drywall in the kitchen and bathroom – since it acts as a seal, it can prevent mold growth too.

What kind of primer should you use?

What is the primer? It’s nothing more than an undercoat applied on drywall (or other materials for that matter) for enhanced paint adhesion and thus long lasting results. Most people use latex primers but it’s always best to ask your painting contractor.

Be careful which primer you choose in terms of which color you selected to paint drywall. Opt for tinted primers only if you paint drywall dark hues. But make sure the tinted primer won’t alter the wall hue.