Many professionals involved in finishing work are wondering if it is necessary to prime drywall walls before puttying. It is difficult to answer unambiguously. However, most craftsmen tend to believe that the GKL primer before puttying works - an obligatory stage of finishing.
What is a primer for?
Primer - a special mixture that provides reliable adhesion to the treated surfaces. In addition, this composition is used for other purposes, namely, for:
- protection against the appearance of fungus and mold;
- hiding defects and irregularities of the painted surface;
- adhesive bond.
Priming mixtures dry quickly, they are non-toxic, resistant to chemical influences, have a high level of heat and moisture resistance. The primer reduces the consumption of paint and wallpaper glue.
Masters of finishing works advise priming drywall sheets, because:
- Putty is better placed on the surface treated with this composition.
- GKL become stronger after the absorption of the primer composition.
- The seams of the sheets that are cut during installation become more durable.
Primer selection
If you have no doubt that drywall needs to be primed, then the next step is choosing the right primer. Before buying, you should carefully study the label of the purchased product. It must indicate the expiration date and the manufacturer. The cost of primers is not very high, so you don’t have to worry about overpaying. For the GKL primer, you should choose compositions for interior work. Compositions for finishing facades inside the apartment should not be used, they contain substances harmful to human health. Stop your choice is on the penetrating type of primer. It has a fine filler structure, so it penetrates more deeply into the drywall body. The content of solid matter in such compositions is not more than 12%.
For work with drywall, acrylic primer is best suited. It lays down on any surface. The drying time of the solution is from 2 to 4 hours. It is applied to drywall sheets before and after puttying. The most popular brands are TESSAROL, Teknos, Vega, Betokontakt.
How to prime drywall
- At the time of work with the primer, you need to open the window / door, that is, to ensure ventilation of the room.
- First of all, the places of fastening of self-tapping screws and joints of sheets are processed with a primer.
- After the work surface dries, you can proceed to filling the seams starting putty.
- After the putty layer has dried, the surface is primed again. The mixture is applied in one layer.
- Next, a paint mesh is glued onto the surface of the seams and covered with a leveling layer of putty.
- It is necessary to allow the drywall seams to dry, then apply the finishing coat of putty. After this layer has dried, sand the entire surface with sandpaper.
- The final stage of finishing is priming the walls.
Advice! It is recommended to pour the primer into a separate container. A roller is lowered into it, squeezed out a little and proceed to application.
Should drywall be primed in high humidity areas? The answer to this question is positive. As a rule, when leveling walls in the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen, moisture-resistant drywall is used. It needs to be primed just like a regular one. Some masters even advise applying the composition in two layers.
The quality of the work performed directly depends on whether the putty layer has dried well before applying the primer and vice versa. The primer of each layer ensures high adhesion of the materials used.Therefore, following the above algorithm step by step, you will get smooth and beautiful walls.
