kai602•2mo ago

TIL that not every drywall mud needs a primer coat to look smooth

I was talking to this old timer at the lumber yard last Tuesday, waiting for my order to come up, and he saw me buying a bucket of all-purpose joint compound. He asked what I was using it for and I said a bathroom remodel over on Maple Street. He told me I was wasting my time pre-priming my mud before texture if I was using the all-purpose stuff. Said if you mix it right and let it dry fully, the paint grabs just fine without primer. I always thought you needed that extra step to avoid flashing, but he showed me a photo on his phone from a job he did 6 months ago and it looked flat and uniform. He said the trick is to not overwork the mud and to sand with 120 grit, not too fine. So I tried it on that bathroom ceiling and it came out way better than my usual routine. Has anyone else skipped primer on their finish coats and gotten good results?

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jade2262mo ago

Old timer wisdom beats YouTube tutorials again, I guess. My dog could probably skip primer too if I showed him the right photo.

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charles_knight2mo ago

Jumped in on this debate last month when my neighbor tried telling me the same thing. @jade226 you're probably right about the dog, but I skipped primer on a hallway ceiling after reading a similar tip from an old painter online. Used 120 grit like you said and let it dry a full 48 hours before painting, and it came out flat with zero flashing. The key was not going back over it too many times with the knife, that just burns the mud and makes it seal itself weird.

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