How to Use Primer Before Painting a Wall

A wall should be primed before painting, for various reasons. In new constructions, where you are dealing with new drywall, priming saves you from painting many coats of paint on the wall. New drywall is very porous and will soak up much of the paint. The primer is thicker than the paint and will fill in many of the pores, allowing for less coats of actual paint. It's also used when changing paint color from dark to light to help hide the darker color. This project is not hard and can save you a lot of time and money.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• High-quality primer
• Paint brushes
• Paint rollers
• Extension pole
• Drop cloth
• Paint tray

Priming for New Drywall

1. Cut in the primer around the edges. Use a brush and go out from the edges about two inches. Work in sections where the primer will not dry out before you start to roll the wall. Start at the top so when you start to roll, you can do all the sections that need an extension pole on the roller at once.

2. Roll up to your edges. Roll the primer up to all of the wet edges that you just cut in. You will need to do the ceilings, wall, windows and doors. Priming for new drywall is much the same as painting. You want it to be as even as possible so your paint will not come out blotchy.

3. Move on to the next section and continue to work your way around the room. Cut in around windows doors and baseboard before rolling the lower half of the room without the extension pole. Allow the primer to dry and put on a second coat.

Priming for Painted Wall or Over Repairs

4. Cut in the edge at the ceiling and the top half of the where the walls meet in sections. If you are changing color to a lighter color, priming will keep the darker color from showing through your paint.

5. Roll the primer into the wet edges of the cut in sections. In most cases you will not have to prime the ceiling when changing color.

6. Cut in the lower half and roll into wet edges. Normally only one coat is needed for changing the color of the paint. If you have a very dark color that is coming through the primer after it is dry, you will need a second coat.

7. Prime over repairs made to a wall. If you have filled in nail holes or fixed a hole that has required a filler, prime over the repaired area and let dry before painting.