miles_hall•20d agoProlific Poster

I finally saw what happens when you skip the primer on a bathroom ceiling

Did a repair for a buddy in Phoenix who insisted it wasn't needed, and after 4 months the new mud was a totally different color than the old. Anyone else had a client fight you on this basic step?

4 comments

4 Comments

wadew5119d ago

That part about the blotchy squares in the light is so true. It reminds me of a textured ceiling I painted in an old house. The homeowner used some weird flat paint years ago. I put primer over it, but you could still see every old roller mark from their original job bleeding through the new coat. It was like a ghost of their bad DIY work. Sometimes primer can't even fix the past sins.

stellaperry19d ago

My cousin is a painter and he told me about a whole living room he had to redo because they skipped primer on a patched wall. The new drywall mud just drank up the paint differently, leaving these obvious blotchy squares. It looked awful in the light. Primer seals everything so the top coat color is even. Skipping it to save an hour always costs way more time later.

vera_lewis219d ago

My uncle painted houses for thirty years and he always said a good sanding job matters more than primer. He'd use 120 grit on patches, then a quick wipe with a damp cloth. The paint soaks in the same if the surface is smooth and clean. I've seen him skip primer on fresh drywall mud with no problems at all.

aaron30514d ago

Four months and it was a totally different color? That's the part that gets me. I've seen it happen in a week when the humidity hits. How do you even explain that to the guy when he calls you back? You told him, he didn't listen, and now you're the one looking at a two-tone ceiling. It's like they think paint is magic.