I'm fixing some holes and dents in the walls of a closet I'm doing and was going to use Sheetrock all purpose joint compound for the repairs rather than spackle. I pulled off some of the paper while tearing out old wall anchors so I feel like the joint compound can skim coat that a little better.
After it dries and I sand it it says prime before painting - my question is rather than buy a whole thing of primer for a few spots, can the Sherwin Williams paint + primer I use work just as well?
If you're just skim coating and there's no cracks or seams you won't need tape.
The best thing for a diy-er is the lightweight joint compound with the light green lid but that's hard to find.
Buy yourself a small bucket of easy sand compound in the drywall aisle with a blue lid and you'll do fine.
Less is more when you apply it. Give it 24 hours and sand in circular motions lightly with a 150 grit sanding sponge and paint the wall with a good quality satin or flatter paint from Benjamin Moore.
Paint matters.
The green bucket compound is better for a first coat and applying tape, it has more adhesives.
Hope this helps
I prefer paint and primer separate. Both together I find the primer doesn’t cover as well but it is easier and could be more cost effective for small jobs
primer is only necessary if the paint will have difficulty adhering to the surface
joint compound is designed to have paint adhere
zero reason for a primer
Once your sanded, spot prime the areas you patched with primer. Paint+Primer is a lie - there’s no primer in it. It just has a high volume of solids so it covers the old paint well in fewer coats. But it doesn’t do the other things real primer does: sealing off absorbent areas (like drywall compound), sealing in oils and things that will bleed thru, adhering extremely well, and providing a surface that paint will adhere well and evenly to.
Depending on the sheen and age of the underlying paint, it may be ideal to prime the whole wall before moving on topcoat. At the very least, don’t skip out on washing the walls well with something like Dirtex.
primer is only necessary if the paint will have difficulty adhering to the surface
joint compound is designed to have paint adhere
zero reason for a primer
Not true. It’s also necessary over porous surfaces like spackle or joint compound. Those things act like a sponge and will soak in a finish paint in a heart beat and you’ll see a difference in the finish everywhere the spackle or joint compound was used.
Spot priming those areas is pretty much a must do if you want an even finish coat.
Quote:
in a closet
primer is only necessary if the paint will have difficulty adhering to the surface
joint compound is designed to have paint adhere
zero reason for a primer
Not true. It’s also necessary over porous surfaces like spackle or joint compound. Those things act like a sponge and will soak in a finish paint in a heart beat and you’ll see a difference in the finish everywhere the spackle or joint compound was used.
Spot priming those areas is pretty much a must do if you want an even finish coat.
Exactly. Without a primer, the paint will be pulled into the raw spackle and leave a discolored flat area.
I also use a sponge instead of sand paper - a lot less messy. Just use a well wrung out sponge.
I also use a sponge instead of sand paper - a lot less messy. Just use a well wrung out sponge.
This works well if you have the right touch. My father did it this way. I always end up taking too much off and have to do extra coats. Or I slow to a crawl being careful. And then mess a spot up getting frustrated at how it’s taking me.
Once your sanded, spot prime the areas you patched with primer. Paint+Primer is a lie - there’s no primer in it. It just has a high volume of solids so it covers the old paint well in fewer coats. But it doesn’t do the other things real primer does: sealing off absorbent areas (like drywall compound), sealing in oils and things that will bleed thru, adhering extremely well, and providing a surface that paint will adhere well and evenly to.
Depending on the sheen and age of the underlying paint, it may be ideal to prime the whole wall before moving on topcoat. At the very least, don’t skip out on washing the walls well with something like Dirtex.
Excellent advice. Always, always prime the sheetrock if there are and rips in the paper. Zinsser has a tremendous line of products and is available at Home Depot beside paint stores. If you have taken off wallpaper and aren't sure if you have thoroughly cleaned the walls, use an oil based prime/sealer. It will seal up the residual glue far better than a H2O product.
USG joint compound is everywhere. As someone above said, get the one with the green lid.The small approx 1 gal size is perfect for small repairs and is a handy thing to have around after it's empty and cleaned.
Also, there is a product called ReadyPatch. Dries much harder and doesn't shrink as much as JC does.
Ready Patch - ( New Window )