Best Primer for New Drywall

What is the best brand of primer for new drywall. About 6 years ago when I painted my new drywall upstairs I used something called "first construction primer" by valspar, it was water based. It was amazing, it was really thick and covered extremely well. I used one coat and then one coat of paint and it still looks great, except for my roller marks, but it was my first paint job and by the last room I got pretty good. I dont think they make it anymore. I have tried locating it with not luck. Anyone with experience recommend anything?? Working on my new drywall in basement and trying to track something down that covers well. Consumer reports recommends Behr, ive heard Behr is not so great from a few painters..

 

You are almost always better off buying your primer and paint at your local paint store - not a big box paint dept. They can guide you as to which primer would be best for the finish paint you intend to use.

Not all primers cover well but that doesn't always mean it's not a good primer as the primers main job is to seal the substrate and promote good adhession.

I usually use SWP's preprite line of primers. B.Moore, Pittsburg and others also have good primers. Zinnser is a well known manufacture of quality primers.

 

Ditto. Adhesion and sealing the substrate are more important than coverage in a primer. Too much pigment (as with high hiding paints) will usually prevent good penetration. I personally like the real "wet" primers for new drywall. I don't like thick "flat-paint-like" primers for new drywall.

You are better off using the high build "hide-the-sanding-scratches" type primer as an intermediate coat (if necessary) AFTER using a standard PVA drywall primer first, in my opinion.

PVA primers have been used for years on new drywall, and that is my recommendation. Sherwin Williams Promar PVA primers are great. I use them all the time on new drywall.