New drywall going up. Will I get decent coverage if I use two coats of paint and primer in one or should I use a primer and paint two coats of regular wall paint?

 

The Pro's will tell you...you are better off using a primer over new sheetrock, mud, and tape. The primer/paint combos I've used are fine for repaints....but it's mostly just hype.

Use primer and you may be able to just use one topcoat....but you'll like the results better with 2.

Too many people think primer is to hide color changes...but it's really just to give the topcoat a good surface to adhere to. Unless you use one of the stainblocking primers....which shouldn't be needed in your case.

 

Thanks so much for your help. I pretty much figured that the drywall would soak up a lot of paint so a separate primer would be in order. Then two coats of paint it is. I appreciate the confirmation.

 

For all it's worth, I always use 2 coats of good primer, even the best primer is still cheaper than good paint and with only one coat it will still soak in thus you are loosing some of the coverage from the paint!

Nothing is one coat, it's all a sales tactic!

 

Normally 1 coat of primer is sufficient for new drywall. The primer's job is to seal the substrate and provide a good base for the top coat. While most any primer is ok under flat paint, latex enamels benefit from a better primer. An extra coat of paint is more beneficial than an extra coat of primer.

As noted above 'primer in the paint' is more marketing than fact. Normally those paints are sold for repaints where priming isn't normally needed. When a primer is needed, a dedicated primer tailored for the job at hand is always better.

 

Interesting. When I bought a can of semi-gloss for a bathroom wall, the can said "primer included."
When I went back to Lowes to buy another can of that paint, told them I didn't need the primer and wanted one without primer, as I paint first with primer, then 2 coats.
The clerk said most paint includes primer now.
Wonder if that is true.

 

I look at it this way - paint and primer have two entirely different jobs. If the same can contains both, won't each be inferior to a separate can containing only one or the other? I buy primer when I need to prime and paint when I need to paint.

 

And once again another consumer is duped by the part time idiot working at the paint department at a local big box store!

Seriously folks, need to go to a real paint store for better products and advice!

 

Primer in the paint is more marketing ploy than anything else. Most repaints do not require a primer but the primer marketers did a good job of convincing the public that all paint jobs need a primer. When you need a primer a separate dedicated primer is best.

 

And now to add insult to injury there is now a spackling compound that contains primer!

With respect to Marq's comment, for the day to day home repair or minor repairs and small projects, the small hardware/home improvement stores are usually very good at providing service. It's not always practical to go to a plumbing supply house, or an electrical supply outlet, or a dedicated paint store for good info or product.

Although we are not a big box store but similar to such places as ACE hardware or Do-It-Best hardware stores or True Value hardware, we pride ourselves in giving the customer true facts and accurate information. The small independent franchise home improvement stores are usually a lot more reliable than the big box and although may not be the experts on a particular product (paint, plumbing, electrical, etc...), they do provide better and more helpful info.

I for one will talk a customer out of buying a product if I know it won't work. That includes such items as drain cleaners, paint and primer (without a separate primer coat), Rustolium deck coats, Garbage disposals, various salts for winter, etc...Almost all come back to buy product and get good info. Much of the info I give out is from this forum .

And because of our training and mentor-ship from the older guys like myself, our young "kids" are very good at providing customer service and proper information.

 

So the comment was specific to paint, nothing more!

s long as I've participated on this site paint quality and paint advise from the big box stores has dominated the rants and raves of posters.

I fully agree that the independent stores do a great job, but history indicates that what is going on at the paint departments at BBS is lacking!

 

That is categorically an incorrect statement, you never, let me repeat, never, paint a base coat a different color than your final top coat!

 

If your current color is very light and you want to cover with a dark or if you have a dark and you want to cover with a light, you paint your base as neutral gray. That will give you the best coverage to hide the base coat.