I've just finished up sanding newly finished drywall for the first time. Now that I have a nice smooth surface, I'm on to priming and painting. A few questions first:

Regarding the drywall dust, is it necessary to go beyond using a brush attachment on a shop vac? I've read different people using wet rags or sponges, but I would think that could wreck the smooth mud.

What type/brand of primer does everyone prefer for new drywall?

Thanks!

 

Any PVA primer made by Zinsser would be fine to me.

A tack cloth can be used to remove sanding dust without fear of affecting the mud.

 

As long as most of the drywall dust is removed you should be good to go. I know some are fanatical about removing the dust but I normally just take a push broom [minus handle] and sweep the walls down. I'll use a duster brush [old paint brush] in the corners if/when needed.

Most any latex primer will do ok on new drywall although some top coats will do better [coverage, sheen hold out] when a better or specific primer is used.

 

I always vacuum it and then go over it with a slightly damp sponge. As long as it's just barely damp and you use a light touch it won't affect the compound. Probably overkill, but it only takes a few minutes.

Last job I did I used SW Premium Wall and Wood Primer. It's sandable and after it dried I gave it a quick sand with a 220 sanding screen. It did a great job of completely evening the surface so there was absolutely no difference between compound and paper areas. After the finish coats, even with a bright glancing light you can't see where the compound ends and the paper starts. It's as close as I've come to a level 5 finish without skim coating. Again, probably overkill, but it was a small room with semi-gloss paint and I wanted a really nice finish.