Is it necessary to prime the walls before puttying: work procedure + advice from professionals

Puttying walls is more a necessity than a whim of meticulous owners, because buying an apartment with smooth walls today is almost impossible.Many owners, after purchasing finishing materials, begin to think about whether it is necessary to prime the walls before puttying at all?

The primer is the basis for the future coating, thanks to which the plaster will last for many years, maintaining its resistance even when exposed to moisture.

Next, you will learn why it is so important to prime the walls before puttying, what materials are best to choose, and how to prepare the surface for processing yourself. The article presents the procedure for carrying out work on priming walls in an apartment, including professional recommendations from craftsmen.

The need to prime the walls

An ideal surface finish is only possible with priming and putty.

Competently completed work guarantees you a reliable base for wallpaper, painting or decoration, which allows you to bring even the most daring ideas to life.

The further “behavior” of the putty depends on the composition of the applied primer, which, if the primer is of poor quality, can simply crumble along with the paint

The primer allows you to strengthen the surface of the wall, making it more monolithic, and at the same time significantly increase the level of adhesion for further processing. This is especially important if the walls are made of “porous” materials: brick, wood, concrete, plasterboard.

In addition, the primer performs several important tasks:

• leveling the absorbent properties of the surface;
• ensuring a high level of adhesion of the finish to the wall;
• saving the consumption of putty material by filling cracks and pores;
• strengthening the wall by creating a monolithic material structure;
• preventing the appearance of fungus by improving moisture-proof properties.

The presented functions are indisputable proof that priming walls is important and necessary. Such a coating will allow once and for all get rid of the hated fungus, which usually appears in rooms with high humidity: bathroom and kitchen.

For such cases, a special antifungal primer is sold.

Selection of primer composition

Before purchasing a primer, it is important to evaluate the surface of the walls, since the solution is always selected in accordance with the type of base and its properties.

On the modern building materials market you can find completely different compositions: concentrated, with additives, ready for application, or in the form of a dry mixture that requires dilution with a solvent or water.

There are special universal polymer-based mixtures (acrylic) that can be applied to both drywall and concrete bases

The only drawback of the universal primer is the inflated price, which scares off many buyers.

As an alternative, it is worth considering budget solutions, each of which has its own scope of application:

1. Phenolic. This composition is intended for the preparation of metal and wooden walls, including chipboard, fiberboard and OSB. Not used when treating puttyed walls.
2. Alkyd. Ideal for preparing a wooden surface before puttying. Apply to wood immediately before coating with alkyd paint.
3. Glypthal. The material is used as a basis for leveling surfaces made of wood and metal. Due to the toxic odor, it is more suitable for external walls.
4. Quartz. The solution is sand-based, so the surface becomes rough when applied. The best adhesion is with paint and decorative plaster.
5. Mineral based. The primer is made from gypsum, lime or cement. Ideal for silicate, concrete and plastered surfaces.

All primer mixtures are divided into adhesive or strengthening. The choice depends solely on the material of the walls, as well as their condition.

If you are ready to spend a lot of money on repairs, then it is better to give preference to an acrylic primer.

Work order

After choosing the appropriate mixture, it is important to decide on the tool for processing the walls. Since primer is usually applied to vertical surfaces, you can choose from a roller, brush or spray.

The fastest way to evenly apply primer over a large area of ​​the wall is to use a spray bottle after wearing a protective suit, mask and goggles

Despite the speed of operation of the spray gun, this method still has one main disadvantage - the difficulty of cleaning the system after work. Therefore, it is best to use a roller, and in hard-to-reach places, a small brush.

In order to prime the walls in your apartment yourself, you don’t have to spend too much effort. The process of treating the surface with a primer solution has its own sequence, so it is carried out in two stages: preparing the walls and priming them.

Stage 1 - preparing the surface for processing

At this stage, it is necessary to prepare the walls for the upcoming work: remove any remaining mortar, dirt and dust. If necessary, get rid of particles of old coating that are loose from the base.It is better to degrease oil stains immediately so that the primer “lays down” without problems.

If the wall is damp, it should be dried by simple ventilation. The primer mixture is applied only to dry walls, so be careful. Otherwise, you will have to redo the work twice, since the solution may simply drain.

To prevent the grayness of concrete walls from showing through the putty, and subsequently through the paint, it is better to purchase a snow-white primer mixture

At the same stage, check the temperature in the room - the ideal temperature will be no more than +10 degrees. Professional craftsmen recommend carrying out finishing work in the warm season (spring or summer) in order to speed up the drying process of the walls.

Stage 2 - priming the walls indoors

If the walls are prepared, then you can safely begin preparing the primer composition. Each solution has its own instructions located on the label, which must be studied in advance.

As a rule, all compositions are prepared according to the same standard:

• mix the mixture thoroughly and pour into a more convenient container;
• the concentrated primer is diluted in the prescribed proportions;
• The dry mixture is diluted with plain water, according to the instructions on the package.

Next, you should decide on the type of tool - a roller or a brush, put on a protective suit, and you can start applying the mixture. The primer is applied in an even layer, with minor overlaps allowed.

On average, complete drying of the walls occurs only on the third day, provided that the required temperature conditions are maintained.

It is recommended to prime the walls at least twice, but the exact number of layers will depend solely on the type of mixture and surface structure

Before you start laying a new layer, do not forget to check whether the previous one has been absorbed well. You can only reapply the primer on a dry surface, otherwise you will smear the old layer and “translate” the material.

The presence of color in the primer plays a role not only for reasons of aesthetics. This way, it will be much easier for you to control the process, which will allow you to evenly cover the surface. If the wall itself is light, then it is better to choose a pigmented primer.

A few important rules

The processing of each coating has its own characteristics. Thus, a deep penetration mixture is applied to drywall, which reduces its absorbency. The joints of the sheets are leveled using putty, and then rubbed with sandpaper.

Wood walls are treated with a waterproofing solution, which protects the material from the effects of moisture: deformation and subsequent rotting. In this case, a shellac composition is ideal, preventing the release of resin and evening out the shade.

To obtain a durable coating, you can also apply a primer after the putty paste has dried, but it is better to putty in several thin layers

Mixing solutions from different manufacturers is strongly discouraged. Even if they have the same purpose, their chemical composition is different. When mixed, the consistency of the solution may be disrupted, and its main properties may be lost.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

You can find out why it is important to prime the walls before applying plaster from the video:

A guide to priming walls before puttying is presented in the following video:

Based on the simple recommendations presented in the article, you can efficiently prime the walls with your own hands. So, it is enough to choose a mixture suitable for a specific type of coating.

An important condition is to create a favorable microclimate in the room for complete drying of the primer coating: maintain the temperature and eliminate drafts. As a result, you will get an ideal surface for subsequent putty.

If you have previously had to prime walls yourself, tell your story in the comments below the article. Perhaps your experience will help our readers study the issue in more detail and prepare the walls for putty as efficiently as possible.