PSA: I wasted $300 on paint before I learned this one simple rule about primers

I was painting my living room in Portland last month and kept getting weird peeling spots on the walls. Went through three different expensive paint brands from Home Depot before my neighbor who flips houses told me I needed a specific primer for walls that had been patched with spackle. Turns out common drywall mud soaks up moisture totally different than the old oil based paint underneath. Has anyone else run into this nightmare or just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_anderson6523d ago

Totally a thing. Watched a video on youtube from some painting contractor who explained that spackle acts like a sponge while latex paint needs a barrier to stick right. He recommended shellac based primer for any patched spots and said it seals everything up perfect. Had a buddy who skipped that step on a ceiling patch and the paint bubbled up like blisters within a week.

elliotr3922d ago

The "sponge" part is actually why spackle can pull moisture out of the air and crack if you paint over it too fast with latex.