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Do You Need to Prime Drywall Mud or Joint Compound?

Drywall mud or joint compound is a commonly used gypsum-based paste that is used to finish the drywall joints and corners as well as repair the cracks and holes on walls and plaster surfaces. 

In today’s article, we will discuss whether you can prime that drywall mud or joint compound. 

Do you need to prime drywall mud or joint compound? 

Generally, the drywall mud or joint compound is used on plaster surfaces or to repair the cracks and holes. You need to prime the drywall because it has a risk of peeling paint in humid or worse weather conditions. In some cases, the wall may become damp and look terrible. 

Generally, the drywall mud or joint compound is a commonly used gypsum-based plaster paste that is used to fix the walls and cover the holes and cracks. 

It is available in a few basic types, each variant of that drywall mud or joint compound has its advantages and disadvantages.

Although the drywall mud or joint compound has a good adhesive formula that helps it to adhere well to different types of textures, that is why it does not necessarily require priming. 

In some cases, if you consider painting a wall that has already been fixed with drywall mud or joint compound, you need to prime it well to get a smooth finish. Below is a brief discussion on whether you need to prime the drywall mud in different circumstances: 

Before painting: 

It is highly recommended to prime the drywall mud or joint compound before painting because it will help the paint to stick to the surface properly. 

Otherwise, if you do not prime the drive Walmart before painting it will let the paint peel off from the surface. 

Before texturing: 

You need to prime the drywall mud or joint compound priming the drywall, mud or joint compound will allow it to adhere to the texture on the surface and dry evenly. Texturing the drywall mud without priming will react differently. 

After texturing: 

It is not recommended to apply primer on the drywall mud or joint compound after texturing. You can simply apply primer on the drywall mud before texturing and that will be enough for it. 

Before tiling: 

It is highly recommended to prime the drywall mud or joint compound before painting because it will allow the tile to stick to the surface strongly and prevent absorbing the moisture of the adhesive. 

In some cases, the drywall mud or joint compound needs to be primed to cover the pores and holes on top of the surface. 

If you use the tiles on drywall mud or joint compound without priming, the adhesive will not be able to stick the tile to the wall properly because of the holes and pores.

Before wallpapering: 

You need to apply multiple coats of primer on drywall, mud, or joint compound before wallpapering because this will allow the wallpaper to stick to the wall properly. 

Not priming the drywall mud or joint compound may cause damage to the wallpaper material and let it not stick to the surface properly.

Can you paint over drywall mud without primer? 

No, you cannot paint over drywall mud without a primer. It is highly advised to let the wall sit for 24 hours straight after you have applied the drywall mud or joint compound on top of it. 

This will allow the drywall mud or joint compound paste to stick to the wall properly after it dries up. You need to apply primer on the drywall mud or joint compound. This gypsum-based paste creates a lot of smaller pores and holes when applied to the walls. 

That is why you need to apply the primer to cover the holes and pores present in the drywall mud or joint compound. 

Painting without priming the drywall, mud or joint compound will cause serious damage to the texture and make your wall look terrible. 

What happens if you don’t prime drywall mud or joint compound? 

It is important to prime the drywall mud or joint compound to get the best results when you paint or texture the walls. 

Generally, the drywall mud or joint compound is a type of gypsum paste that is used to cover the pores and cracks on the walls as well as plaster surfaces. 

Since the drywall mud or joint compound is a paste, it needs to be dried before you apply paint to it. 

But before painting, you also need to apply primer so that the pores and holes get covered. Below is a brief discussion on what happens if you do not apply primer before painting the drywall mud. 

The paint may start to peel off: 

The first thing you’ll see if you do not prime the drywall mud is that the paints and muds have started to peel off. When this will happen because the pores present in the drywall mud will not let the paint stick to the wall.

The texture may get damaged: 

Due to the presence of small holes present in the drywall mud. Your texture may get damaged. That is why you need to apply primer before you apply any texture to the drywall mud.

The wall will look faded: 

Since the drywall mud absorbs the paint if you do not apply primer on it. It will make the painted world look very faded.

Should I prime before applying joint compound?  

It’s advised to apply a primer before you apply the drywall mud or joint compound on walls

The application of drywall mud or joint compound is very simple and easy. So, this is highly recommended to use it as directed and prime. The wall before applying the drywall mud or joint compound. 

Because not following the proper guidelines may cause damage to the texture of drywall, mud, or joint compound and may not solve the problem you are looking to fix by using it. 

Do you need to prime drywall twice?  

It is recommended to prime the drywall twice because applying multiple coats of primer will provide you with a better texture or drywall mud. This also helps the paint to stick to the wall properly. 

However, it is needed to prime the drive Walmart if you are willing to paint it or apply texture to it. 

In addition to that, you need to let the drywall mud or joint compound dry fully before you apply primer to it. Otherwise, the drywall mud or joint compound will not be able to stick the primer to the wall. 

Does drywall mud stick to primer?  

Yes, the drywall mud sticks to the primer very well. The primer is used to cover the small holes and pores present in the drywall mud or joint compound applied walls. 

So, if you apply primer on it, it will eventually cover the holes and help you to stick the paint on the walls very easily. 

In addition to that, priming the wall will also extend the life span of drywall mud or joint compound. It will save you from future repairs and provide you with a better and smooth finish. 

How to prepare joint compound for painting? 

Painting without applying the primer may cause the paint to peel off after painting. This could cause some seriously expensive damage to your walls and make you paint the walls again. 

The primer is applied to the wall to cover the small holes and pores present in the drywall mud joint compound applied walls. Although you can use primer after the drywall mud or joint compound has dried. 

This will make the wall look more textured and the results will be better. Once you prime the drywall mud you can apply any type of texture or paint on top of the drywall mud or joint compound surface. 

Below is a brief discussion on how to prepare the joint compound for painting: 

Sand the wall: 

Before you paint the joint compound, you need to make some preparations to set the paint on the wall properly. That is why you need to sand the wall so that any rough surfaces are smooth and your paint looks perfect. 

Clean the wall: 

Once you have sanded the wall, you need to clean it using a cloth to rub off all the excess sand stuck to the wall. This process will make the wall look more finished and cleaner.

Apply the primer: 

After you have cleaned the wall, you need to apply the primer. It is recommended to apply multiple coats of primer which will seal the joint compound. It will even provide you with a better texture.

Final thoughts  

It is recommended to apply primer on the drywall mud or joint compound to stick the paint on the wall. Although you can apply the drywall mud, or joint compound without applying primer on it, priming the wall will increase its lifespan and make it look finished and smooth after painting.