# Painting a skim coated ceiling



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Use a push broom to knock down any dust remaining after you have sanded down the joint compound used to do the skim coat. Prime with a drywall primer. Apply two finish coats and call it done.


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## Ricojob (May 4, 2012)

Any recommendation on which primer to use?


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## Sir MixAlot (Apr 4, 2008)

Ricojob said:


> Any recommendation on which primer to use?


:thumbsup:


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## Ricojob (May 4, 2012)

Check out my steps here
I am painting the entire house, ceiling, wall, and trim.
Step one remove popcorn
Step two skim coat ceiling
Step three remove dust from ceiling and prime
Step four fix any problem on the ceiling that was revealed after the primer
Step five repair holes and imperfection on the wall
Step six caulking where needed
Step seven clean walls and trim
Step eight paint trim
Step nine paint ceiling
Step 10 paint walls

What correction would you make to my process? I wanted to spray but I have never done it before.


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

PVA is a cheap drywall primer that gives you a decent base to start with. Zinsser 1-2-3 is fine as well. Make sure you re-prime any patches you make to the ceiling and walls after your step three, but make sure you only use the actual primer before you start painting.

If you discover things that need to be patched after your first coat of paint then you need to prime those spots with the paint itself and let it dry completely before you cut in and do the second coat. For really light colors you may need to paint-prime twice before top-coating. If you are using a paint with a sheen then scuff-sand those paint-primed patches to minimize the chance of flashing on your top-coat.

Also, make sure that you tape off your trim really well to avoid overspraying on to your walls (let the caulking fully dry before you try to put tape over it or bad things will happen).

Finally, paint the ceiling before you do trim or the walls. Always paint top to bottom to minimize the possibility of paint splattering on already finished surfaces. After that it is up to you if you want to do trim or walls first. We paint trim last for the same reason I just mentioned, but there are plenty of professional painters who also do trim first. It's up to you.


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## Ricojob (May 4, 2012)

How important is the type primer that I get is Gripper worth $99/5 Gallon versus Zinsser Drywall Primer $34/ 5 Gallon?


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Missed a BIG
One after steps 4 and 5......and that would be to spot prime the repairs.....else they will stand out clearly. Ron


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## getrex (Sep 14, 2016)

Gripper is not a very good choice since it is very thick and prone to leaving roller and brush marks (the last thing that you want). PVA is a very simple primer but it is designed to create a uniform surface over drywall and joint compound. It can't be used for anything else, whereas products like Zinsser 1-2-3 can be used on anything and it costs more.


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## Ricojob (May 4, 2012)

What about High Build Primer from Sherman Williams? I found it on sale.

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/home-builders/products/high-build-primer


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

High build is fine. It will fill any pin holes left from your skim coating work and will leave you with a nice, solid surface for your topcoats.


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## Bshock (Aug 5, 2021)

Hi all - I know this is an old story but hoping someone can comment and advise. We just had our popcorn ceiling scraped and refinished. They applied a skim coat and sanded and it looks incredible. Do you have to paint your ceiling or can you just leave it at the skim coat? Painting our ceiling is no small job and I’m not looking forward to the work (if I do it) or the expense (if I hire someone)…and I think it looks fine as-is.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

You can leave it as is. It may yellow over time, so you can paint it then. To add, it can be incredibly difficult to paint a flat ceiling and make it look perfect, so, in conclusion, if it looks good and you’re okay with it, leave it be.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Ricojob said:


> What about High Build Primer from Sherman Williams? I found it on sale.


I've sprayed a good bit of that primer and it does a nice job although it isn't really good for applying latex enamel over [not that you would on a ceiling] HiBuild is thicker than most primers and won't go as far as others. Not as easy to roll either.


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