# Primer and Joint Compound Issues



## RIVO (May 25, 2011)

I've seen this particular problem raised multiple times throughout various boards and can't seem to find a good answer so here it is again.

I am trying to do a repair job on some drywall and did all the proper prep work with respect to applying joint compound and sanding etc. When I try to apply primer over the joint compound the primer bubbles right up and literally peels right off onto the roller. I have cleaned the area correctly and have allowed literally a week for compound to dry. The issue is not dust, moisture or quality of product (the primer I used is Sherwin Williams high end stuff) so why won't the primer adhere to the compound? Will something like Zinnser Gardz address the issue?


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

Sounds like you may be applying the primer too heavy. We have this same issue when coating over inorganic zinc rich primer. We have to apply a mist coat and allow the zinc to gass out through the thin coating and then come back and fill it in with the rest of the coating after about five minutes. Same thing happens on concrete coatings if they are applied too heavy. You may need to thin out some of your primer and stripe coat over the joint compound then follow up with the remainder of the primer. This may seem like a pain but it beats haveing peeling paint. I'm not sure why you would be having a bonding issue unless there is still dust on the walls. Is the entire coating peeling or is it only where the bubbles popped open.


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## RIVO (May 25, 2011)

Area has been cleaned and dried Thoroughly but primer won't adhere to areas where joint compound has been applied. Can't really get any real thickness applied since it begins to bubble and peel off almost immediately and subsequently sticks to the roller in strips leaving a pretty big mess. Have heard that the joint compound itself has to be sealed to allow adhesion with something like Zinsser Gardz Sealer. Guess I'll try that. Thanks for the follow up.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

Could ther have been contaminated water used for cleaning or for mixing the drywall mud. Have you tested an area to see if water is absorbed by the joint compound.


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## RIVO (May 25, 2011)

Did minimal wet sanding with standard tap water then allowed patch job to dry for over a week with a fan drying the area. On my second attempt with two different primers (both Sherwin Williams Flomax - one tinted and one just standard white). Same result both times. Joint compound came premixed so was just the spread, sand and wipe clean kind. Two coats as directed. Final results looked great until I applied the primer.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

Do you have the batch numbers for the primer. I have had old batches of paint given to me on occasion. I just had some on a job last week on SW diamond clad clear coat. It is a three part mix and 2 of the part C's were out of date out of 60 gallons. I still feel that there is contamination in the mud if the primer is bonding everywhere else. Contamination could be from dust or high moisture. You said thet you ruled out the dust. Maybe someone else can comment on this topic since I have never ran into this issue with dry wall mud. I would be curious to see thos batch numers on the primer and the mud.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

RIVO said:


> Did minimal wet sanding with standard tap water then allowed patch job to dry for over a week with a fan drying the area. On my second attempt with two different primers (both Sherwin Williams Flomax - one tinted and one just standard white). Same result both times. Joint compound came premixed so was just the spread, sand and wipe clean kind. Two coats as directed. Final results looked great until I applied the primer.


I can not find a product data sheet for SW flomax. Are you sure this is the product


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Was the repair done because of water damage? It sounds to me like the moisture hasn't worked itself out of the system. Blisters are an indication of moisture, and even though the compound may be dry, some moisture may be transferring through from underneath. After a leaking roof is fixed, the ceiling needs a couple of weeks to dry out before a repair should be attempted. I would give it a week to dry further and have another go at it.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

jsheridan said:


> Was the repair done because of water damage? It sounds to me like the moisture hasn't worked itself out of the system. Blisters are an indication of moisture, and even though the compound may be dry, some moisture may be transferring through from underneath. After a leaking roof is fixed, the ceiling needs a couple of weeks to dry out before a repair should be attempted. I would give it a week to dry further and have another go at it.


Do yo know of this primer(flomax). Every time I try to look it up I see marine coatings,gas supplies and some drug with a law suite. I'm thinking the product is (promar).could it be possible that these repairs are a thin skim coat over oil based paint with a latex primer reacting to the oil coating.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

mustangmike3789 said:


> Do yo know of this primer(flomax). Every time I try to look it up I see marine coatings,gas supplies and some drug with a law suite. I'm thinking the product is (promar).could it be possible that these repairs are a thin skim coat over oil based paint with a latex primer reacting to the oil coating.


 nevermind. scratch my last thought. if it were latex over oil the problem would be more than the repair areas only.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

RIVO said:


> I've seen this particular problem raised multiple times throughout various boards and can't seem to find a good answer so here it is again.
> 
> I am trying to do a repair job on some drywall and did all the proper prep work with respect to applying joint compound and sanding etc. When I try to apply primer over the joint compound the primer bubbles right up and literally peels right off onto the roller. I have cleaned the area correctly and have allowed literally a week for compound to dry. The issue is not dust, moisture or quality of product (the primer I used is Sherwin Williams high end stuff) so why won't the primer adhere to the compound? Will something like Zinnser Gardz address the issue?


First of all, if you were using a Behr paint product, virtually everyone here would be screaming about the paint, and not even _thinking_ about it possibly being something else.

That said... If I were you, I'd try a different primer - one specifically for first-coating drywall. If it works, problem solved. And it's possible that something is screwed up with the primer you have (yes, that does happen on occasion). 

If the different primer does NOT adhere, then there just about has to be something wrong with the drywall mud you used. It's not likely, but I'm sure there are screwed up batches of mud that go out periodically.


Good luck!


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## Will22 (Feb 1, 2011)

It sounds like the mud had several days to cure, which is vital so that it is not re-wetted when coated with a latex primer (water-based). Hard to tell if something is wrong with the compound. In some cases, an oil-based primer is used.


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

DrHicks said:


> First of all, if you were using a Behr paint product, virtually everyone here would be screaming about the paint, and not even _thinking_ about it possibly being something else.
> 
> if he were using behr, we would know the reason why the product is failing and there would be no need to think it is possibly something else.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

mustangmike3789 said:


> DrHicks said:
> 
> 
> > First of all, if you were using a Behr paint product, virtually everyone here would be screaming about the paint, and not even _thinking_ about it possibly being something else.
> ...


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## mustangmike3789 (Apr 10, 2011)

DrHicks said:


> mustangmike3789 said:
> 
> 
> > Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...
> ...


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## emmi (Nov 3, 2012)

Holy cow, I registered just to comment. I have this problem in two different areas of the house from two unrelated jobs done by contractors. That quick mix joint compound the contractors love so much (I used the pre mix stuff and never have this issue) seems to have a surface like teflon in some spots. I prime it and come back and the entire surface of primer will slide off like a skin. It's not wet, it's been cured for literally years. The contractors think I'm nuts. Just reading your message makes me feel better. 

I found an old 5 gallon bucket left by the previous owners full of formeldehyde based paint. I used that. Seems to stick to anything. The spot is in an out of the way area near an inset light. I just don't touch it.


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