# prep before texture



## D's

Hey guys

Just trying to streamline my texturing prep. and wondering what's best practice.

Presently, I sand and touch up ceiling after second coat, mask off walls, prime ceiling, spray texture, remove masking, then polish coat and sand walls if smooth finish.

What's the best way/material to mask? Any way to reduce masking materials or time? My prime coat sometimes still comes out a little thin so am also wondering if I should also mix in some compound?

Many thanks,
D'S


----------



## DSJOHN

Depends on your primer and your method[spray or roll?] ,cheapass primer wont get you anywhere,but glad to see you prime first.I always finish my jobs completely before texture,if you,re working alone,spraying and scraping is tough,but it can be done. JOHN


----------



## betterdrywall

Not sure if there is anything you can do to improve upon,, are you using the plastic that can be run in a masking machine? that would save some time. Change the primer like John said I think your ok.


----------



## Custom Drywall Svc.

You know, we never prime walls before texturing.

Well, let me rephrase that, we only do this for high-end, demanding jobs, but generally, I feel that if the finishing and sanding is good enough (as it should be), then a primer step before texturing is simply not necessary and just adds more to your job cost -- just my take of course.

We do a standard level 4, make sure its sanded proper, then proceed to texture. This is all assuming a spray-texture of course.

I've rarely, rarely had problems with joint-photographing or flashing.

However, if you do primer before texturing, this of course can't hurt, and 'good for you' because your job WILL look that much better.

Just for how my company operates though, this is generally an unnecessary step to include as 'standard procedure.'

Knocking this step out of your process will definitely streamline your texturing much faster. Why mess with all the masking, etc?


----------



## florida drywall

I agree, priming before texture is not needed, so long as the finishing is done good.

For ceilings with knock down we do a level 3 finish, walls get a level 4.

For a level 5 we bring every thing to a good level 4 with wet sanding and moping the dust off the walls and then apply Magnum Level Coat or USG Tuff Hide for the level 5 finish.


----------



## D's

So after the texture is applied does the painter come in and prime and paint over top?

From what I've seen up here textures are left unpainted meaning everything needs to be primed before texture.

I've got one of the 3M Fast Maskers and use 4' wide film - do they make 8' wide?

I hear of guys just stapling up plastic to the walls but then they need to patch the holes after.


----------



## betterdrywall

D's: Most generally that is the case,but,,,, 99% of the time on new residential,, even on the classy homes,,, primer is left out by the painter. 
My company does proved a quality texture finish,, but if there is a bad painter coming in behind me.. the finish is shot all to hell. 
I used to get into arguments with the super's and builders,, all the time,, not anymore.. I don't care.. My job is done and finished... I can't have anymore say,,and they don't argue much anymore.. they know I am right. 
At one time I was wanting to involve myself with painting as well as complete drywall.. but it is just too much of an animal for me to keep up with.. I will prime when requested, or required, and i have some quality material I use for the jobs. Like the old saying goes,, No pay, No play.


----------



## florida drywall

It stats in all my contracts, if a quality primer is not used, my drywall warranty is void, what ever happens with the final look of the job is the painters problem.


----------



## azzopf

*Q here cuz I can't find how to start new thread!*

I'm been working part time for a number of years doing small remodeling jobs for friends, family and some others. I've thought of getting out of my full time work and buying old houses and fixing them up and reselling them. But in the meantime, short of working for a drywaller at a beginners wage, I want to learn. 

I'm looking for a better order of doing things since I never worked for or with a professional drywaller, just learned on my own and via web. I think you have to be a bit of an artist, but have some correct fundamentals for success...I put up drywall, tape wall corners, mesh tape flat sections, and screw in metal corner in doorways, but sometimes the cornering has a high edge here and there, sometimes I have to blend things a bit, and I know I take much more time than it should plastering and sanding in those unusual places. I grind off some pieces of metal sticking up to high, but the sanding, replastering process is a bit rough sometimes. Maybe it's easier in all new construction, but redoing existing seems to require more blending.

I've tried primering over when I'm mostly done so I could see the uneven spots better and then just fill in with plaster and re-primer, but with the hard primer shell, it seems tougher to blend if I see a bigger anomaly, like a shadow from where there is an uneven line in the wall, where it looks fine straight on, but say a flat surface over a sink where I'm putting a fluorescent light under the cabinets, and that light flat against the wall shows a slight raised line where there was a drywall seam...I don't know if that wording explains it well...but if there's a small indent, I can fill, sand, reprimer and be done. If I've primer over a raised spot, the primer has a hard shell and it is harder to sand than just plaster, and maybe I just need to back off to a tougher grade of sandpaper, but I worry that it's going to rip things up and so I sand and fill, sand and fill, and until I get some piece of logic in my thinking right, it's going to keep taking too long on those fine finishing spots. I'm fairly quick, but I get bogged down on those things, and if I want to take on more aggressive projects, I need to get faster.

Any suggestions?


----------



## florida drywall

I am a little confused, are you plastering with real plaster, or are you using drywall mud start to finish on the job? Plastering and drywall finishing are 2 different things and materials.


----------



## azzopf

*clarification*

drywall mud from start to finish.


----------



## florida drywall

azzopf said:


> drywall mud from start to finish.


 
How long have you been finishing? I have never heard off or seen any finisher go though all that extra work. What is the #1 problem you are running into? And how uneven are these spots? What level of finish are you trying to achieve? And last what color and what is the finish gloss, semi gloss, egg shell, flat?


----------

