Kilz Painting Tips for Brand New Drywall

Priming and Sealing

• Kilz recommends priming and sealing new drywall with its "General Purpose Interior Primer." The company says this is designed to deal specifically with decorating problems caused by "surface texture and porosity differences." It provides a foundation for either latex or oil-based top paint, and can be painted over just one hour after application. The primer has the added advantage of also being suitable for woodwork. This means you can prime your new drywall, baseboards and trim in one go.

Preparing the Drywall

• Kilz says any filling or other remedial work you have to carry out on your new drywall must be completed before you apply General Purpose Interior Primer. If you do have to fill holes, sand the filler level with the rest of the wall as soon as it is dry. Remove all dust from the surface, using the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Wash the drywall with a mildew-removing detergent, and rinse it thoroughly. It is important to allow the wall to become completely dry before applying the primer. Prepare any adjoining surfaces being painted that are not new drywall in the same way.

Applying the Primer

• Kilz General Purpose Primer is applied to all surfaces being painted, even if some of these surfaces are not new drywall and are already painted. The company says this ensures uniformity of appearance when the topcoat has dried. The primer becomes touch-dry within half an hour, and can be painted over 60 minutes after application. It can also be tinted with up to 2 ounces of universal colorant per gallon. Kilz recommends tinting General Purpose Primer to a lighter shade than the paint you plan to apply on top of it.

Choosing a Sheen

• When it comes to choosing a paint to go on top of the primer, Kilz says the right sheen is "both a practical and a design decision." In the section of its website focusing on its "Expressions Gallery" paint brand, the company recommends you decide on the importance of "washability" and "scrubbability." This will depend on the location of the drywall being painted, as well as the type of look you want to achieve.

Types of Sheen

• Kilz describes five different finishes that can be used on new drywall. "Interior Flat" gives a matte finish. It is washable, and ideal for medium-traffic areas. "Interior Eggshell" gives a "low luster, scrubbable finish" and is also suitable for medium-traffic areas. "Interior Satin" gives a "pearl-like finish" and is stain-resistant. This make it ideal for high-traffic areas of your home. The finish of "Interior Semi-Gloss" is described as "sleek" and "super-scrubbable." "Hi-Gloss" gives a "glass-like" finish with "maximum scrubbability."

Paint Application

• Kilz "Expressions Gallery" paints are applied using a brush, roller or sprayer. They become touch-dry in two hours, and can be recoated in four hours, although in very cool conditions, drying may take longer. Kilz says that in some cases more than one coat may be required to provide even coverage, and to hide the primer underneath.