Can I apply joint compound over drywall primed with PVA?

Question

I hung drywall ceiling in my basement. I got impatient/lazy and decided to "finish" the project already by painting it with Kilz PVA Drywall Primer, even if the mudding & taping is not perfect yet.

I would say some taped joints need one more layer of mud & light sanding to be completely hidden (especially the outside corners with the CGC Perfect 90 tape (If I used normal folded paper tape, It would've shown less).

I haven't painted it with Latex. The primer is white and flat, which I think looks OK for now.

Should I decide to "fix" it, can I mud over the PVA primer?

Being a hack taper myself I've fixed my work after priming many times. It's never been a problem. — isherwood, Jan 27 '17 at 20:52

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 27 '17 at 22:28

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You can absolutely mud over cured primer. (Or cured finish paint, for that matter.)

Use all purpose mud (not a setting compound) and scuff the primer gently with 120 grit.

answered Jan 27 '17 at 22:28

Aloysius Defenestrate

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Why do you say to not use a setting compound? I'd expect it to work as well there as in other situations. – isherwood Jun 23 '20 at 18:30
Suggested AP because this is supposed to be the last skim, and hot mud is harder to sand (and get that perfect feathered edge). – Aloysius Defenestrate Jun 24 '20 at 11:33

score -2 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 27 '17 at 20:40

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Polyvinyl acetate dissolves in water and the mud is water based too. There is a possibility of the mud detaching and falling off. (Happens all the time) I would recommend sealing in the primer with a waterproof latex with texture. The texture will help the mud adhere better.

answered Jan 27 '17 at 20:40

Michael Markham

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If that was the case, wouldn't the primer dissolve with the application latex paint and discolor it? – isherwood Jan 27 '17 at 22:16
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Cured primer does not dissolve in water. Period. – Aloysius Defenestrate Jan 27 '17 at 22:26

score -2 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 23 '20 at 17:15

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Kilz PVA Drywall Primer is a product to be sold to amateurs that have no clue how drywall should be finished. It is not a cure all. The product can be utilized by spraying it on preexisting drywall to ensure the compound adheres the wallboard. Exp. if one wants to remove a textured ceiling and wants to apply joint compound afterward I would suggest using it to insure the compound adheres to the wallboard instead of "flaking" after the paint prime coat has been applied.

answered Jun 23 '20 at 17:15

Muddauber

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Reading around the "rant", is seems like your answer is "yes, you can mud directly over the Kilz". Am I reading this correctly? If so, it would be good if you [edit]ed your answer to state that clearly and remove the opinion parts. If you'll take the [tour] and read through the [help] you'll find that this site is different from most in that we're looking for authoritative answers, and "rants" are explicitly off-topic. – FreeMan Jun 23 '20 at 17:24
Also, this is a 3 year old question, and your answer doesn't really add any additional info to the upvoted answer which says the same thing - "Yes" you can mud over it. – FreeMan Jun 23 '20 at 17:35

Can I apply joint compound over drywall primed with PVA?

3 Answers3