Can you use pva primer on painted walls

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) drywall primer and sealer, designed for use on new, unpainted Sheetrock, seals the untreated wall’s porous surface and provides a clean slate for the topcoat. Using a product designed for drywall ensures a professional-looking finished paint job.

About PVA Drywall Primer

PVA is a man-made resin created by the polymerization of vinyl acetate, according to Britannica. When added to water-based latex paints, it primes and seals drywall, preparing the surface for paint and reducing the number of topcoats needed. Drywall is porous. The sticky resin in PVA primer seals the pores and leaves a uniform surface for the topcoat to adhere to. PVA primer dries quickly, reducing the waiting time for topcoats.

Having the drywall primer tinted to complement the topcoat can eliminate the need for multiple applications of the final color. One caveat – glossy paint finishes do not work well with PVA-treated primer. One gallon of drywall primer typically covers 300 to 400 square feet.

You can use PVA primer on painted walls, but you don’t need to. Primer isn’t needed on painted walls that are clean and free of stains and scuffs. However, if you’re painting over a dark color with a light color, priming reduces the number of coats of paint you’ll need to hide dark colors or patterns. Standard primer should also be used on wood, masonry, stained surfaces and when painting over wallpaper.

Applying PVA Primer

Before you begin, make sure the surface is clear of dust and loose dirt. Use a soft, damp cloth to wipe down the wall, so no particles remain that could blister or interfere with the primer’s adhesive qualities. Cover exposed nail and screw heads with joint compound and sand them smooth.

Drywall primer can be applied with a roller, sprayer or brush. After covering the floor with dropcloths and taping woodwork and joints, use the same technique as you would use with any other paint. If you’re using a sprayer, the tip size should be .017 inch to .021 inch with a 60-mesh filter.

Check the paint can for drying time. For some primers, it’s as little as 30 minutes under ideal conditions of 50 percent humidity and 77 degrees Fahrenheit air temperature. Poor ventilation, low temperatures and high humidity affect drying time, so wait a couple of hours before painting.

Since PVC drywall primer is water based, cleanup is easy with soap and water.

Drywall Primer Tips

John Golamco, product manager at KILZ, explains that it’s not uncommon for a primer coat to appear uneven or for a stain to show through. Primer creates a uniform surface for the topcoat to adhere to. A coat or two of paint over the primer should hide any light stains. While it’s unlikely that new drywall will have severe stains, consider using a standard primer formulated to block stains if they’re present.

A PVA drywall primer and sealer product is designed to cover in one coat. It should be used only when the temperature is between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If the ceiling of the room is also new drywall, use PVA drywall primer before painting with ceiling paint.

Most drywall primers are low in volatile organic compounds, or VOC, that are released into the air when paint dries. Some people experience mild to severe headaches, breathing difficulties, nausea or dizziness when exposed to VOC. Check the paint can's label for the words “Low VOC” or “No VOC.”

Can you use pva primer on painted walls

Priming is one of the most important steps in achieving a high-quality and attractive paint job, but it’s often overlooked and undervalued. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast painting up a bedroom in your home, an amateur painter embarking on a career journey, or a professional painter with decades under your belt, knowing your primers is one of the most important parts of your job.

Maybe you just finished sanding your fresh drywall and it’s ready for the first coat of primer. Or, perhaps you’re painting over an existing color in a room and you’re trying to decide what primer is best for your needs. Either way, you’re probably looking at PVA and drywall primer and wondering, what’s the difference? But by the end of this article, you’ll have your answer.

Can you use pva primer on painted walls

Overview of PVA Primer:

Can you use pva primer on painted walls
Image Credit By: CC0 Public Domain, pxhere

PVA primer is intended to seal up the pores in porous surfaces so that they’re ready to accept paint. When you use PVA primer, it turns the porous surface into a paintable one, allowing you to paint it with fewer coats, and resulting in a more even finish when the paint is dry.

What Does PVA Stand For?

PVA is an acronym that stands for Poly Vinyl Acetate. But what is poly vinyl acetate and how does it work in primer? This rubbery substance is a synthetic polymer seals over any tiny holes in the surface you apply it to, creating a solid surface for the paint to adhere to. It’s precisely this poly vinyl acetate that separates PVA primer from paint. It will adhere much better to porous surfaces that would simply absorb regular paint.

What is PVA Primer Good For?

PVA primer is the ideal compound to coat porous surfaces with before applying paint. It’s great for many types of unfinished materials, such as sheetrock, plaster, masonry, and more. However, it’s not a stain blocker. It won’t cover over stains or colorations in the base material. It’s also not effective as a wood sealer, so it’s not a great choice for use on raw wood.

Pros

  • Helps to seal unfinished surfaces
  • Works on a variety of materials
  • Allows paint to adhere
  • Reduces the number of topcoats required

Cons

  • Doesn’t block stains or coloration
  • Can’t seal pores as large as raw wood

Can you use pva primer on painted walls

Overview of Drywall Primer:

Can you use pva primer on painted walls
Credit: Prapat Aowsakorn, Shutterstock

Drywall primer seems pretty self-explanatory. It’s a primer meant for drywall. But is that the full story? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Drywall Primer?

Drywall primer fulfills the same purpose that all primers do; it covers a surface that’s going to be painted, reducing the number of topcoats necessary to achieve a uniform look. Drywall primer is specifically meant for use on drywall, which is a porous material that’s covered in tiny holes. This primer has a special polymer in it that helps to fill and seal those holes, helping to prepare the drywall for paint. Without this coat of drywall primer, the paint would just be absorbed by the fresh drywall, requiring many additional coats to achieve a decent finished product.

Why Use Drywall Primer?

The main reason to use drywall primer is that it will seal up the holes in fresh drywall much faster than paint. This will save you time by reducing the number of coats you must apply, and it will save you money by enabling you to get the wall painted with less material.

Can Drywall Primer be Used on Other Surfaces?

Drywall primer is meant for drywall, right? It’s in the name, after all. But if you look closer, most drywall primers are actually made for use with several other materials, including brick, masonry, plaster, stucco, and sometimes even wood. That said, it can’t block stains, and often doesn’t have the ability to seal larger pores like what you find in raw woods.

Pros

  • Reduces the total number of coats it takes to paint drywall
  • Seals the pores in fresh drywall
  • Great for use on many other materials

Cons

  • Not usually a great choice for sealing raw wood
  • Doesn’t block stains

PVA Primer vs Drywall Primer: Is There a Difference?

If you look carefully, you might notice that the pros and cons list for drywall primer and PVA primer are quite similar. Look a bit closer still and you’re likely to realize that drywall primers are all PVA primers because they are, in fact, the same thing. Drywall primers are a PVA primer that’s marketed specifically for drywall, though they’re able to be used on any type of surface that PVA is a good fit for. This means that neither choice is better; they’re exactly the same.

Can you use pva primer on painted walls

Conclusion

Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in different terms and marketing ploys. There are so many products on the market that it’s not uncommon to get confused about what’s what. In this case, PVA primer and drywall primer are the same product, intended for the same use. So, get whichever one offers you a better deal. Most products will list directly on the can or bucket that they’re both!


Featured Image Credit: CC0 Public Domain, pxhere

Contents

  • 1 Overview of PVA Primer:
    • 1.1 What Does PVA Stand For?
    • 1.2 What is PVA Primer Good For?
  • 2 Overview of Drywall Primer:
    • 2.1 What is Drywall Primer?
    • 2.2 Why Use Drywall Primer?
    • 2.3 Can Drywall Primer be Used on Other Surfaces?
  • 3 PVA Primer vs Drywall Primer: Is There a Difference?
  • 4 Conclusion

Can you use PVA as a paint primer?

If you are thinking of using PVA as a primer or sealer on any surface – DON'T!

Can you primer over painted walls?

You can use a primer to thoroughly cover the old color, then apply 1 or 2 coats of the new paint. Paint & primer in one paints are a newer option, which could be ideal for your situation and even shorten the project.

Can you put PVA on paint?

Yes you can. All the PVA will is bond to the paint you already have on the walls and will help the new coat of paint bond as well, Just make sure any flaking paint is taken off if any. You may want to water the PVA down with water.

When should I use PVA primer?

KILZ® PVA DRYWALL PRIMER is designed for use on new drywall. It is a fast drying, interior water-based primer formulated to prime and seal new, uncoated drywall and reduce the number of topcoats required to achieve a uniform, professional quality finish. Designed for use under flat and low sheen paints only.