We all know that applying primer to drywall is essential before painting over it. It provides better adhesion to the paint, helps it last longer, and prevents future moisture buildups. But do I need to prime drywall before tiling as well?
Well, according to experts, you must prime your drywall before tiling for a handful of reasons that we’ll share with you in this article. We’ll also give you a few tips on how to properly add primer to your drywall so that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
4 Reasons You Should Prime Your Drywall Before Tiling
There are numerous benefits to priming drywall so that it remains in perfect condition after tiling. Let’s go through each one of them below.
1. Keeps Moisture and Mold at Bay
This is just like the standard practice of applying a sealant to bathroom walls to prevent the buildup of moisture. When you install new drywall, adding primer to it should create a protective layer between the wall and the tiles to stop the gathering of moisture.
No moisture means no chances of mold growth. As you know, mold exposure can affect health negatively, which is why applying primer is crucial when tiling over drywall.
2. Battles the Porosity of Drywall
Drywall is one of the most porous building materials out there. As a result, it will quickly absorb any solvents in the glue that you add over it when you’re ready to tile your wall.
If you don’t use primer before adding the adhesive, the solvents in the glue may undergo several chemical reactions when sticking to the surface. This can result in poor adhesion, which may soon end up with falling tiles.
Fortunately, priming drywall should keep that from happening. This is because the primer prevents the porous material from absorbing the solvent in the glue.
3. Increases the Surface Energy of the Substrate
Most of us like to go for high-strength adhesives to ensure that the tiles will remain in place for as long as possible. However, this can be a disadvantage because these types of adhesive have high surface energy.
Since drywall has lower surface energy in comparison, this could mean trouble for a newly installed wall. The good news is that you can always boost the surface energy of the wall by priming it before tiling. Pretty great, right?
4. Protects the Wall From the Effects of Heat and Sunlight
Another worrisome factor that can jeopardize the performance of your adhesive is heat. When drywall is exposed to sunlight or high temperatures without primer, the adhesive that keeps the tiles in place might become weak.
Luckily, applying primer should preserve the strength of the adhesive because it contains polyvinyl acetate. This ingredient will help keep the bonds between the drywall, adhesive, and tiles tight since it’s quite similar to carpenter’s glue.
A Beginner’s Guide on Priming Drywall to Prepare It for Tiling
Now that you know the importance of using primer on drywall, it’s time for some action. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll inform you on how to prime newly installed drywall properly so that they’re ready for the application of tiles.
Just remember that you’ll have to wait at least a month before you tile fresh drywall. If not, the walls may not be able to endure this new load, which might lead to unwanted results such as cracking or collapsing.
Step 1: Inspect and Seal Drywall
The first thing you should do is to check your drywall thoroughly to make sure that it’s secured firmly to the studs. Once that’s out of the way, use drywall tape and compound to seal any seams that you find. Leave the wall to dry completely.
When it’s dry, sand the areas that you’ve sealed with medium-grit sandpaper and clean up any dust. Since you’re merely going to be tiling and not painting over your walls, the surface doesn’t have to be entirely blemish-free. Still, it must be smooth enough so that the tiles will be even.
Step 2: Wipe and Let Dry
The step after that would be to use a damp cloth to gently wipe the drywall. This should help you get rid of any remaining dust, keeping your work as clean as possible.
When done, let the walls dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Apply Primer to Drywall Walls
Always remember to buy drywall primer specifically to ensure that its performance matches your needs. You’ll also have to buy a paint roller to apply primer to your drywall walls. Now that all the ingredients are here, let the fun begin!
Simply enough, dip the paint roller in the primer until it’s fully loaded. Then, work from top to bottom in 3×3 foot sections. Make sure to roll across the wall back and forth in V or W-shaped strokes until the entire area is covered with primer.
When you’re done, wait until the primer is completely dry before tiling.
Step 4: Tile Your Drywall Walls
Before applying adhesive, take a close look at your drywall walls again after the primer is dry. Make sure that there are no damp spots so that the adhesive sticks properly.
Now, you can add a good layer of adhesive, then tile your walls. Work slowly and plan ahead before putting each tile into place so that you won’t have to take it off later.
Soon enough, you should end up with a magnificent accent wall or backsplash!
Conclusion
“Do I need to prime drywall before tiling?” You might ask this question when renovating a room in your house. No matter what shape or color of the tiles you’ll be using, you must add a layer of primer before attempting to adhere your tiles to drywall.
Primer should protect drywall from mold, mildew, the negative effects of heat, and more. As a result, it will increase the lifespan of your adhesive and help you enjoy your new interior look for as long as possible.
