Handling and Storage

Boards should be stacked  flat  on a smooth level surface, but not stored directly on concrete floors.  When spacers are used, position them closely enough together to minimize warpage.  Care should be taken to prevent damage to edges and corners.  Always keep them dry prior to installation. 

Painting Gypsum Board

Proper products and techniques for painting gypsum board must be used to attain a quality level of finish on interior surfaces. A variety of factors in the painting process affect the creation of a pleasing finish. Recommendations of paint manufacturers vary greatly; therefore, specific recommendations of the manufacturer of the paint or other coating material shall be followed when those recommendations are more stringent than the general specifications provided here.

Preparation

Gypsum board surfaces to receive paint shall be properly prepared before paint can be applied. The proper level of gypsum board finish shall be specified and completed prior to painting. The selected level of finish will vary with the final decoration to be applied, location of the surface within the building, and type and angle of both natural and artificial lighting expected.

General Recommendations

All properly prepared gypsum board surfaces which are to be painted shall be primed with a minimum of one coat of a high quality latex primer (or other material manufactured especially for the purpose) to equalize the absorption between the gypsum board face paper, joint compound, and skim coating materials. Alkyd-based primers shall not be used as the first coat over gypsum board. The recommendation of the primer manufacturer shall be followed; however, the minimum dry film thickness of the primer shall be not less than 1.0 mil (0.025mm). The number of coats of finish paint and the total dry film thickness of the finish coat(s) depends upon the paint being used. The paint manufacturer's recommendations on total dry film thickness shall be followed. Note that the total dry film thicknesses recommended by some paint manufacturers may or may not include the primer thickness. Air circulation shall be provided to properly dry the paint within the time frame specified by the paint manufacturer.