[uklapps]

Hi all. Our new sheet rock is up and almost close to being finished.

I wondered what the consensus was on whether to prime and paint behind the cabinets or not.

Looking at various progress blogs, it looks like some people had painted the walls before hanging the cabinets but others had not.

So do I leave just plain Sheetrock with the sanded down plaster on the joins or should I actually go ahead and prime the walls and give them a coat of paint in the finishing paint we will be using?

Thanks for your input, oh and if anyone can help with regards to my post on the 12" pull outs and which hole the bottom drawer rail goes in.....I'd appreciate it as I have the cabinet half assembled in the garage right now.

Ken

[animes2k]

We chose to prime and paint behind the cabinets to keep from having to "cut in" around the cabinets and possibly get paint/primer on the cabinets themselves. I think as a time- and effort-saving solution it works. You'll get a much smoother look a lot more easily by rolling on the paint all over the wall, instead of having to roll small, possibly awkward areas and finish with a brush.

[uklapps]

But would you do the whole wall or maybe just inside a few inches to avoid the cutting in?

[fisheggs]

You definitely want to at least prime the drywall, I've heard from a number of sources that unpainted drywall can absorb a lot of moisture and is more prone to mold issues late on.

[animes2k]

Originally Posted by uklapps

But would you do the whole wall or maybe just inside a few inches to avoid the cutting in?

We did the whole wall. I wouldn't want to try and draw out where the cabinets are going and then miss areas... I guess it depends on your plan and how accurate that is.

At the very least, you want to prime the drywall well - it serves to fill the pores of the paper, seal against moisture (somewhat - moreso if you use a sealing/moisture-resistant primer) and also helps to keep the drywall from developing mold/mildew/other stuff that will easily soak into the exposed paper. I'd also think the drywall mud on the seams will hold up better with a sealant/primer over it.

Something we didn't think to do, but probably should have is to have used that moisture-resistant primer on our kitchen wall, since we used it on other walls!

[climber_grrl]

We also did what animes2K did. I personally don't think it makes sense to leave an unfinished part of any room considering how much time and effort I go into designing it.

Of course my DH is about to kill me 'cause I'm being a stickler about all the cutouts we have to make in the back of the cabs. Even if it's hidden I want it to be as close to perfect as possible.

	DH definition DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).