When you install fresh drywall, it's tempting to jump straight to painting. After all, fresh surfaces are a blank canvas, right? Uh, not quite. Before that first coat goes on, primer is a must.

Dear James: We remodeled our bathroom and tried to do the drywalling ourselves. There is shadowing by the joints, and it seems worse at night. Shadowing is not a condition that resulted from you not ...

Key Points The best thing you can do for a smoother, faster base is pick the right type of primer.There are specialty primers for drywall, mold, exteriors, and more.Prepping lightly, tinting primer, ...