as nasty as kilz (or any other oil based / shellac based primer ) is, if you can deal with the smell and/or evacuate for a few hours, it will give a nice, flat, well-sealed surface, as the previous poster recommended, and keep the moisture away from the drywall and mud.

happy trails!

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."