If the spot primed areas on the ceiling are flashing through, then the only way to fix it is to prime the entire ceiling. Zinnser 123 is a good primer for doing this. The answer to the second question is...yes, spot prime with the wall paint and then apply two full coats.

I think I would move on to someone else. It sounds like this guy has a poor work ethic, as well as being downright strange. I hope you didn't pay out a huge deposit. The extra stress isn't worth the money lost, or the toll on your health. By the way, I found hiring a builder caused WAY more stress than DIY building. My husband and I have built three homes. Two we built with our own sweat. The third we hired a builder. Never again. We sold that house, bought some land, and are in the process of building a log home, ourselves. Fortunately, we know some local trades people, who are wonderful to work with, for the large jobs that we need extra people for. Good luck. I'll be looking for a good cabinet maker also, as the quality of the ready made seems to be poor these days. Sandy

What paint/primer brand and type should I try? I see on Consumer Reports the Behr (Home Depot) Premium Plus Enamel is rated tops and great for for hiding (whatever hiding is). In the last house we had a similar issue with Behr semi gloss paint and the Kilz primer. Not sure if it was the same type of paint but I painted 2 coats of Kilz primer and several coats of semi-gloss white but it was not covering. I gave up after about 5 coats total. The rest of the house had semi gloss painted by the home manufacturer and it looked very nice and cleaned up great (kids). The one room I painted had the flat paint and the texture would come off the walls when you had to clean it. Current house has similar flat paint everywhere and we hate it but can't seem to get the coverage the home builder did in the last house with semi-gloss paints. we're about ready to give up, costs to much time and money to put on 5 coats and still not look good. I'm going to wait at leat a week or more before trying a new primer and paint. Wish me luck!

Moses, thank you very very much. Your advice and time means wonders..I will look into those roses as suggested even try one.. Nippstress, how are you? I appreciate your input too. Yes that is the 'Stainless Steel' rose and I can tell you I love not only the fragrance, but the way the new leaves grow in. Like a deep red burgundy that turns almost brilliant and florescent as it opens. The prettiest looking new growth I have ever seen. So you are welcomed to come and shake my hand..I was concerned about this one. I did not prune that one as much because I couldn't tell the difference between the good one or bad. BUt now I can tell. I will take a second pic. You know, come to think of it, I kind of like my roses short and full as compared to tall and lanky of tall..I am thinking that cutting them back is not so bad after all. Alfalfa? Hum, I will take a look at that. Was confused about one remark. " (in your region you want to keep the mulch away from your canes) to keep in the moisture. " Are you saying that I need to pull the mulch away from the crown? When I originally buried my crowns, I planted them ground level instead of deeper so what I did to make up for that was pile dirt on the crown and then mulch to make them as if they are buried deeper literally raising the soil bed higher without burying them deeper. Altorama....The roots are completely buried by 'soil'...What I did was bury them as deep as they were in the pots they came in. At least what I thought I should of done. So basically the tip of the crown in just about an inch or two under the soil level, not deep enough forcing be to pile more soil on top then mulch.