# My Drywall dilema



## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Let me start by asking how old the house is?? Joint compound and ceiling spray had asbestos in it until the mid 1970's. With that in mind, sanding with an orbital sander will take a long time. Go to a rental place and rent a Porter Cable Drywall sander with the vacuum. You can use it on the ceiling too once you get the main texture scraped off. Bear in mind it will take a lot of sandpaper on the painted surface as it tends to clog quickly. You'll still need to skim coat to get things half way smooth before you re-texture. Sorry, but I don't know where to direct you to samples of textures. In this area, almost everything is "slick" finish. Ceiling texture is the norm in older houses, but only spray (popcorn) or stipple. No wall texture. Flat is way easier to patch should the need arise! 
Best of luck!


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## jholt29 (Jul 27, 2008)

*Drywall Dilema*

There are several techniques that could solve your problem. Look in the drywall category on this website and you'll probably have your answer:

Do It Yourself Today.


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## l1r (Apr 2, 2008)

bjbatlanta said:


> Let me start by asking how old the house is?? Joint compound and ceiling spray had asbestos in it until the mid 1970's. With that in mind, sanding with an orbital sander will take a long time. Go to a rental place and rent a Porter Cable Drywall sander with the vacuum. You can use it on the ceiling too once you get the main texture scraped off. Bear in mind it will take a lot of sandpaper on the painted surface as it tends to clog quickly. You'll still need to skim coat to get things half way smooth before you re-texture. Sorry, but I don't know where to direct you to samples of textures. In this area, almost everything is "slick" finish. Ceiling texture is the norm in older houses, but only spray (popcorn) or stipple. No wall texture. Flat is way easier to patch should the need arise!
> Best of luck!


House was built in 1956. I am almost certain texture had asbestos, that's why I'm trying to soak it in water before I scrape, so I don't get much/any dust. I think I kinda got a hang of it on the ceiling (a big part was done on Saturday) with a big water sprayer (the kind you pump the pressure into first and then it sprays). That worked much better than a tiny little hand sprayer. Walls are still in progress. They are painted with what looks like gloss or semi gloss, so water does not penetrate through the paint.
I was thinking getting a big jug of paint thinner and working over the walls with that to get some paint off and then water and scraper to get texture off. Any thought on that?
My life just isn't adventurous enough with the rest of the remodel so I had to make it harder with texture changing


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

You may need to go to the paint forum on that one. I don't know how well it would work. I don't think I'd want to try it.


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## l1r (Apr 2, 2008)

bjbatlanta said:


> You may need to go to the paint forum on that one. I don't know how well it would work. I don't think I'd want to try it.


Would I be better off texturing right over existing stuff? And can I even texture over existing paint? I'm thinking a coat to smooth everything out, let it dry for a while and another coat of my spanish knife or whatever I'll manage to do... That would be easier...


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

You could certainly put a coat or two of mud over the existing texture and get it at least "semi" smooth before doing another texture. How smooth it would need to be would depend on what you go back with. You wouldn't want the old stuff to "telegraph" through. I'd recommend at least two coats (one coat horizontal, one coat vertical). Of course, going to all that trouble it probably just would be a matter of one more "tight" skim and a sanding and you're back to smooth walls. Depends mostly on your finishing ability (and if you really want texture again or not). Be sure to thin your mud.


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## l1r (Apr 2, 2008)

bjbatlanta said:


> You could certainly put a coat or two of mud over the existing texture and get it at least "semi" smooth before doing another texture. How smooth it would need to be would depend on what you go back with. You wouldn't want the old stuff to "telegraph" through. I'd recommend at least two coats (one coat horizontal, one coat vertical). Of course, going to all that trouble it probably just would be a matter of one more "tight" skim and a sanding and you're back to smooth walls. Depends mostly on your finishing ability (and if you really want texture again or not). Be sure to thin your mud.


So semi-gloss paint won't matter? Do I need to prime walls before I apply a new coat of texture? 
I just want to smooth it out. I've seen it done and thought it looked a lot better. Wish I had a picture to show... all walls are basically smooth and here and there you get a round swirl (180 degrees or so). Didn't look like it was too complicated to make either.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Though I'm not a paint expert, I believe you would need to prime with a Kilz or Zinzer primer first. Drywall compound is more or less a latex base product. While I've patched and blended to "gloss" type paints without problems, I think "glazing" the entire surface would require sealing with a suitable primer to ensure proper bond. Again, the paint forum may be the best place to get a definitive answer. If memory serves me, you can use oil over latex but not the reverse.


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## Big Bob (Jul 27, 2007)

sounds like you are on the correct path to get the results you want.
"Fresh Start" would be my recommendation for a primer. It covers most anything, and will provide an A+ bond able surface to your next application.

The ceiling popcorn was not a 1956 thing... done to hide some cracks sometime later is my bet.

Stay in period for the house... sand texture...smooth...crows-foot...swirl...
it looks silly to try to be something your not...have fun and enjoy your project..


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