Drywall Fun!

[DonJuan692006]

Ladies and germs, I need some help! My house has this stupid texturing throughout. I've done some searching and it seems my only option aside from replacing the drywall is the sand down the bumps and skim coat to get the walls back smooth. I wanted to see if anyone here had any other ideas. Thanks in advance!

[Nathan]

I would just get new drywall because it is so cheap. That or skim coat. I think scrpeing and sanding would take too long.

[vobro]

In order to skim coat you'll have to knock down the existing finish, I've used a palm sander to save my arm. Are you experienced in taping? If not skim coating is a lot like applying a wax or sealant in that you want to do thin coats while you build up the compound or if applied to thick it will be troublesome. If you go the topping the wall route and have doors or windows you'll need a finishing bead (L- bead or J channel) to finish it where it bumps the trim. If you tear off the existing drywall you'll have to take off the base and casing trim and reapply after. Either way it's a time consuming job but if you can knock down the "bumps" which is usually a gypsum material and skim coat it will be easier. Just a note if the house was built before the 70's there may be a chance of asbestos or lead paint and if so you definitely don't want to sand

[GXPaycheck]

Try spraying it with a mist of water and scraping it down with a wide drywall tool. It works on ceilings.

[Chadley]

Try spraying it with a mist of water and scraping it down with a wide drywall tool. It works on ceilings.

 

If the texture is joint compound the spray bottle will work, scrape off with a dry wall knife not a putty knife. If the texture is plaster then skim coat.

[DonJuan692006]

Thanks for the input! It almost looks like they sprayed on the popcorn texture and used a wide drywall knife to fan it out. I'm familiar with the skim coating process and know it's going to be labor intensive. Skimming over what's there would take a lot of coats and the beads pop off when I run a drywall knife over them so I think it would come out crappy anyways. Lucky for me, the house was built in '95 so I should be asbestos free. Either way, I have a Shop Vac drywall sander attachment and still plan to wear a mask.

[BluedogGMC]

These work real nice, you use a plastic grocery bag with it and it catches most of the scraped off compound. I am a contractor and have done a few ceilings and two walls with it. Just spray the wall pretty liberally ( I use a pump sprayer) with warm water and let it soak keeping it wet for about a half hour and as long as it does not have 20 coats of paint on it it will scrap off. If it does have a lot of paint then you might have to rub it down with 40 grit sand paper just enough to break the surface of the paint so the water will get under the paint. Wipe with a sponge to clean it up and if you do get any digs in the wall just use compound to repair.  You can get them at Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-Ceiling-Texture-Scraper-for-Popcorn-Ceiling-Removal-6104/202061374

 Good luck.

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by BluedogGMC

[BrianT]

I feel your pain, my house was built in the 50's and the nail pops are killing me. They aren't all the way out, but you (I) can see them. I never use the premix junk. I use the fast set 45. I mix it myself and I feel it does a better job. It's harder and mold doesn't like it!

[BluedogGMC]

I feel your pain, my house was built in the 50's and the nail pops are killing me. They aren't all the way out, but you (I) can see them. I never use the premix junk. I use the fast set 45. I mix it myself and I feel it does a better job. It's harder and mold doesn't like it!

 

Brian, If your nail pops keep returning you have to put a drywall screw next to the nail in the joist or it will always keep popping.

[DonJuan692006]

I've got a 10" one I'm going to try. Unfortunately, most of my walls have several layers of paint, texture, compound, you name it.

 

I had the same nail pop problem. One of my dogs used to get a wild hair and run up and down the stairs, using the wall at the bottom of the stairs to stop. He popped every nail in the stud. A screw about and inch above each nail and it never happened again.

[Bdobas]

Can't tell in your pick, but it almost looks like a sand swirl,

What you described already popcorn fanned out is called orange peel. From what I can tell from your pick I would just skim over it if was a room or 2, but a whole house I would replace drywall.

Drywall finisher here

[LFairbanks]

If that were mine to deal with, this is what I would do.  I would find the biggest belt sander I could get my hands on.  I would start at 100 grit and determine how it works and if I needed more or less grit.  It is going to be dusty.  I buy the mud in the buckets.  I would then add some Palmolive dish soap to the mud and mix it in with my drill.  I usually squirt some across the top and mix down about 10 inches.  I would then get my hands on a 14 inch mud pan and trowel and spread it out.  Sand it down to where it looks decent.  Then in the dark, take a pencil, a flash light and a sanding sponge.  Hold the flash light flat up against the wall with the light shining up and circle all your low points that need more mud and sand your high spots.  Your imperfections will jump out at you.  Repeat the process until your happy.

 

The dish soap thing sounds weird, but it works.  It spreads easier and lessens the chances of getting bubbles in your tape.  When I went to tackle mudding all the drywall in my basement (2k sq. ft.) I asked a guy doing some sheetrock in a house if he had any tricks.  He was specific about Palmolive.  I thought it sounded weird, but a couple days later in another house, I saw some others doing mudding and taping and they had their dish soap too.  The driveways in these houses cost more than most of our houses, no joke.  

 

You may or may not know this, but when you go to paint it you will need to primer it.   

 

Not a contractor, but I did build my own house.  Sub'd some things to speed things along.  When it came time to finish the basement, I did it all except for laying the carpet.  My walls turned out perfect.    

Edited February 24, 2017 by LFairbanks

[DonJuan692006]

Thanks for the extra tips guys. Rehanging all the drywall is out the picture due to cost. I can generate more extra time than I can extra money. I guess I should have been more specific about my ultimate goal. I'm not looking to do a full blown remodel of the house before selling, but I am looking to get it good enough to not have it sit on the market forever. I'm OK with there being low/high spots within reason and I'm not looking for a buttery smooth finish. I this I'm leaning towards the route you recommended Chris with hitting it with a sander and skim coating. I've also read on the tip about Palmolive so I'll give it a try.

[BluedogGMC]

Thanks for the extra tips guys. Rehanging all the drywall is out the picture due to cost. I can generate more extra time than I can extra money. I guess I should have been more specific about my ultimate goal. I'm not looking to do a full blown remodel of the house before selling, but I am looking to get it good enough to not have it sit on the market forever. I'm OK with there being low/high spots within reason and I'm not looking for a buttery smooth finish. I this I'm leaning towards the route you recommended Chris with hitting it with a sander and skim coating. I've also read on the tip about Palmolive so I'll give it a try.

I would at least try the wetting down way maybe even in a small spot. Believe me sanding will clog the sand paper real fast because of the paint and it also makes a mess. Let us know how it turns out.

Edited February 24, 2017 by BluedogGMC

[sahls01gmc]

That looks like quite the task either way.  If you're just going room by room, you could probably just do a skim coat.  New drywall isn't too expensive, and the end result will blow you away.  Worst case, you hang it and then hire a pro to tape and mud.  They're very fast, and do phenomenal work.  I can get that same result as them, although I used probably 3 times the mud (which ends up getting sanded off and depositing dust.....everywhere), and take 10 times as long.

[BrianT]

Brian, If your nail pops keep returning you have to put a drywall screw next to the nail in the joist or it will always keep popping.

I pull every nail out and replace with a Sheetrock screw!

 

Another hit I have is to tint the drywall compound with chalk line chalk!! Put your first coat on white, then your second coat gets tinted, that way you know not only which ones need sanding, and you know you put a second coat on all the white compound! I use blue chalk, my kids called it smurf sparkle! Lol

[DonJuan692006]

I pull every nail out and replace with a Sheetrock screw!

 

Another hit I have is to tint the drywall compound with chalk line chalk!! Put your first coat on white, then your second coat gets tinted, that way you know not only which ones need sanding, and you know you put a second coat on all the white compound! I use blue chalk, my kids called it smurf sparkle! Lol

The tinting is genius. I'll definitely use that one. Thanks man!

[LFairbanks]

If you tint your drywall compound stick with the blue.  Do not use the red.  The red stains.  There is a reason, why they use the red on concrete. I don't tint mine, but I know some do.  

 

In reference to sanding and it clogging up the sand paper, a wire brush, (not a heavy duty one) or an abrasive cleaning stick will help.  I would think problem would be dependent on how new the paint is.  

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/POWERTEC-8-1-2-in-Abrasive-Cleaning-Stick-71002/207210872

Edited February 25, 2017 by LFairbanks