Diminishing Texture on Walls

llorear · 12-31-2011, 01:29 PM

We recently bought a house built in 1956 & all of the vertical walls have a swirl textured pattern & we don’t want to hire someone to skim the walls, but would like just to diminish the swirls. It has been suggested to me to thin joint compound with water to the consistency of paint and then “paint” the walls with this mixture. Let dry & then paint with the desired color.

If anyone had any experience with this or other method to diminish the texture on walls, I would appreciate learning of your experience. Thanks.

Brushjockey · 12-31-2011, 02:44 PM

Sorry to say- skimming is the way to go. Just because you don't want to do it doesn't mean it isn't the right way.
If you roll mud on , you will get a weird tipped roller stipple- it will not lay flat.
Do a test on a piece of primed sheetrock- no need to believe me.

joecaption · 12-31-2011, 02:48 PM

What a mess that would make with it thined that thin.
Shim coat, go over it with 1/4" sheetrock, or leave it.

chrisn · 12-31-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

What a mess that would make with it thined that thin.
Shim coat, go over it with 1/4" sheetrock, or leave it.

sKim

Gymschu · 12-31-2011, 06:36 PM

Do a search, there's literally dozens of threads on DIYchatroom about this very topic. You can roll the thinned down joint compound onto the wall, BUT, you will have to skim it with a broad knife to smooth it down. You will have some ridges but don't worry too much about those. When dry, you can scrape or sand the ridges smooth. More than likely you will have to apply TWO coats of mud to properly hide the old swirls. I won't lie.......this is one heckuva a messy job.

Faron79 · 01-01-2012, 12:36 PM

DEFINITELY agree with Skimming!!!

>>> BUT...Vacuum & wash the walls first!!!!

* Use your bristle-brush attachment on your Shop-Vac.
* Lotsa dust/dirt can be lodged in all those swirl-valleys!
* When dust is removed, wash the walls with a weak POWDERED Dirtex solution. For THIS kind of texture, LIGHTLY scrub with a soft-bristled scrub-brush.
* Let dry a day.

>>> NOW....prime all your walls that you wish to "smooth".
* Skim-coat will hold nicely to primer, and you'll now have the ideal substrate for it.....meaning CLEAN & PRIMED.
* I'd HIRE the skimming done!! It takes a practiced hand to really make a wall look nice...WITHOUT APPLYING EXCESS MUD

.
* Another important point: Final sanding is minimized if you don't have to sand back a heavy-handed mud layer!!!
* When final-sanding is done, vacuum-off ALL dust. Use a FINE-DUST filter-bag for this!!
* Lightly sponge-rinse any remaining dust. Change water often.

>>> Do a final priming when wall is dry. A skimmed wall is waaaayyy to thirsty to just paint over!! MY first choice for primer here is Zinsser 123. Much better hold-out than a cheap PVA/Drywall-class primer! ACE's "Enamel-Undercoater" is another good choice.

>>> I've always said...a well done wall-skim-job can add $$$value to a home, & is always worth the investment!

>>> Picture 2 identical homes....one with horrid old texture. The other with nicely-done skimmed walls. GUESS which one will PROBABLY sell faster

!!

Faron

12-31-2011, 01:29 PM	#1
llorear Newbie Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1	Diminishing Texture on Walls We recently bought a house built in 1956 & all of the vertical walls have a swirl textured pattern & we don’t want to hire someone to skim the walls, but would like just to diminish the swirls. It has been suggested to me to thin joint compound with water to the consistency of paint and then “paint” the walls with this mixture. Let dry & then paint with the desired color. If anyone had any experience with this or other method to diminish the texture on walls, I would appreciate learning of your experience. Thanks.

12-31-2011, 02:44 PM	#2
Brushjockey Rubbin walls since'79 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mn Posts: 2,426	Diminishing Texture on Walls Sorry to say- skimming is the way to go. Just because you don't want to do it doesn't mean it isn't the right way. If you roll mud on , you will get a weird tipped roller stipple- it will not lay flat. Do a test on a piece of primed sheetrock- no need to believe me. __________________ "It's better to come here with questions before you screw up than to come here after and ask how to fix them."- JS

12-31-2011, 02:48 PM	#3
joecaption Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Hartfield VA Posts: 18,840	Diminishing Texture on Walls What a mess that would make with it thined that thin. Shim coat, go over it with 1/4" sheetrock, or leave it.

12-31-2011, 06:36 PM	#5
Gymschu Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Eastern Ohio (heart of Appalachia) Posts: 1,759	Diminishing Texture on Walls Do a search, there's literally dozens of threads on DIYchatroom about this very topic. You can roll the thinned down joint compound onto the wall, BUT, you will have to skim it with a broad knife to smooth it down. You will have some ridges but don't worry too much about those. When dry, you can scrape or sand the ridges smooth. More than likely you will have to apply TWO coats of mud to properly hide the old swirls. I won't lie.......this is one heckuva a messy job.

01-01-2012, 12:36 PM	#6
Faron79 Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 295	Diminishing Texture on Walls DEFINITELY agree with Skimming!!! >>> BUT...Vacuum & wash the walls first!!!! * Use your bristle-brush attachment on your Shop-Vac. * Lotsa dust/dirt can be lodged in all those swirl-valleys! * When dust is removed, wash the walls with a weak POWDERED Dirtex solution. For THIS kind of texture, LIGHTLY scrub with a soft-bristled scrub-brush. * Let dry a day. >>> NOW....prime all your walls that you wish to "smooth". * Skim-coat will hold nicely to primer, and you'll now have the ideal substrate for it.....meaning CLEAN & PRIMED. * I'd HIRE the skimming done!! It takes a practiced hand to really make a wall look nice...WITHOUT APPLYING EXCESS MUD. * Another important point: Final sanding is minimized if you don't have to sand back a heavy-handed mud layer!!! * When final-sanding is done, vacuum-off ALL dust. Use a FINE-DUST filter-bag for this!! * Lightly sponge-rinse any remaining dust. Change water often. >>> Do a final priming when wall is dry. A skimmed wall is waaaayyy to thirsty to just paint over!! MY first choice for primer here is Zinsser 123. Much better hold-out than a cheap PVA/Drywall-class primer! ACE's "Enamel-Undercoater" is another good choice. >>> I've always said...a well done wall-skim-job can add $$$value to a home, & is always worth the investment! >>> Picture 2 identical homes....one with horrid old texture. The other with nicely-done skimmed walls. GUESS which one will PROBABLY sell faster!! Faron

Diminishing Texture on Walls