Help! We have heavily textured walls which catch all the dust. I would like to smooth out the walls, do I use "sheetrock topping joint compound"? Or something else? Do I put this on in thin layers or in one thick layer? This is hard work for an old lady, any advice would be so gratefully received. Thank you!
Jenny

I would go with one thick layer. It will shrink, and you will have to put a second coat on the worst areas. Putting drywall mud on smoothly enough to avoid tedious sanding is an art. You might start by sanding. Use a coarse grit, 40 or 60 open coat. Once you have knocked the worst of the high spots off, finish by filling the low spots left. We are talking a hard messy process.

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Originally Posted by jennifer cummings

Help! We have heavily textured walls which catch all the dust. I would like to smooth out the walls, do I use "sheetrock topping joint compound"? Or something else? Do I put this on in thin layers or in one thick layer? This is hard work for an old lady, any advice would be so gratefully received. Thank you!
Jenny

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Topping joint compound is not really intended for texturing or in this case re-texturing. Buy texturing material in a 40 or 50 pound bag for this job. Mixes readily with water or paint and you'll have no problem with it adhering. Any problems with the topping compound may not show up until well into the job although it is probably OK for small areas in need of repair.

Hello! I found your posting, Jennifer, and am in the same spot. I have heavily textured walls and ceilings; but, don't want to re-drywall just to get rid of the texture.

How has yourproject gone? Any advice?

Thanks!

Diane

I just did something similar (but in reverse) to my ceilings. Ceilings were in bad shape and I hired a guy to add a thin layer of mud with a little texture. It came out great and the cost was minimal. If you're not familiar with this process, I suggest hiring a drywall professional. He/she can knock it out in 1-2 days depending on the size.

Here's an option:

Use a texture brush to "stomp on" a thick layer of joint compound or "Topping"... then take a wide mud blade (12" or more) to "knock it down"

Check out this link for the gist of it. And a view of what it looks like in the end. Just ignore the fact that they're using spray on stuff:
http://www.rd.com/content/openConten...ontentId=18305

We used 8 small buckets of standard joint compound to smooth our living room before faux painting. A large (8 to 12" taping knife) helps put it on smooth, and then we wet-sanded after it had dried. It's not optically smooth, but it does work. After a year (and no earthquakes yet) there's just one hairline crack forming under a heating register, but it's holding up pretty well so far. The process is quite a bit of work, though, and can be messy (use dropcloths).

Originally Posted by jennifer cummings
> Help! We have heavily textured walls which catch all the dust.
> I would like to smooth out the walls, do I use "sheetrock topping
> joint compound"? Or something else? Do I put this on in thin
> layers or in one thick layer?

Jennifer, I do this type of work regularly. Let me answer your questions directly:

* Use topping compound; Sheetrock brand is good and commonly available. Topping compound will leave a smoother finish than all-purpose compound. Don't get "lightweight joint compound" as this is a different beast altogether.

* Apply topping compound in two or three thin layers rather than one thick layer.

Some tips:

* Thin out the topping compound with water. About 20 oz. of water per 5 gallon bucketful of "mud". Many pros use even more water, but it's difficult to control when it gets too thin. Thinning will make the mud easier to apply, it will dry faster, and will leave a smoother finish.

* Use the widest blade you can handle. Twelve inch is good; 18 inch. Is better. Twenty-four inch is better still, but is tricky to handle. Try to use long smooth strokes instead of short choppy ones.

* Work carefully. For walls, work toward the center. Start at the ceiling and work down from the top and in from the edges and bottom. Be methodical, moving from right to left if you're right-handed, left to right for southpaws.

You will drip globs of mud everywhere. This is normal. Do not try to catch falling globs of mud, especially if you're more than a foot or two off the floor. Let the globs dry and scrape them up later. Wiping or sweeping them just creates a bigger mess. Try not to step on the globs.

With a little practice, you'll get the feel of moving mud in wide arcs. When done carefully, you will have very little sanding. Use a wide blade to slice off the trowel lines and a little fine sandpaper (220 grit) to smooth out small imperfections.

Good luck. This is a do-able DIY project for small areas. For bigger areas, it's probably a good idea either to (a) have a back-up plan or (b) call in a professional.

One additional piece of advice. Depending on the compound you use, be sure to buy the correct primer before you paint. There are types of compound out there to which standard latex primers *will not* adhere. The primer will appear to stick, but if you tape + paint, you'll discover that removing the tape will result in peeling both paint and primer all the way back to the compound. There should be information on the canister of compound, or ask someone at the store (or try a small bit and see what happens).