As much as we loved the new home we purchased last year, the textured paint in the basement hallway had to go. Normally, I am a strong supporter of textured paint, as it does a beautiful job of disguising slightly damaged walls. However, this stuff was horrible! It was the color of pea soup, and made the already dark room appear small, dismal, and depressing.
In this article, you’re going to find unique information on how to smooth textured walls. I’m not only going to tell you how to do it, but I’m also going to provide a few helpful tips that I wish someone had told me first. It’s not that smoothing textured walls was difficult, it was just time consuming and extremely messy. A little preparation will make a big difference!
Materials needed to smooth textured walls
– Lots & lots of drop cloths
– Drywall sander (rent one if you must)
– Pole sander (a long pole with sandpaper attached at the end)
– Dust mask (a new one for each day of the project)
– Protective eyewear
– 100 grit sandpaper
– Bucket, water, and heavy-duty work rag
– Paint primer
– Joint compound
– Wide metal putty knife
– Paint
How to smooth textured walls:
STEP 1 – The most time consuming part of smoothing the texture off of walls is the sanding. It is also the messiest thing I have ever done! You will have fine particles of dust all over everything! Thus, the first step should be to remove as much as you can from the room. Take down pictures and mirrors, remove furniture and curtains, don’t let pets or kids in the room while you’re working, and move anything else to a new location temporarily.
STEP 2 – Hopefully, now the room will be completely empty, except for the carpeting and fixtures. Cover these things with the most heavy-duty drop cloths you can find. Tape the drop cloths in place to prevent them from shifting position. Don’t use bed sheets, as they are too thin and the dust will embed straight into the carpet fibers.
STEP 3 – WEAR A DUST MASK! Once you start sanding, do not take the dust mask off anytime you’re in the room. Trust me on this. I gave myself a raging sinus infection from the paint and plaster I sanded off my textured walls. Also, be sure to use protective eyewear when smoothing textured walls.
STEP 4 – Begin by scraping off big, heavy chunks of textured paint with a pole sander. This tool is great because you can reach up high without straining. Use a high-grit sandpaper, like 100 grit, to really sand the area well.
STEP 5 – This is where the mess really begins. Use a drywall sander to remove textured paint from the walls. Why a drywall sander? Because it has a vacuum attached to the end of the sander, which helps keep the debris to a minimum. Again, trust me on this. I tried hand sanding the area first. What a nightmare! A friend advised me to rent a drywall sander, and what a difference it made. Less mess, easier on the body, and you’ll see results twice as fast with a drywall sander. Save yourself a lot of time by starting this project with the right sander.
STEP 6 – Once the walls are sanded and smooth, the hard part is over. Whew! Gather up the drop cloths, take them outside and shake them out. Then, wash the walls down with clean water and a heavy rag. You’ll need to dump the water bucket out, and fill it with clean water frequently to get the walls clean.
STEP 7 – Paint the walls with a paint primer and allow it to dry. This will give the joint compound you will apply next something to adhere to.
STEP 8 – Spread joint compound over the wall surface to fill in holes and even out the surface. Allow it to dry and reapply a second coat.
STEP 9 – Bring the drop cloths back in to cover the floor. Sand the walls one final time with the pole sander. This time, though, use a low or medium-grit sandpaper.
STEP 10 – When the walls are finished, wipe them clean and paint them with the paint of your choice.
Your job is done! Now, make someone else bring in the furniture and other things back in the room, while you take a well deserved rest.
More from Jennifer Wagner:
How to Remove Trim and Molding
Solutions to Common Paint Problems
How to Repair a Plaster Hole
SOURCE:
Personal knowledge and experience
Jennifer Wagner – Yahoo! Contributor Network