# Need help - Sheetrock problems



## johnm99 (Jun 25, 2008)

Hi all! I am new to this site so please forgive me if I have overlooked this post being somewhere else burried within the threads....

I just bought a house and the drywall has awful textures applied to it and I need to know what I am going to have to do to remove the said texturing.

1. In one room it appears that someone has mixed sand with the paint or some sort of additive that makes the wall feel very very gritty. as a matter of fact if you rub your knuckles against it you can peel the skin back. The underlaying texture is an orange peel/egg shell. I would like to have the wall with same texture minus the grit... any suggestions.

2. I also have other walls that have a very thick texture with hard lines press into it.. one has mentioned it to be like a terracotta style or something like that. it is very thick and I would like to smooth it out and give it a knockdown or orange peel texture something a little more subtle...

3. My third problem room has a texture that looks like it was applied with some sort of a brush almost like something that you would do on a ceiling but they did it on the walls... again would like to go with knockdown or orange peel...

can I just go over the current texture with another?
Do I have to replace the rock and start over?
or is there a process that I can go through for removal of a texture?

Any help is appreciated I have 2 months to close and this is our next step...


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## glennjanie (Jun 25, 2008)

Welcome JohnM:
Be prepared to inhale a lot of dust. The grit could probably be removed with a wire brush; one of those round brushes on an offset grinder. Then change to a course sanding disc to 'knock down' some of the other thick stuff. 
Yes, you can add any amount of additional texture you want and maybe get the desired effect easier with the new material. I would not try to take the old rock down and start over; that's a killer.
You will want to get a good resperator and a full face mask for your protection and clear breathing. We would love to see pictures of before and after if you could work them in.
Glenn


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## hondadrv24 (Jun 25, 2008)

you may want to check with a local tool rental place to rent a sheetrock sander that connects to a shop vac.  that would save you from some of the dust that glenn is talking about.

Justin


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## johnm99 (Jun 26, 2008)

Ok... well I did give it a go on the sanding... used 100grit and maybe i started off on the wrong leg but I was told to use a palm sander and let me tell you... 30 minutes and and about 12 sqft seems like a long process... 

ill try the wire brushes next...No pics that are any good of any of these areas...

but some progress that I have already made... my first rodeo on sheetrock so dont knock me too hard... (I just had to give it a try before I hired someone)


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## glennjanie (Jun 26, 2008)

Hello JohnM:
No one is kicking you here John; this is what we are all about, helping Do It Yourselfers like you. You don't have to bring any expertiese with you, just your questions.
As a teacher, I encouraged questions, no matter how dumb you think they are; there may be three others in the room who want the same answer and are afraid to ask.
We won't put you down for what you don't know; I didn't even know you could rent the drywall sander with a vacum attached. I only wish I had invented it. We can all learn from each other.
Glenn


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## kok328 (Jun 26, 2008)

I don't see the problem, the rock in the picture looks virgin.  Home Depot sells a dustless drywall sander and you double filter that through a shop vac w/a little water in it.  However, don't be misled by the "dustless" term, they will let some dust slip by but, they do seem to keep the dust down.


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## johnm99 (Jun 27, 2008)

johnm99 said:


> ill try the wire brushes next...No pics that are any good of any of these areas...
> 
> but some progress that I have already made...




ill try to get some close ups of what I am talking about toinght... 
looking for a long weekend so I should be getting a lot more done soon..


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## plasterguy (Jun 29, 2008)

When I come up with old ugly texture in a client's house, I like to scrape off the high points where I can, clean the wall if needed, then apply 2 or 3 skim coats of joint compound.  A final sanding, done carefully, and the wall can primed and painted or else a new texture applied, whichever is desired.

Skim coating is not overly difficult, if you have patience and a good system.

You can check out my skim coating page for pointers.  Skim coating is certainly easier for most people than replacing the rock, or trying to scrape all the texture off, which is often next to impossible.


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## johnm99 (Jun 30, 2008)

Sanding was rough... and I tried the wire brush idea... I still was unable to get any real satisfaction with my efforts... Maybe Ill try the skim coat this week sometime... 


ill post the results...

thanks guys...


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## johnm99 (Jul 7, 2008)

finished 3 of 4 walls this weekend - tried the skim coating and I think this has brought me the best results thus far... 

I did a small area and found that it left it super smooth... well that was after one pass of 150grit sandpaper but anyways it is looking real nice and feeling a lot better to the touch... 

next question now... Do I need to prime the wall and then texture or can I just spray the texture on the newly skim coated walls?

also I see a lot of recommendations for renting hoppers/sprayers for texture, however, I am looking at taking my time and possibly only doing 2-3 rooms at a time and am not sure if renting is going to cost me more or not????

Is there a cheap solution for my situation(I already have a small PC air compressor)? 

I see wagner has a PowerTex Texture sprayer, is this product any good or just a waste of time and money?

thanks for the help will post more pics soon...


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## johnm99 (Jul 31, 2008)

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone here for both their contributions to this thread and all others on the site... 

through experienced(more than mine) guidance and patience I have completed a couple rooms in my house restoring a decent looking texture and bringing peace of mind back to the home... 

From this project I have acquired both new tools and new skills and to this board I owe most of the honor.

Thanks 


The only pic that turned out worth anything is not all that clear but thought I would post some finished work... this room was covered with a sand textured paint (AWEFUL) now its got a knockdown finish...

thanks for all the help


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## inspectorD (Aug 1, 2008)

Allright ,thanks, ...not that I helped at all. 
Just thanks for telling everyone about your project. In the ever changing traditions of building, this site is for you folks to learn and do. Glad to see your project came out just fine from what you learned here.

The folks here are great for just helpin out.

The best part about it was when you said you got more tools.


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