# Getting rid of the texture



## Marker (Nov 20, 2004)

I want to remove the textured ceiling in a house I am remodeling and replace it with slick ceilings. I tried spraying and scraping it off, but that did not work b/c it has already been painted. The ceilings are 96" high, I am re-doing the wall-to-ceiling trim.

I found a couple of options. One is to scrape off the "high" spots and then pay a good, good, good mud guy to mud the ceilings (which runs about $250/a bucket, taking 2 buckets per room (12x15 avg).

Option 2 is to scrape the high spots and put up 3/8 sheetrock over the stimple/texture, then tape, mud and finsih.

Option 3 is to fur out the ceiling with 1x3's then put 3/8 sheetrock over, mud, tape and finish.

Option 4 is to pull off the sheetrock and replace with 1/2.

My thought is to go with option 2, but I am concerned that the final slick ceilign will look a little wavvy...


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

What is the texture? Most mud ceilings take readily to sanding.


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## Hammertime (Aug 8, 2004)

Marker said:


> I want to remove the textured ceiling in a house I am remodeling and replace it with slick ceilings. I tried spraying and scraping it off, but that did not work b/c it has already been painted. The ceilings are 96" high, I am re-doing the wall-to-ceiling trim.
> 
> I found a couple of options. One is to scrape off the "high" spots and then pay a good, good, good mud guy to mud the ceilings (which runs about $250/a bucket, taking 2 buckets per room (12x15 avg).
> 
> ...



If I was having that much trouble with a job like that especially being that it's for a customer or even if it's for an investment property I would rip the old down and install new rock back up. For all the time it will take you to do what you want to do you might as well just cut to the chase. The 3/8 is the easy fix, but can be the reason for aggravation in the long run. Timewise it's just easier for me to rerock but depending on you is the question. In the long run you'll be glad you did it and won't have to worry about future problems. 

Don't get me wrong there are a few ways you can get the texture down, but again in the long run will it be worth it. There's always an easy way out but is it worth it in the long run...

If you spackle just remember to lay the spackle thin. Most problems with people when they install rock and spackle they always lay the spackle a bit heavy which causes major sanding. The thinner you install the spackle(expecially on the edges) the less work it will be sanding and the less cleanup you'll have afterwards with spackle dust floating around. I don't use sandpaper. I use sanding screens. they are are sanding spackle and they go alot farther then sandpaper.

hope this helps you and good luck


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## Marker (Nov 20, 2004)

*Texture*



Teetorbilt said:


> What is the texture? Most mud ceilings take readily to sanding.


I would call it a stimple ceiling, basically 12" starbursts repeated on the ceiling over and over. Its has a depth of 1/16 to 3/16 over the existing sheet rock.

Hammertime had a couple of good points that were lingering in the back of my mind on doing a cover-over vs. a tear down and replace. I really do not want to get complaints latern about cracks showing up in the ceiling. They are hard and dirty to fix. So I am going to recommend the tear down and replace strategy as being the best alternative. Its just one add'l step vs. the cover over with 3/8. I will also get a smooth, flat product (hoping the joists cooperate).

thanks


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Marker, down here we call that a stomp finish. I had that too but knocked all of the tops off with a sanding screen and covered with bead board (the real thing, not paneling) toss in some crown molding and I have that 'old Florida' look that I wanted.


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## Cubevan (Nov 24, 2004)

I would scrape off the texture and have it skim coated. It will be like a new ceiling if properly done and the skim coated surface looks almost like plaster after its done.


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## Crankshaft (Apr 20, 2004)

Drop the old ceiling and resheetrock. It will be quicker in the long run and you will get a better looking finish. After you drop the old drywall, check the ceiling joists for levelness. This is the time to shim up low spots and knock down any high spots, otherwise they could show up after its painted. Some ceiling lights really accentuate a wavey ceiling.


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## Cubevan (Nov 24, 2004)

Crankshaft said:


> Drop the old ceiling and resheetrock. It will be quicker in the long run and you will get a better looking finish. After you drop the old drywall, check the ceiling joists for levelness. This is the time to shim up low spots and knock down any high spots, otherwise they could show up after its painted. Some ceiling lights really accentuate a wavey ceiling.


Don't know how many rooms there are but, it seems like a lot of extra work (especially if it is several rooms) to pull down all the sheetrock, level joists and rehang new stuff when you could simply have the ceilings skimcoated.


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## Marker (Nov 20, 2004)

*textured ceiling*

the spec is to do every ceiling in the house, which is about a 2,600 sq. feet, total of 11 rooms (including bathrooms.) I am going to price out skimming vs. replacings. I have ruled out the 3/8 over existing, so making some progress. 

one side benefit / advantage to pulling down the ceilings is the ability to do some adding of lighting, repositioning of lighting and tieing all the smoke detectors into one circuit / security system etc if these items are desired.

thanks to all for your input and advice :Thumbs:


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## 1BADF350 (Nov 28, 2004)

What would you do about the insulation above the ceiling?? Is there a vac that could be used to suck it up (like they use around here to pick up leaves?) Or would you let fall when sheetrock get ripped out and shoot new?


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## Old Mudder (Dec 11, 2004)

man *don't drop that ceiling * if it 's not falling down leave it alone if you tear all that board down your going to have to replace it. figure the man hours and materials in replaceing all that . 2or 3 buckets of mud and 250.00 sounds a lot cheaper ! I scrap and skim ceilings all the time . it's no big thing .


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Mudder, you and I are on the same page.
Marker, whatever you do is going to make a mess, one way will be a big mess and the other will be a dust mess. One way to flatten a stomped ceiling is with a long board, we use them in boat construction to fair hulls.
Make your own; 4-6 ft of flat 1X4 or 6 with a couple of dowels attached for handles. Buy some 4 or 6 in PSA paper by the roll, attach to the board and have at it. Change directions often and you'll have a flat surface in no time.
Want a really flat surface? Roll on a coat of high contrast paint (castoffs at a box store) and mud over the whole mess. Sand down with the longboard until you start to see the paint (tracer).
Hard work but a great finish, works on walls too.


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## Marker (Nov 20, 2004)

*Second Floor is the problem!*

After starting this, I agree the second floor is the big problem. The attic is full of old and dirty insulation. This dirt and dust is from a whole house fan that has sucked all the dust out of the house of its 35+ years of life and into the attic. So basically i got 4 inches of fiberglass blow in and 2 inches of dust and dirt on top of it.

Now we are vacuming the stuff out of the attic. Some parts of this remodel require 2nd floor ceiling demo, just cannot avoid it.

I am just amazed at the amount of dirt up in that attic, never seen it quite that bad, but this is the first whole house fan i have done.

 




1BADF350 said:


> What would you do about the insulation above the ceiling?? Is there a vac that could be used to suck it up (like they use around here to pick up leaves?) Or would you let fall when sheetrock get ripped out and shoot new?


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Marker, remember that the fan also sucked the dirt into the house. That's the way that they work, in at the bottom and out at the top.


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## Hammertime (Aug 8, 2004)

I agree with the removal of the textured ceiling and then skim coating. It's less work in the long run. But, if someone is having problems removing the texture it would be easier to just remove the sheet rock and rerock. Sometimes as professionals what's easier for us is more difficult for the novice or homeowner. 

Like I said in my original post: 

"If I was having that much trouble with a job like that especially being that it's for a customer or even if it's for an investment property I would rip the old down and install new rock back up. For all the time it will take you to do what you want to do you might as well just cut to the chase."

This was only my advice given the facts I read. If it's a problem scraping or sanding the texture down...then you have to go another means around to get the job done. Hence the rerocking. If it were me, I'd get the texture down and skim coate. But, it's not and I'm only trying to give some advice to make someone else's job easier and less trouble. In the end it's the person doing the job that has to take all advice and decide cause their the only person actually seeing and doing the job.


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## Sheetrock26 (Dec 25, 2004)

Skimming the ceilings deffinately sounds like a good way to go but $250 a bucket sounds kinda pricey. The mud goes quick when going over painted tex but consider doing at least the first coat yourself. The most mud will be used on this coat saving major bucks. Add water to thin the bucket down to the consistency of thick gravy and have one person apply with a thick nap paint roller...while the other one wipes the mud back off with a 12 inch knife clean right down to the texture behind the person with the roller. After seeing how simple it is you may wish to do additional coats yourself.....just roll it on making sure it covers completly...and wipe right back off. As far as sanding, with 3 good coats you shouldnt need more than a light dusting in the end.


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## igorson (Apr 28, 2011)

If i can not remove texture from a ceiling i just mud it with sick coat (may be 2 coats), sand it. But install new sheetrock is a way more work for texture removing.:no:
http://1drywall.com/textures.htm


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