About
Hi my name is Gail J Richardson. I have been decorating homes now for about 15 years. My husband and I owned a small construction company and we bought and sold houses. The interior design was always my job and I enjoy it very much. My husband had to have 4 back surgeries and needless to say his part in this little company had to stop. We tried hiring people to do the heavy work but as luck and the economy would have it there wasn’t enough money to go around. So the little construction company is no more. It had to close its doors. so I decided to take my knowledge online and share it. If you have any questions I can be contacted at
gailjrichardson@gmail.com Thanks for visiting my site…….. Gail J Richardson
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I have textured walls and ceiling in my master bedroom (19×17 roughly). I decided i want smooth walls with decorative molding. my question is:
should i smooth out all the walls? Smooth out and decorate the accent wall only? Do I smooth out the ceiling?
Dina,
First let me say that you are lucky to have such a large master bedroom. Most of use only dream for one that big. Now for your question about your textured walls. Most of the time when a wall has been textured it was done to cover up some imperfections. Texture works good for this purpose. For a room this size this will be a fairly big project. I myself prefer smooth walls and ceilings also. I can’t say that there is anything set in stone that you have to do it any certain way. If you want all smooth walls and ceiling then that is what I would do. Smooth walls with decorative molding will be beautiful. I am going to include the steps you will need to take to smooth out your walls before painting. I would really love it if you would take some before and after pictures so I can share them on Dime decorating because others may have the same idea. If you have any more questions please let me know.
Step 1: Test the Wall Area
This will be messy so you may want to cover your floors with a drop cloth.Use an 8-inch floor scraper to gently test a small area of your wall to see how easily the texture comes off. This will help you know the amount of pressure needed to remove the texture.
2.Remove the Texture from the Wall
Be careful not to gouge and damage your drywall. Scrape the wall and remove the texture working on one four square foot area at a time. Once the area has been scraped clean, clean the area with a damp cloth to remove any dust and debris. Once the area is clean, let it dry completely before doing any more work on the wall.
3.Apply an Oil-Based Primer
Apply an oil-based primer to the wall. Be sure to wear gloves and properly ventilate the area when working.Oil-based primer has a very strong smell. Let it dry completely.
4.Smooth Out the Texture
Use ready mix joint compound and apply it with a wallboard knife. Apply a generous layer. If your knife is scraping the wall you may be pressing too hard or more mud is needed . About 3/8 inch thick is a good amount. Be sure to feather the edges to maintain an even look. Let the first coat dry for at least 24 hours.
5. Apply Second Layer to Compound
Use a spray bottle to dampen the area with a fine mist of water and apply a second layer of joint compound just as you did the first. Again, let dry for 24 hours.
Apply a thin skim coat and be careful to evenly feather out the edges to create a smooth finish.
After this dries for 24 hours apply primer and paint as desired.
Thank you so much for your outlook, I totally concur with you. It is excellent to see a fresh outlook on this and I look forward to a lot more.
You might haven’t intended to do so, but I think you have managed to express the state of mind that a lot of individuals are in. The sense of wanting to assist, but not knowing how or where, is something a lot of us are going via.
More of a question than a comment. I have a porch that is about 40 foot long but only 7 foot wide …it is so hard to decorate. On one end there is a gas grill and then there are sitting areas but even though I know I should think of it as a room with different functions for different spots it is driving crazy! lol The oher issue is that because it is a second story porch the railing is (by code) and little higher than normal…which makes it hard to see the view except from the bar height table and chairs. Also, there are 8 foot wide stairs running off the front in the middle of the porch. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi, I would love to see your porch. Do you have any pictures you could upload to my site? If you have pictures it would really help with suggestions. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Gail