covering up faux paint

[rundrave]

Just moved into a new home last month and the people their before us had some terrible design style that we want to get rid of.

The texture we are trying to work with is what I think they call a FAUX paint. Its more of a fine sandy texture versus a typical orange peel texture. I dont think any mud was involved, just rolled directly onto the the sheetrock.

Basically what the previous owners did was put up drywall, and on the lower portion painted just that area with this FAUX paint. They only did that half way up the wall. In the middle of the wall they did a wall paper border around the entire room, and behind the border there is no texture. Finally then the highest section of the wall is the normal orange peel texture and normal paint.

We have since removed the wall paper in the middle of wall and our goal now is to make the entire wall, floor to ceiling one consistant texture. To do that we need to eliminate 2 of the 3 sections (the faux paint, and where the border was).

This is where the challenge comes in, and I am not exactly sure how to do it. I would like the final finish to be the standard orange peel texture, but really anything thats consistant and not super rough will work.

So here is what I am thinking my options are.

1) Stick sand with 100 grit the entire room, then apply one layer of mudd with a trowel and immediately scrape off before it drys. The goal here would be to make a smooth surface floor to ceiling and then wait for it to dry and then hit it with a texture gun.

2) Skip the sanding, and go straight to the texture gun and apply a coat and wait for it to dry, then apply another coat. Repeat until were happy with the finish.

3) Add water to mud, roll on with roller until happy with finish. I just think this would be hard to get it consistant everywhere.

4) completely remove all sheetrock except for ceiling which is fine and start completely over

To make it worse this is in our master bedroom and master bathroom so its something that needed to be fixed yesterday or ill have a unhappy wife.

Any other suggestions?

[witgey&water]

Just a thought but how about new 1/4" sheet rock over the mess, tape and mud the joints. Put crown molding at the ceiling to hide the joint if your ceiling has texture on it and finely door and window jams will need extensions put on them. But then again this is alot of work an I would just completely remove all sheetrock except for ceiling which is fine and start completely over. This way you can make it the way you want.

[Tom7227]

I would go to a quality paint store - not a big box - and ask for their advice. They'll load you up with the proper supplies and then you can have at it. I'm not a painter but I have always had very good success following Barry's suggestions at Abbott Paint in White Bear Lake. Sort of geographically undesireable for you though. I suppose you could call them - (651) 429-3316

[Jim Almquist]

Why not sand a small area behind your bed or dresser and apply a coat of primer and see if it will look like something you ( really the wife )could live with. The only thing that I would do would be to start with 100 grit and then go to 200 grit before priming and see what it looks like when the primer is dry.

[LightningBG]

How high is the transition? Would your wife go for a chair rail at the transition?

Maybe consider hiring someone to orange peel the bottom and hope that it matches close? If you could get a chair rail on there, that could solve the matching of old and new orange peel.

Tough situation either way. Tearing out the old or covering the old with new is going to be a LOT of work, sanding is a lot of work too.

What about redoing the whole wall with a "knockdown" finish? Might be able to cover the whole thing, with a similar look.

[Surface Tension]

Use an old trowel and knock off as much of the high spots as you can. Follow up with sandpaper on a block and get to it. Clean the wall and prime if you have a gloss or satin paint.

Then if need be which I'm sure would be the case, I'd then skim coat with at least a 12" knife.

Should be very little or no sanding if done right.

If your not any good at mudding you'll be better off hiring out for that part. If you have everything prepped the guy will be out of one room in less then an hour.

Prime that again with a roller, let dry and roll on the paint. It should match the rest of the wall unless someone got creative with rollers or mixed mud in and rolled.

[Bear55]

I would probably try the knock down texture too, it might be a little more texture then you want but it would be the easiest solution. Unless you have a lot of experience I would hire it out. I have it in my home, I wasn't really sure about it at first but I hardly notice it now and kind of grows on you.

[Farmboy1]

It in very hard to match any texture and make it look right. Orange Peel, popcorn ceilings, anything with a texture tends to stick out like a sore thumb.

Were I in your shoes, I would go to the local rental place and rent a Porter Cable dustless sander. I don't know of anyone else who makes is. It is a vacum attached to a 6' pole with a sanding disc on the end of it. Run this over the entire wall. You will problably need to do some touch ups, and maybe some skim coating, but this should take off about 90% of your problems.

Then texture the entire walls to a orange peel if that is what you like. Paint, then drink a beer and admire your work.

[rundrave]

appreciate the advise guys, just trying to decide on my options.

I have already had someone come out to do some bids on the mudding or texturing depending on the route we choose.

I am gonna stop at a local paint store and see what they have to say.

thanks again

[Surface Tension]

I re read your post.

I was thinking the orange peel was just was just the normal roller marks. If it an actual texture that was splattered on, well good luck.