Textured Walls

[Christopher Stahl]

Hey Folks, my new workshop is about complete. Here in Texas homes have textured walls and the GC planned for textured in the shop. I feel texture on the walls would collect dust but wouldn't be a big deal to use the compressor to clean the walls when ever I'm cleaning up the shop. Of course, I could stay with no texture on the sheetrock but I do like textured look. Has anybody done textured walls or should I stay away from it? Definitely would like some opinions.

[Jim Becker]

Personally, I would not do the texturing on the drywall for a shop; both because of the dust issue you mention and because the extra labor costs money. Smooth is better for this application, IMHO.

[Jim Tobias]

I had the 8'x 4' shets of white slick, hard finished beadboard. Not the primed stuff but the hard finish material. It is great(IMHO) because it does not carch or hold dust hardly at all.
Jim

[Jamie Buxton]

My rented shop space has textured sheetrock. It does catch dust. But then, everything in a wood shop gets covered with dust anyhow.

[Doug Dawson]

Hey Folks, my new workshop is about complete. Here in Texas homes have textured walls and the GC planned for textured in the shop. I feel texture on the walls would collect dust but wouldn't be a big deal to use the compressor to clean the walls when ever I'm cleaning up the shop. Of course, I could stay with no texture on the sheetrock but I do like textured look. Has anybody done textured walls or should I stay away from it? Definitely would like some opinions.

It sounds like you should go for the discount sushi version of a Level 5 finish, i.e. no texture please sir this is an Arby’s. That is all.

[Lisa Starr]

I'd go for no texture. If you ever need to patch it, which seems likely, it will be easier.

[Christopher Stahl]

I figured it wouldn't be popular. :-) I told the GC no texture. Thanks!

[Dwayne Watt]

good choice on the texture. GC's texture walls because it is cheaper to spray spatter on mediocre drywall work than it is to get top notch (smooth) seams on wallboard. It takes very little skill to spray spatter and follow it with knockdown trowels to hide so-so drywall finishing. In a workshop, I would not be very critical about the drywall work but in my house it is a different story.

[Bill Dufour]

The so called knockdown texture is the cheap way out of good looking plaster. I think a proper plaster finish would be okay on a workshop wall. But that takes twice the mud and some skill.
To me an interior finish that has the flat surface of paper showing looks cheap. It should be like a sidewalk finish.
Bill D

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Your GC is cussing you right now. Note to all, tell your contactors early on if you want smooth walls. It's a completely different work process and price.

[Jim Becker]

Your GC is cussing you right now. Note to all, tell your contactors early on if you want smooth walls. It's a completely different work process and price.

Interestingly, around here, walls are rarely "not smooth" from a drywall standpoint. 'Don't even see popcorn ceilings all that much anymore. But you are correct, there's definitely a labor factor between the two methods.

[Doug Dawson]

Interestingly, around here, walls are rarely "not smooth" from a drywall standpoint. 'Don't even see popcorn ceilings all that much anymore. But you are correct, there's definitely a labor factor between the two methods.

You mean, between doing something and doing nothing? I’d think the GC would be _thrilled_ to be doing nothing and still getting paid for it.

[Bruce Page]

My shop, er, garage came with textured walls. It hasn't been a problem for me.

[Brice Rogers]

I have a 24 x 36' shop with 10' ceilings. I hung my own drywall, taped the seams and sanded. The finish looked "pro". Then I sprayed on a light splatter finish to match the interior of my house. It doesn't seem to really collect any more dust than if the walls were smooth. So, it probably boils down to the OP's personal taste and cost. In my case, I did the work myself and found it kind of therapeutic.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Smooth walls are more labor intensive than textured because of the time
spent mudding and amount of sanding required to get a smooth wall, especially on less than exquisitely framed houses, which is 97 out of every 100. This obviously varies depending on how far you take it...you don’t need Level 5 in your shop.

Textured walls are typically cheaper because it’s a spray on product that goes on fast and can hide some pretty quick and dirty (read:cheap) drywall hanging. Downside is that it’s a dated and cheaper look (my opinion) and it does hold dust more and matching existing with a patch is not as simple as smooth walls.

The exception to this would be old world / plaster style texture that can also hide some less than stellar drywall
hanging but is potentially just as much or more labor (depending on desired texture details) as smooth and sanded walls.

So no, it’s not really the difference between doing something and doing nothing and can mean a big chunk of money in labor costs over the spread of an entire house (or large shop space.)