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Thread: Textured Walls

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    San Diego, Ca
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    When I was doing my own drywall finishing, I did it like it was going to be smooth rather than textured. I guess that I didn't realize that I could save myself a bunch of work if I hadn't done such a nice job. Ha ha.

    I think that for future repairs that it is probably easier to patch a smooth wall than patching a textured wall - - where I'd have to respray a section. But I've done that before and it really isn't all that hard. Surprisingly, after 23 years, I haven't had to open up any walls in my workshop. But I ran a few extra lines for future expansion. I kind of wish that I had also run a conduit up to the attic.

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Phillip Mitchell View Post
    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.)
    We're talking specifically about a garage here. I've done a bunch of drywall over the years, and if a crew can't tape and mud a _garage_ so that it looks acceptable, they need to find a different line of work. You're paying for a minimum standard of competence, hopefully.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    We're talking specifically about a garage here. I've done a bunch of drywall over the years, and if a crew can't tape and mud a _garage_ so that it looks acceptable, they need to find a different line of work. You're paying for a minimum standard of competence, hopefully.
    I kinda agree with this. Then again, there are a lot of "ugly" garage drywall installations out there that are just taped without further mud work...because it saved the building time/money and the homeowner accepted that as "normal".
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    We're talking specifically about a garage here. I've done a bunch of drywall over the years, and if a crew can't tape and mud a _garage_ so that it looks acceptable, they need to find a different line of work. You're paying for a minimum standard of competence, hopefully.
    I don’t disagree. I guess my point was that I think there is probably a bit more labor and overall cost in a smooth finish as opposed to a spray on textured finish, but yes, for a normal sized garage and the level of finish generally expected in such a place the difference should be pretty minimal. The difference between an entire house would be much greater.

    Also, you’d be surprised for who passes as professionals in some places, but yes, hopefully you can find a crew that is reasonable and good enough all in one. Surprisingly hard to find good drywallers in some places.
    Still waters run deep.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
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    There's good news and bad news about living and building in the Boston area. The good news is that there are plenty of very good plasterers (many of whom have done a full apprenticeship in Ireland) and that it is no more expensive to go with a beautiful blueboard and plaster finish than to do drywall-- if you can even find someone willing to do drywall. These guys hate sanding and hate having to come back more than one day to finish a job. The bad news is that while the costs are similar, for those in other parts of the country they will make your hair stand on end.

    That said, my vote is for smooth (plaster) walls everywhere, first of all in the house, but in the garage/shop as well. Unless texturing is extraordinarily well done, as seen in centuries old Tuscan villas, it mostly just looks nasty.

    I put up rough drywall in my shop for the required fire protection over the foam insulation, but then covered most of the walls with maple-veneer slatboard. It looks nice and gives me a lot of real estate for hanging tools.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Western Nebraska
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    4,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    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.
    No pro drywall crew finishes textured drywall to the same level as flat. The point of texture is to provide a cheaper, generally acceptable finish. When a customer changes their minds from textured to flat, it makes at least one more unexpected day on site, if you use fast mud. Two if you can't and have to sand the second day. A day for a crew of several guys is expensive and unexpected ones blow up the schedule somewhere else. Change orders are always a big deal, especially ones the customer thinks will save money but actually do the opposite.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Rozmiarek View Post
    No pro drywall crew finishes textured drywall to the same level as flat. The point of texture is to provide a cheaper, generally acceptable finish. When a customer changes their minds from textured to flat, it makes at least one more unexpected day on site, if you use fast mud. Two if you can't and have to sand the second day. A day for a crew of several guys is expensive and unexpected ones blow up the schedule somewhere else. Change orders are always a big deal, especially ones the customer thinks will save money but actually do the opposite.
    But we’re talking about a _garage_ here.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Western Nebraska
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    4,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    But we’re talking about a _garage_ here.
    Yes, a garage that was scheduled for a texture finish. That's a finish that most would find acceptable in a house. Most garages get fire coat only, drywall and one coat of tape and mud so it will pass the 30 min fire rating inspection and that's it.

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