I'm thinking about improving some textured walls in a 10' x 11' room, and I'm curious about the costs and methods involved. Should I go with sanding down the texture, use the skim coating method, or just replace the drywall entirely? Any recommendations on which approach might work best based on effort and cost?
3 Answers
I’ve done both skim coating and replacing drywall, and trust me, replacing is way easier. It's also a chance to add insulation if you want! I put up new rockwool in my interior walls, and it’s made a huge difference in sound quality.
Before you rush into any of those projects, I'd suggest you try painting the walls with matte paint first. It really can diminish the look of the texture, and it’s a lot cheaper than tearing everything down. Many folks assume they need to remove the texture right away, but sometimes a good matte finish does the trick. Try it out on a couple of walls and see how you feel about it over a few months! If it’s still bothersome after that, then look into other options like drywall.
Honestly, I think just replacing the drywall is the best route. It might cost a bit more in materials, but it's way easier than trying to sand off that texture. Drywall sheets are pretty cheap, and doing a full demo is quick. Plus, hanging new drywall and taping it is totally doable for most people. If you try skim coating, you’d need some serious skill to avoid a disappointing finish, and a good painter might charge more and be harder to find. Just seems simpler to me! Your total cost for new drywall should be around $200 for the 10x10 room, which isn’t bad at all.
I just did a remodel where we went with all new drywall. It wasn't the cheapest option, but it simplified everything, and I didn't have to worry about bad skim costs.
For sure! Sanding that texture off is just a huge hassle, and you're likely to end up needing to skim coat anyway. It's a messy job and not easy to get it perfectly flat.