Dry wall/joint compound wall sufficient?

11 years ago

I have a 1931 home with a large circular master bedroom. The room suffered smoke damage from a fire, so we had to gut and rebuild it. Drywall and many coats of joint compound have been applied to the entire room, to smooth out all the taping and achieve the original rounded edges that dovetail into the windows and doors. To me, the untouched white joint compound alone is beautiful and the room looks perfectly finished -- almost like plaster but warmer.

I have two questions. First, can anyone explain to me why I need to paint and/or put a plaster veneer on this room...why I can't leave it as is, with the white joint compound as the end finish? Second, assuming I have to cover the joint compound with something, does it make sense to put a base coat of paint on it and then an unpainted plaster veneer (I like white plaster walls), rather than a base coat of paint and then a coat of white paint on top of that? I realize putting plaster on top of joint compound is a bit backwards because we could have used plaster in the first place instead of joint compound. But, as said, my crew just didn't feel comfortable doing plaster with all the arches and circular curves in this room, and throughout the rest of this gothic home.

Featured Answer

Clarion

11 years ago

We had great luck with Vasari Plaster. Loved the stuff. My wife applied it, having never done it before, and it came out gorgeous. And they can match any color you like. In our case we gave them a Benjamin Moore color and they made it for us. All you do is roll on a latex standard primer over your compound, and then trowel a very thin layer of plaster over the primer (their instructions, not mine). Simple.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vasari Plaster

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Comments (6)

party_music50
11 years ago
I had a contractor who added a laundry room to a house. He insisted on adding his "fancy" signature ceiling texture that he does with a thin layer of joint compound -- and then he told me to just leave it as it was, with no paint or anything. It's held up fine for years with occasional vacuuming. :)

Just speculating, but I'd say that the problem with leaving just joint compound on walls would be the porosity... the ability to absorb moisture (and mildew as a result?), the inability to wash/clean them, and the fact that they'd scratch and dent easily without the protective layer of paint. However, I've never seen a problem with the ceiling in that laundry room, and if mildew was going to happen I guess it would happen there. Based on that, If it looks great as it is, I might just give a try to leaving it!
sombreuil_mongrel
11 years ago
You have to paint; mud continues to slough off dust, being very soft. You can scratch it with a fingernail, it has no abrasion resistance, it absorbs and releases moisture seasonally, it contains glue which is mold food. You can keep it unpainted as long as you recognize that as a finish, it has many shortcomings. The dust-source characteristic would bother me the most.
Why not prime the room then have a decorative painter apply Venetian Plaster in bright white?
Tinted white-coat plaster finishes were popular in the 20's and 30's. I have seen two rooms finished like that, one yellow plaster and one gray. The yellow one had "sugar sand" added in to the mix to give it a sparkle. The gray one was very somber.
Casey
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zagyzebra
Original Author
11 years ago
I should have added that the location of the home is in Southern Cal, up in the hills, with windows and doors and breeze in every room. Warm Mediterranean climate almost every day of the year. Living through this drought, we begin to wonder if it will ever rain again. So it's kind of inconceivable to think of mold as being a problem, outside of the bathrooms.
worthy
11 years ago
Unfinished drywall compound is Code compliant in utility areas and garages. If that's the look you want, go for it. You can always finish it later.
Tam
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hello, i am wondering if you sealed the joint compound. I had some kitchen cabinets put up by a handyman and he used joint compound to skim large area of wall and then he sanded the wall and I assumed he was going to paint that wall but he did not and he put upper kitchen cabinets up without sealing/painting the joint compound. i am wondering if mold or dust will be an issue.