Smooth is easier to repair as you don’t need to apply a texture if filling a nail hole etc. We have lived all over the county and wall texture is very regional. In different parts of California I have had both smooth walls and heavy textured walls. In the Pacific Northwest orange peel is the norm; a pain when you want to hang wall paper. We lived in the south with smooth walls and twice in the Midwest where we have not seen a single textured wall or ceiling. It may seem that one style is it, but in fact this country is full of different norms when it comes to home styles including furnishings. I prefer smooth walls, however, if the rest of your home is textured I would keep my walls the same.

what would I do with the one wall that is orange peel and the 2/3 of the ceiling that is currently orange peel.

For smooth walls,

Skim coat the wall and install another layer of new drywall over the old drywall on the ceiling. (Ceiling first because the of the new tape.)

Smooth walls are harder for a DIY'er to repair.

Previous home had orange peel texture. I went over it with what I call a Santa Fe texture (because that's where I first saw it). More widely known as 'skip trowel'. Very easy to do, very easy to make 'match' in the event of repairs. I use an old cement trowel (with rounded off corners) to apply.

This house had a sand texture over a plaster coat (not full blown plaster). Sand texture is pretty awful because it is harder to clean (eats up sponges and rags). I applied skip trowel over the sand texture.

Caveat on skip trowel--I learned that one person needs to do all of the texture. Didn't work out when my husband started doing part of a room and I was working on another wall because we obviously had different styles...probably not too noticeable to the casual observer but I'm anal about details.

With skip trowel, don't get too heavy handed with the mud.

Skip trowel would be at home in a modern farmhouse--more so, IMO, than orange peel.

We moved from Michigan where all walls were smooth, no matter the home we lived in or visited. The big question was the type of paint to use - it seemed the glossier it was the more imperfections it highlighted. Flat was your best friend but didn’t wear well with spot cleaning. We now live in Florida and it seems all walls and ceilings are texture no matter the home. Having lived in both I much prefer textured. But that’s just me :)

We live in WI and our '90s home has a sand texture which actually has send mixed into the plaster

When i redid our 1st floor bathroom, i smoothed all the walls and ceiling.

It was somewhat time consuming but well worth it!

I'm about to start our kitchen remodel and plan to do the same in there. To have our kitchen and adjoining living room smoothed they quoted over $7k!!! It might take me a few days vs. their 1-2 days, but it shouldn't cost more than $200 in materials (not including primer/paint, which their quote didn't either).

Let the drywallers to it. They will skim coat what is now orange peel so it will all look smooth and nice. Smooth drywall is easier to repair than orange peel. Orange peel is not done in this area, and the few people I know that have it, have been having it skim coated to be smooth room by room, when it is time for a repaint job.

Skim coat what ever does not get replaced,Smooth walls only show blemishes if the drywall finisher did a poor job. I have done all my own drywall in our last two houses and they look great and show no blemishes.

Unless you are playing ping pong in there with a GOLF ball, the blemish is a non worry : ) Smooth. All four of them.

Cheap builds of years ago got nail pops. Drywall screws solved that problem .

Skim coating is more labor than ripping out and putting in new drywall.

When I lived in Texas most of newer homes were all orange peel like wall and ceiling textures. I had never seen it done so extensively in Minnesota, it was a rare thing to see in newer homes. Except on ceiling (not including dreaded popcorn ceiling)

A friend in Texas decided bshe wanted wall paper in her bathroom that was textured so she got a sander and went to work. She did finally achieve after weeks of sanding.she used a sander that exhausted into a bucket of water to capture dust.

Like this:https://www.instructables.com/id/5-Drywall-Dust-Water-Filter-Gadget-for-Shop-Vacuum/

I would just get a drywall guy to replace textured wall stuff. Maybe keep texture on ceiling and have them match texture on remaining ceiling.

Btw: it's not that smooth drywall shows more blemishes. Textured drywall covers flaws more so the drywall guys don't have to be so good at taping.

most people here say smooth is easier to repair. I saw a couple videos on how to repair drywall, that's smooth, I imagine. Seems super easy, so I guess it may depend on technique. The drywall guy wants $500 to do the bathroom. They were referred by an electrician who said they do perfect work, but I've never seen their work, so now I'm starting to wonder if I should get another quote or assume the one referral is good enough. The guy who was going to help us said we just need to tape and mud, no need to do anything else, but paint. He used to take apart engines and put them back together. He says he has a knack for these kinds of things, but I've never seen his drywall, either. Considering the $500 includes framing a medium size medicine cabinet and materials, we might consider using them. All of the costs are adding up when we originally were planning on attempting a DIY. Each part of the job we hire out so I'm bummed about that but hopefully we at least are saving some money by not having used a GC and hopefully it'll come out well. I'm leaning towards Santa Fe style, which I can't see being easier to repair but it seems like it'd be good for any possible blemishes and I really liked my neighbor's Santa Fe.

As for paint, I do not prefer glossy but it is a bathroom. Maybe I should paint redgard waterproofer in the whole bathroom first? then i could use matte? I was wondering how to paint. I always use a brush but I've never had smooth walls. My friend used a roller which no longer makes the walls very smooth, which also allowed them to not use any texture, just drywall and tape, so it's a money saver and easy to match, but not totally smooth. Thoughts on if I can use a brush and what kind of paint? thx!

Wall board is pretty SMOOTH to begin with. It gets screwed to studs, taped where boards meet, and there are corner "beads" at corners. anywhere that is taped, is skim coated, feathered out , dries,...... sanded, repeat ..........skimmed, lightly sanded. At the end, you have a surface to be primed, and then it is painted. You're making it harder than it is. If you don't feel good doing it yourself, you hire it out.

Just know that a few million miles of it go up annually, with NO issues.Baths routinely are rolled in high quality latex paint, in an eggshell finish. The reason for that is latex dries quickly. A roller is a smoother result. No drywall Is a mirror. That type of shine is reserved for trim.

FWIW, flat paint allegedly shows fewer imperfections than glossy paints. I prefer an eggshell or satin finish however, because it's easier to clean. As far as paint, buy a good-quality paint and it will cover and self-level much better than a cheap paint. Based on availability here, I go with Sherwin-Williams. A roller application will usually level better, but I find that even brushmarks smooth out nicely and cannot be seen. I cannot remember if I bought their SuperPaint or Emerald version most recently.

Yes you will get roller stipple marks, but that is normal, doesnt mean it isnt still a smooth finish. I prefer satin in a bathroom, and semi gloss for trim, because, it is very washable. I find the satin and semi gloss much more washable in kitchens,baths, and laundry rooms, than the eggshell, I have in the rest of my rooms. Ask to see the work of the guys that charge 500.00. Sounds like that would be the way to go. I sure wouldnt trust the guy that took motors apart and put them back together. It just is not the same thing. You sound very inexperienced (not a bad thing, experience comes with age), so its better to come up with the 500.00 and get things right. Most houses I have seen with the textured finish walls, usually do have smooth in kitchens and bathrooms. Best thing is to take your time, do it right, and do it once, rather than be tearing it all apart in another couple of years, because it was done wrong. Its always best to take longer, and do it correctly, regardless of what you are doing, when it comes to remodeling. You will enjoy it much more once it is finished. Good Luck to you.

In my region (South West) most homes have textured walls (to my dismay). Pretty standard. When doing my new construction, I chose the smoothest finish they offered (90% smooth with up to 10% imperfections) which was considered an upgrade with a tidy price tag to it. But I really dislike textured walls. To each their own. As for your dilemma, I wouldn’t have a mismatched room. All smooth or all textured. The ceiling can be different, but not just part of the ceiling, I think that would be odd.

If you've never put in, taped and mudded drywall, don't start now, especially if you don't want to see imperfections. Hire somebody who does this on a regular basis.

IMO, using joint compound is like frosting a cake! If you like to frost cakes and get a smooth coat, you can probably handle mudding. There are techniques that cut down on the dust, such as using a screen followed by damp sponges, rather than sandpaper for smoothing.

I’m just a DIY’er myself, but I’m confident that if you were advised to tear out drywall because you want to change the wall texture, then I suggest you reconsider your choice of advisors because that was a waste of your time, your money, and your labor. There is no reason to tear out old drywall unless you had actual damage. All you had to do was prime, apply mud, and sand. Then prime again and paint.

If you continue this work yourself, then do yourself a favor and invest in a wet vac and a vacuum sander. You’ll need special filters and dust masks and plenty of plastic drop clothes to contain as much dust as possible (but it will still get everywhere). Then spend some time looking at YouTube to learn how to make your walls smooth.

But honestly, my advice is to hire the professional. It will be money well spent.

Jan, It sounds like from what you say it'd be pretty hard to mess up? On the JohnBridge forum someone mentioned different levels of drywall. It sounds like you might live in one of the states that just muds and sands the taped areas, but leaves the drywall without mud? (I might be using the wrong term when I say mud). thx

party_music50 I could see how flat would show more imperfections and be harder to clean, too. thx!

cat_ky yes, We're pretty new at all of this. First remodel. The experience with getting the pool built was frustrating as I had to manage the things the guys were going to do wrong so many times that it seems if I have to learn about how to do the jobs to make sure they're doing them right maybe we could save some money and try some of the more simple parts ourselves. In the end it's seeming to come down to paying professionals and hopefully we're saving money by not having hired a GC. We have so much work to do in the house and need to currently find a GC for the kitchen since we had a kitchen flood from the dishwasher just 2 days before we were set to start the bathroom. With kids with special needs I want to make sure we rn't without a kitchen for too long but we have 2 bathrooms so this is where I was hoping to save money. :)

After having read all the comments, we'll hire the drywaller. :) thx so much. All the advice was very helpful!

I think you are making the right decision too. So sorry to hear about the flood. Always something it seems.

The good thing is that I've been planning on remodeling the kitchen for years. I thought I'd get around to it in a year, not now that it's the holidays and this seems to be the busiest time of year to find a contractor from what I hear. Most of all, I miss my dishwasher!!! This will help motivate me to get it done faster than I would've, though--I hope. :) Now it's leaking under the sink and it's a shame to have to fix that and we just replaced the microwave and got white over the oven. :( I'm pretty sure we'll end up with a stainless steel built in. If only my stove can hang on. (cuz the fridge and washing machine also went within the last 6 mths!). In the end, we need to get some things done around here so hiring people will help me have more time to research and make good decisions. :)

Hire the guy and consider yourself lucky. The quote I got post wallpaper removal was $2500-$3000!

Laura, for one room or the whole house? pricey!

Sheen level will determine how smooth you walls have to be.

MS Colours Inc. Thanku. Would u mind explaining that a bit more? In a bathroom are you saying that the more smooth the more Matte or the opposite?

Textured drywall is ugly plain and simple. It was devoted out of laziness. When a house is bare and empty they would rough in all the drywall and just shoot everything with texture guns getting it everywhere. If you have a house that is textured you know if you remove anything there is overspray under it.

Repairing it is a disaster and it shows every touch up s it is almost impossible to match 100%. Problem is in say CA good luck finding someone who can actually tape and sand a flat wall. They actually think its some sort of upgrade and the we hear of the made up number system??

What numbers? You apply compound and sand till the walls are smooth. The only difference is if you want a gloss finish which is a totally different application.

Look on Craigslist for tape and mud people. They get paid by the day and do it all day long. You are paying the uncharge that your contractor gets for doing nothing. It isn't difficult for someone who does it all day long and they would knock out a bathroom by lunch for about $500 and that throwing in extra cash for the small job.

1/4 sheetrock will cover the ceiling and give you a smooth foundation. Taping and mudding isn't something you just do it is an art and its insulting to professionals that actually do it to say anyone can do it. Yes anyone can do it but few can do it correctly!

I get so tired of hearing people insult trained skilled laborers by saying anyone can do it. This is the result of HGTV not showing the difference between the end result of a trained pro and a DIY'er.

You have now read everything having to do with the process, etc. I recommend making the bathroom your first "smooth" project. All you need to do is find a great finish man and most especially for a perfect ceiling. Light from a window will show every imperfection, but no worries if a real pro is doing the work. Yes to a satin finish in baths and kitchen. If you have children (or even if you don't) you will want to consider the same low satin finish throughout. Fingerprints on walls, doors, light switches, etc. can only clean up just so much after years of use (abuse) even if you use an excellent paint in a flat finish.

For one bathroom!!!! It's roughly 11 ft x 5 ft. This was from a drywall specialist (and crew) who has a very good reputation. Life is good in the Pac NW but cheap, it isn't! For context, our home has knockdown texture, but I'm contemplating smooth in our bath remodels for cleaning purposes (mold, etc). The drywall firm I received the quote from for the one bathroom said the finishing texture would not matter relative to price. Walls need minor repairs (nail holes, etc), skim coating, priming, a typical job. It's my understanding that smooth coat shows a less than excellent drywall job (and if you want to fix a nail hole=move a picture, etc). Good luck, let us know how it turns out!

The higher the gloss the smoother the walls have to.

MS Colours, Can u please explain why that is. thx

Kim, glossy paint reflects more light so tiny bumps and creases will show shadows. That's why you need ultra-smooth walls for glossy paint.

You said: I have to learn about how to do the jobs to make sure they're doing them right.

This is exactly right. Even if you are not doing a job yourself, have a basic knowledge of what good work entails so you can catch and correct any errors.

Because a sheen reflects light and so magnifies any flaws. The higher the sheen the more apparent are the flaws and even more than before at a lower sheen.

Sorry Grover, I must have been typing while your were answering!

I'm not sure I buy that. Is it uncommon to use semi-gloss (or gloss, for that matter) in kitchens and bathrooms? They aren't all smooth. . . . We have semi-gloss on our kitchen ceiling (with flat on the walls, but the painted wall area is not in the vicinity of food preparation, sink, etc), and semi-gloss was recommended for ceiling, in general. We have knock down walls and orange peel ceiling.

Going to have to eat a little crow here - just finished painting our textured kitchen ceiling in semi-gloss (did the small amount of wall in flat) and every irregularity in the texturing shows! Including repairs where we moved lights, etc. Some of it was fixed by coming in and putting on more paint, and after about 4-5 coats in places, I. am. done. Being a perfectionist, it is a bit irritating, learning to not look up in kitchen. Whether or not it shows is a function of the lighting, it does not show when the lights are on. I used semi-gloss on the ceiling because a pro that came in to give us an estimate said that is the way to go. . . Anyway, lesson learned.

Laura, What did you have on the ceiling before you put up the semi-gloss?

We got the bathroom done in Santa Fe and I love it. I'll start painting this weekend.

Hi Kim - It was in a semi-gloss (I think - whatever it was, it had some "shine" to it), ~25 years old (done before we moved in). The walls had wallpaper which we removed and we painted everything using flat on the walls. The ceiling had an ugly repair which we had fixed, the wall guy did a good job of fixing/texturing that one. We had also moved some can lights to make them more functional, and those repairs weren't quite as good. With flat paint though, I don't think you would notice. What I found with the texture and semi-gloss is that any irregularities in the texture show, and just the nature of the texture means you really have to lay on the paint to get uniformity. It's due to the reflective quality of the paint. In high lighting, it is so reflective that you don't see it. But in lower lighting where there is more light/dark/shadow contrast, it shows. In an adjacent den, we used flat throughout and although the ceiling is not perfect (it is not bad, just not perfect), you don't see it at all. Glad to hear you're making progress!

@ Laura

Whoever told you semi gloss on any ceiling, should come to your house, and paint it out FOR FREE. What an idiot. : ( Seriously..............

Yes, it's painful. And I'm the one with the tweezers and razor blade post painting to insure perfect "seams" against wood kitchen cabinets! You can't pay someone to take that much care. I spent a lot of time trying to make it right. It's not "awful", just in the context of time/care spent, it would have been nice for it to be "right". Husband says it looks great, lol. Thanks.

Well...... given the care you took, a roll over in flat, would be done in a day. To perfection. Come back at it later : ) Unless you run a stir fry, in which case the gloss is handy lol.

so am I supposed to paint the ceiling with flat and the walls with semi gloss? I think Lowes and Home Depot use different names. The card I have from Lowes says:

flat

matte

eggshell enamel

satin enamel

semi-gloss enamel

hi-gloss enamel.

I think the guy at Lowes told me to use satin or semi-gloss. I'd prefer to use the same paint for the ceiling and the walls. The walls are 90% smooth with 10% blemishes for the character of the Santa Fe style. I was going to go buy paint in a little bit, something with low VOCs... Thx!

Seems to be most consistent that satin will be fine and Home Depot Behr Premium Plus got better ratings than Sherwin Williams and other brands. Although none got really high stars I'll go with that.

kimromen

That simply means the color is available in any of six finishes. No wall needs a sheen higher than latex eggshell, and all ceilings but perhaps a bath, are best in flat finish. Satin is trim finish, as is semigloss, which has more shine. Do not use the same finish for walls and ceiling, unless flat on both.

The more texture or imperfection on wall or ceiling, the less shine you WANT. Semi gloss is too shiny for anything but the most perfect trim or cabinetry. Stick to satin.

thx! I often see water droplets on our ceiling in the shower. We will have a glass door so that will probably only be even moreso now. That would make me nervous about doing flat on the ceiling, although I definitely prefer the look of flat. I'm already wondering if I should paint last instead of before tile goes in as I was told tile doesn't sit on paint so well and I need to waterproof the ceiling before paint. Then I was told I need to prime the ceiling, not waterproof it and paint last. ?

Do you have a vent in your bathroom? And if so, do you run it, while showering and for about 10 minutes or so afterwards? Droplets on the ceiling mean you have a moisture issue, somewhere.

cat_ky, We did not have a vent before but for this remodel with did install one. It has a heater so I'm excited! We used to open the bathroom window a lot but not in the winter...

I chose satin paint. The guy at Home Depot said one coat might be enough but it's white so it'd be hard to tell if I missed a spot. Surely I am able to see imperfections a bit more now that I've painted (and the lighting changes in the bathroom so often that it's hard to see in there while analyzing the walls at times). Once that bathroom is done I won't analyze the walls and I'll be happy with it. As for now I love the smooth texture, but the extra `10% of blemishes really was the way to go for me. I had to do a few touch ups on some areas where there were bumps coming through from the old drywall and I smoothed those but they certainly look imperfect, which doesn't matter due to the imperfections. We've never had mold and in Phoenix, even when our wall did have water damage, years later, there was no mold to be found so I think we're fine. Thx for all the help and direction! Now to figure out if I will have the tile guy put in a little handle somewhere for if we get old in this house or at least put a stud for one and mark where valves will go for the plumber who will come Friday. :)