What texture for ceilings?

2 years ago

This stucco-ish ceiling texture runs throughout my house, including the bathrooms and closets. The walls are smooth.

The ceiling is currently unpainted. It needs to be painted, and a few small parts need to be patched. I will be removing a soffit in the kitchen, but I’m pretty sure the texture continues above the soffit.

What texture should the ceilings be?

Should I sand them all smooth? I have removed popcorn ceilings before so I know about the partial skimcoating (over taped areas) and mess. I also plan to skimcoat the smooth walls over time because they have a lot of bad mud repair. So I am committed to refining my drywall skills, at least for smooth walls. I’m not so committed to texturing drywall (orange peel and knockdown).
Should I sand just a bit to try and simulate a knockdown texture?
Should I leave them as is and paint over them? Paint will be required regardless of texture. But once painted, removal of the texture will be much more difficult.
Should I do different textures in different rooms? For example, smooth in kitchen and bath, stucco in all other rooms? (There is even an outdoor closet that has this ceiling texture - maybe it was done before the walls were put up.)

The house was built in 1989, so I am not worried about asbestos. My previous home was built in 1982 and tested negative for asbestos. This home was not part of a development. I use a good respirator mask regardless.

There is 2-3” crown moulding currently, and I will be adding more to it on the walls to make it appear wider.

Ceilings are white. (The room and this pic are dark. I plan to add more windows for more natural light. The ceilings will probably be painted SW Extra White like the trim, but matte).

Thanks for your input!

Sand all ceilings smooth

Sand all ceilings to simulate knockdown texture

Keep the existing stucco-ish texture on all ceilings

Do different textures in different rooms (please elaborate in comment)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

arcy_gw
2 years ago
Sanding them yourself won't make them uniform. Smooth is nice but very expensive. Trying to get a ceiling perfect with no joints or lack of uniformity showing is very difficult on a large expanse over your head.
kelli_ga thanked arcy_gw
kelli_ga
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I could try removing the texture with a water sprayer and scraper like I did when I removed the popcorn ceilings in my previous home. That actually worked out pretty well. I could practice on one of the small bathrooms or a closet.

The ceilings are 8’ in most places, so I am not concerned about access.

I did have to apply joint compound to even out the taped seams in the other house, and sand. Yes, it was difficult, but it worked out well enough. When I painted, I used a roller and BM paint (maybe regal?), so painting was a breeze, and created a slight orange peel texture. But later when I did a repair, that painted texture was hard to match. So I planned to spray the ceiling this time. Again, I can practice on the small bathroom. (I usually paint semigloss all around in bathrooms.)

And it doesn’t HAVE to be perfect. It is sort of a cottage in the woods in a farming community. A few anomalies are OK.
Related Professionals
San Angelo Interior Designers & Decorators · Lexington Bathroom Remodelers · Raleigh Bathroom Remodelers · Elgin Bathroom Remodelers · Newport Bathroom Remodelers · Cornwall Bathroom Remodelers · Panama City Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Toms River Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · West Plains Interior Designers & Decorators · DeRidder Furniture & Accessories · Boston Interior Designers & Decorators · Colorado Springs Architects & Building Designers · Monroe Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Napa Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Juneau Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
chispa
2 years ago
If you have the time and patience, I would go for smooth.
kelli_ga thanked chispa
cat_ky
2 years ago
I like smooth the best, but, if the ceilings are in decent condition, I would leave the texture and just paint them. Ceilings should be painted with flat paint.
kelli_ga thanked cat_ky
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
I do not think sanding will be easier that stripping it all off . You have done it before you know how I say take it off and then have a go at drywalling . Ceilings are always hard to work on since working over your head is never wonderful i dai all my ceilings and drywall tape mudded and finished it was lot of work but IMO so much nicer . Your ceilings do not look like the usual popcorn so maybe the easy answer i paint always flat or matte never gloss even in the bathroom
kelli_ga thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting