Yes, you can absolutely smooth textured walls. The most popular and cost-effective method is skim coating—applying a thin layer of drywall joint compound (mud) over the texture until the wall is perfectly flat.
How to Smooth Textured Walls
Switching from textured to flat walls is a big investment…it's labor-intensive, and you need to vet the right professionals who know how to do the job right the first time. PLUS, the mess and dust created during the removal process could be a health disaster floating all over your home.
Smoothing textured walls typically costs between $𝟏.𝟓𝟎 and $𝟑.𝟓𝟎 per square foot for labor and materials to skim coat or sand over the texture. For a standard 1,500-square-foot home with 8-foot ceilings, you can expect the total expense to range from $𝟑,𝟓𝟎𝟎 to $𝟗,𝟕𝟓𝟎.
In most cases, skim coating your wall makes it easier for a painting job to be perfect. It's more like you are prepping your wall before repainting them. This helps remove uneven surfaces and bumps surfaces. If you paint without skim coating your wall, you might have uneven walls and surfaces.
In upscale real estate, details like Venetian plaster or hand-applied finishes can significantly increase a property's perceived worth. While some homeowners attempt to texture walls themselves, luxury finishes demand precision and expertise.
Cost: Skimming is usually cheaper because it needs fewer materials and less labour.
Skim coating is generally more affordable than the cost of drywall repair or full replacement. The size of your room has the biggest impact on the cost of skim coating. It costs $1.10 to $1.30 per square foot to skim coat drywall. This cost doesn't include the price of drywall or drywall installation.
Removing wall texture is highly laborious, very messy, and requires significant patience. While challenging, it is very manageable for a DIYer. Instead of scraping or sanding the texture off, the standard and most effective professional method is to "skim coat" the wall with joint compound to create a smooth surface.
Skim coating can last for about a decade. But they will need constant repair and renovation. Although the task is a tedious one with a lot of time required, if done without a single error the restoration can make the walls look all good as new again.
Yes, textured walls can decrease a home's resale value, particularly in regions where smooth walls are standard, as they are often viewed as dated or difficult to repair. While common in some areas (e.g., the Southwest), heavy textures like popcorn or knock-down can reduce value by $500–$1,000 per 500 square feet due to removal costs.
Choose skim coating for cosmetic flaws, like minor dings, texture removal, or wallpaper damage, provided the wall is structurally sound. Choose replacement for major damage, such as deep gouges, mold, sagging, or water damage, where the drywall core is compromised.
To cover textured walls, you can skim coat the surface with joint compound for a smooth finish, apply heavy-duty wall liners to bridge the texture, or disguise the imperfections using flat paint and smart lighting. Skim coating is the most permanent and traditional method.
Polycell Polyfilla SmoothOver for Damaged & Textured Walls is the easy way to create a perfect foundation for a great finish. Its special self-levelling formula fills between ridges and bumps and covers cracks and large areas of damage giving a smooth finish that's ready to paint.
Some drywall finishers add a small amount of dish soap (like Dawn) to drywall mud as a workability hack. They do this to act as a surfactant, which reduces the surface tension of the mud.
Yes, you can sand down textured walls, but the process depends entirely on the type of texture. For mild bumps like "orange peel," sanding works; for heavier textures like "knockdown" or "stucco," skim coating (applying joint compound over it) is much faster and more effective than sanding.
The cost to remove texture from walls typically ranges from $𝟏.𝟓𝟎 to $𝟑.𝟓𝟎 per square foot for removal and skimming alone, or $𝟑.𝟓𝟎 to $𝟔.𝟓𝟎 per square foot if you include priming and painting. For a standard 1,500 sq. ft. home, expect to pay between $𝟓,𝟐𝟓𝟎 to $𝟗,𝟕𝟓𝟎 for a complete, professional smoothing.
Textured walls are not entirely out of style, but the types of textures used have shifted dramatically. Modern design favors subtle, touchable textures like Venetian plaster or limewash. Conversely, heavy, builder-grade patterns (like "knockdown," "orange peel," or popcorn) are widely considered outdated and can negatively impact home resale value.
I find that the roller is a little bit quicker and also causes less bubbles. But taping knife works too! Use the roller to roll on the first coat of joint compound and then take the taping knife to scrape and smooth it out to a thin layer. I use the mud pan to put any of the excess joint compound.
Before the widespread adoption of drywall in the 1940s and 1950s, older houses used a method called lath and plaster. This technique consisted of nailing thin wooden strips (lath) horizontally across wall studs and coating them in thick layers of plaster.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Skim Coating
The process can be time-consuming and may necessitate multiple coats to achieve the desired effect. Furthermore, without proper application and drying conditions, it is prone to cracking or peeling, necessitating future repairs.
Essential Techniques for a Smooth Wall Finish with Joint Compound. Applying joint compound correctly is an art form. This step takes the wall from rough to polished and, when done right, provides a surface that's ready for flawless painting. Mixing Joint Compound: Aim for a smooth, creamy texture to avoid lumps.
People choose plaster over drywall for its superior durability, better soundproofing, and smoother, more polished aesthetic. While drywall is quicker and cheaper to install, plaster provides a premium, hard-surface finish that is highly resistant to dents and is ideal for curved walls.
Skimming is a finishing technique that involves applying a thin layer of plaster, typically around 2–3mm, over an existing surface, such as plasterboard or old plaster, to create a smooth and polished finish.
Average skim coat cost
The cost to skim coat walls is $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot, depending on the room size and height. Skim coating drywall ceilings costs $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot.