Home Improvement Thread

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

f the smooth surface. if I ever have enough fs to gives that I will spend more than 15 seconds of my life considering the pros and cons of a bumpy drywall surface on the walls of my home, i will off myself. who gives a sht? its the finish on drywall. does flat vs smooth have literally any impact on your life in any way shape or form? if not, why spent an extra $100, let alone another grand, so that the drywall looks less bumpy

caring about the drywall surface is the ultimate nickel and dimer. its even worse than caring if someone parks in front of your house

[mac5155]

hey mr roo that's how I felt but mrs mac feels otherwise.

[Willie Kool]

If you ever wash your walls, a smooth finish is a lot easier to clean...

[Nuge]

I would guess that smooth finish costs more because most people want it. Supply and demand.

[mac5155]

Smooth is standard everywhere but the bedrooms, it seemed.

My wife said the same thing WK...
I've never seen her once clean walls.

[nocera]

My girlfriend hates our living room walls but the only way to fix them and give them the smooth finish would be to go down to the studs and start fresh. That ain't happening anytime soon. Choose wisely, mac.

[NTP66]

I'd let your wife win this battle, and you can bring it up when you have to a joint decision later down the road.

[dodint]

That behavior is evidence of the eventual downfall of the two-party marriage.

[shmenguin]

f the smooth surface. if I ever have enough fs to gives that I will spend more than 15 seconds of my life considering the pros and cons of a bumpy drywall surface on the walls of my home, i will off myself. who gives a sht? its the finish on drywall. does flat vs smooth have literally any impact on your life in any way shape or form? if not, why spent an extra $100, let alone another grand, so that the drywall looks less bumpy

caring about the drywall surface is the ultimate nickel and dimer. its even worse than caring if someone parks in front of your house

i guarantee you spend time every day thinking about several more frivolous things than drywall finishing. seems like a very odd line to draw in the sand

[Willie Kool]

I would guess that smooth finish costs more because most people want it. Supply and demand.

It's harder to do. With skip trowel, you basically just slop it on and cut it back off. It takes a lot more skill and time to make it look perfectly flat. I know because I had to try to get my plaster repair in the dining room smooth enough to match the old existing flat plaster.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

i guarantee you spend time every day thinking about several more frivolous things than drywall finishing. seems like a very odd line to draw in the sand

I think about plenty of frivolous things. Think about how many hours ive wasted on 5af alone. But we aren't talking about thoughts here we are talking about cold hard cash. I wouldn't want to spend hundreds (thousands?) more on a different type of drywall finishes

[meow]

Am I missing something? Isn’t that why you wet and dry sand?

[columbia]

That behavior is evidence of the eventual downfall of the two-party marriage.

Is this veiled polygamy propaganda?

[Willie Kool]

Am I missing something? Isn’t that why you wet and dry sand?

You're thinking of sanding joint compound on a typical drywall job. You don't sand plaster. When dry, a veneer plaster wall is much harder and much more water resistant and durable than a drywall/joint compound wall.

If you want the best, a true 3 coat, old-time, lime plaster job is the way to go. You'll pay dearly for it - if you can even find anyone that does it anymore. Most of my 100 year old plaster is probably at least 3/4 inch thick, built up on the wood lath walls behind it. You would break your hand if you punched it. The exterior walls are even thicker, and basically built up right off the brick itself. You could kick them with steel-toed boots and likely not do any more than light surface damage to the plaster.

[shmenguin]

You make a strong point. But on the other hand, plaster walls are truly awful.

[mac5155]

Am I missing something? Isn’t that why you wet and dry sand?

You're thinking of sanding joint compound on a typical drywall job. You don't sand plaster. When dry, a veneer plaster wall is much harder and much more water resistant and durable than a drywall/joint compound wall.

If you want the best, a true 3 coat, old-time, lime plaster job is the way to go. You'll pay dearly for it - if you can even find anyone that does it anymore. Most of my 100 year old plaster is probably at least 3/4 inch thick, built up on the wood lath walls behind it. You would break your hand if you punched it. The exterior walls are even thicker, and basically built up right off the brick itself. You could kick them with steel-toed boots and likely not do any more than light surface damage to the plaster.

My grandfather was a plasterer by trade, and from what I've heard, one of the best in western PA. He plastered three rivers stadium. The walls in my current home (his and my grandmother's former home) are still beautiful, and he's been dead for 26 years.

I used to laugh about there never being any pictures or anything on the walls though... He never allowed my Nana to put any nails in it.

[mac5155]

You make a strong point. But on the other hand, plaster walls are truly awful.

Why do you think this? Just curious. Plaster and lathe, yes... Skim coat veneer though?

[shmenguin]

You make a strong point. But on the other hand, plaster walls are truly awful.

Why do you think this? Just curious. Plaster and lathe, yes... Skim coat veneer though?

There's a strong possibility I don't know the difference

[mac5155]

Plaster and lathe is great for staying up. Terrible for taking out. Really the onlu disadvantage to it.

[Willie Kool]

My grandfather was a plasterer by trade, and from what I've heard, one of the best in western PA. He plastered three rivers stadium. The walls in my current home (his and my grandmother's former home) are still beautiful, and he's been dead for 26 years.

Awesome. Those old-timers were something.

Before I repaired the dining room plaster, Mrs K questioned my ability. Although I had never previously done anything more than spackle some nail holes, I assured her that the Italian part of my ancestry meant I could plaster.

I used to laugh about there never being any pictures or anything on the walls though... He never allowed my Nana to put any nails in it.

lol I have only hung a few pictures here, using the few existing holes. I think I'm going to install picture rail in the living room and bedrooms...

[AuthorTony]

lol I have only hung a few pictures here, using the few existing holes. I think I'm going to install picture rail in the living room and bedrooms...

Go with Command strips.

[Willie Kool]

lol I have only hung a few pictures here, using the few existing holes. I think I'm going to install picture rail in the living room and bedrooms...

Go with Command strips.

I want the rail for aesthetic reasons as well. Hung at top of window height, it would give me about a foot between it and the cove molding for stencils. And I like the look of the exposed ribbons/cords/chains.

[dodint]

That behavior is evidence of the eventual downfall of the two-party marriage.

Is this veiled polygamy propaganda?

They are not my constructs.

[NTP66]

I now picture WK testing out the walls in his friends houses by punching holes in them, and then telling them that they should have gone with veneer finishes.

[Silentom]

Plaster and lathe can DIAF.