I was stuck for the longest time on how I should address the problem walls in our guest bathroom. But after consulting with a friend and reading tons of articles, I decided on priming the walls and ceiling and then skim coating the trouble areas on the walls.
On the night I was going to make my attempt, I was really worried that it wasn't going to work. I dilly dallied for a few moments. I swept up, straightened up some of my work ares, etc. Finally, I told myself to pull it together and just try something! I wasn't going to get anywhere by not doing anything.
So I cleaned the walls and then primed. That alone made the whole bathroom look so much better.
A few nights later, I returned to skim coat the problem areas. Skim coating is the process of applying thinned out pre-mixed all-purpose joint compound to the problem areas. This was my first time using such a material. Before this project, I'd never heard of joint compound. It turned out to be surprisingly easy to handle. The art is in getting the right consistency. A little bit of water goes a long way so add small amounts until you get the right consistency. If not, just add more compound to compensate.
I applied the skim coat and it went quite well. My results got better and better as I went because I became more familiar with the substance and the application. One thing to be mindful of is feathering out the skim coat. This will produce a better and more finished look.
I left the skim coat to dry overnight and returned to attempt applying texture to the skim coated areas. The skim coat leaves a smooth surface, in contrast to the rest of the existing textured surfaces on the walls. It would look odd if I left it as is with different types of texture throughout the bathroom. This is when I hit another roadblock.
I chose to go the cheap route and apply the texture with a roller. It did not work. I chose to use a paint roller with a 3/4" nap. It still did not have another nap to leave a thick/high amount of compound on the wall to eventually knockdown. In addition, the compound wasn't thick enough. I attempted a few times and then gave up. My wife advised to stop and consider other faster methods to texture the wall. I agreed and called it a night.
After more research and consideration, I decided to go all the way. I am going to apply the texture via spray gun. Harbor Freight had a sale this past weekend on some of the major parts I needed for this job. So I bought an 8 gallon compressor rated around 5 CFM @ 40 PSI (which should be just enough to apply texture), the spray gun, couplers, a filter, a hose, and some oil all for under $200. I, personally, think that was a great deal! So I have all of my equipment and materials. I'm hoping to try it this Saturday. Stay tuned!
On the night I was going to make my attempt, I was really worried that it wasn't going to work. I dilly dallied for a few moments. I swept up, straightened up some of my work ares, etc. Finally, I told myself to pull it together and just try something! I wasn't going to get anywhere by not doing anything.
So I cleaned the walls and then primed. That alone made the whole bathroom look so much better.
A few nights later, I returned to skim coat the problem areas. Skim coating is the process of applying thinned out pre-mixed all-purpose joint compound to the problem areas. This was my first time using such a material. Before this project, I'd never heard of joint compound. It turned out to be surprisingly easy to handle. The art is in getting the right consistency. A little bit of water goes a long way so add small amounts until you get the right consistency. If not, just add more compound to compensate.
I applied the skim coat and it went quite well. My results got better and better as I went because I became more familiar with the substance and the application. One thing to be mindful of is feathering out the skim coat. This will produce a better and more finished look.
I left the skim coat to dry overnight and returned to attempt applying texture to the skim coated areas. The skim coat leaves a smooth surface, in contrast to the rest of the existing textured surfaces on the walls. It would look odd if I left it as is with different types of texture throughout the bathroom. This is when I hit another roadblock.
I chose to go the cheap route and apply the texture with a roller. It did not work. I chose to use a paint roller with a 3/4" nap. It still did not have another nap to leave a thick/high amount of compound on the wall to eventually knockdown. In addition, the compound wasn't thick enough. I attempted a few times and then gave up. My wife advised to stop and consider other faster methods to texture the wall. I agreed and called it a night.
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| Mixing joint compound |
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| My first compressor |
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