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Context: Renovating my house and would like all walls to have a "Smooth" finish.

Questions:

  1. Is it possible to sand or mud the orange peel to create a smooth surface?
  2. Should paint be removed before doing so?

Any advice to create smooth surfaces are welcome.

Max
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    Make smooth. Apply primer. See all the defects that orange peel was hiding. Rip out walls, correct defects to make wall surface perfectly level when the new wallboard goes on. Wonder where all the money went for a "simple change" that turns out not to be so simple, unless you have a high tolerance for smooth but *not nearly* flat walls. Beware.... You can put a long straightedge on the walls as they are now to get an idea of just how much trouble you might be uncorking. – Ecnerwal Jan 15 '23 at 19:49
  • Thank you. I was under the impression that Orange Peel is used because it is faster and cheaper, but not necessarily used because the wall is not perfectly flat. – Max Jan 15 '23 at 22:17
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    @Ecnerwal — that is an answer I’d upvote – Aloysius Defenestrate Jan 15 '23 at 22:30
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    @Max One of the main reasons it's "faster and cheaper" is that you don't spend time and money making the wall adequately perfect to not need to hide what orange peel hides. So the odds that a wall finished with orange peel is anywhere near perfect are astronomically low. – Ecnerwal Jan 15 '23 at 23:24
  • @Ecnerwal Thank you. For imperfections - What do I look for exactly? misalignment of studs, rough joints, etc ? – Max Jan 16 '23 at 02:46
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    There will be tape joints, usually about 4’ down from the ceiling running horizontally and in all the corners. These can be too thick, too thin, or have ragged edges. Studs bowing in or out can create hollows or bulges. If you go for it, be aware of areas of the room that get sideways natural light at points in the day/year and from installed lighting — these are the areas you’ll notice. Flat paint is more forgiving of irregularities. – Aloysius Defenestrate Jan 16 '23 at 03:08
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    Before sanding anything, be aware of how old your paint is. Prior to 1978, it was legal to sell lead paint in most locations in the US. (Some locations banned it as early as 1960.) If your house is older than '78 and you're not 100% certain that the old paint was removed (not just covered), test for lead before sanding. I'm reasonably certain you can pick up a home lead test kit at most hardware stores for a reasonable price. If there _is_ lead in the paint, do **_NOT_** sand it. Either live with what you've got or hire someone to remove it for you. – FreeMan Jan 16 '23 at 16:42
  • Thank you @FreeMan – Max Jan 16 '23 at 17:32
  • Drywall is an illusion. (that its ever flat) OP really should specify what region of USA he is in as smooth walls are very common some places. – Erik Friesen Jan 17 '23 at 01:18

2 Answers2

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If you are very good with large trowel, you can apply a thin layer of mud over it. Then gently sand it to make it perfectly flat.

Alternatively just sand with 80 grid to remove the orange peel effect and the old paint. Followed by fine grid for smother surface. That would create a lots of dust so use sander with vacuum hose attachment.

Ruskes
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Depending on how deep the orange peel is, I would partially power sand it down with 40-80 grit, then skim with all purpose and sand smooth. This is a lot of work however, I'm going to guess its going to cost as much or more than the original tape job cost on the house if you hire it done.

One issue with mud over paint is that paint does not absorb the micro bubbles in the mud like unpainted drywall, so it is probably going to take at least 3 passes to get these filled in.

Definitely don't plan on Semi-gloss paint on top of this.

Erik Friesen
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