Heavy Texture Needs Knocking Down
Question: I remember reading some time back of a method to wallpaper over textured walls, namely sheet rock or heavily textured wallpaper. Our problem with our condominium unit in Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii, is 1,400 square feet completed “finished” in textured drywall. Is there a product that will cover the texturing so we can wallpaper the condo?
Answer: If the wall is heavily textured, you’ll have to remove the texture and proceed from there if you’re interested in wallpaper, advises Joel Roses of Dunn-Edwards, president of Western Wallcovering Distributors Assn.
If the texture is not so heavy, any wallpaper dealer should have a covering material that will keep the stipple from showing through, he said. Roses doesn’t like the overwhelming tendency of California builders to texture walls and ceilings; I couldn’t agree with him more. Texturing covers a multitude of sins, including low-quality drywall work.
According to a sampling of 200 home shoppers in new-home tracts in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, nearly 70% prefer a smooth surface over a textured one; a majority of those surveyed would be willing to pay extra for a non-stippled surface.
About 85% of these home shoppers said they plan to use wall covering in some area of their new home, supporting their preference for smooth-finished walls, Roses said. To this I add a hearty Amen!
IN THE MAIL: Professional Builder’s Mid-September issue predicts that residential remodeling expenditures in the United States will top the $100 billion mark this year--the first time this magic number will be exceeded. As usual, Los Angeles will continue to be the biggest single remodeling market, according to Lisa Gilmore writing in the trade publication. She added that the Midwest and Northeast will continue to be the main areas of remodeling in the nation.
It’s too bad that the magazine’s circulation is limited to members of the building community. This particular issue is devoted to bathroom and kitchen remodeling, and most of the jobs illustrated and described are applicable to the real world most of us inhabit. Many of the remodeling jobs in consumer publications are high-end in the extreme. The magazine should be available at larger public libraries or from a friendly builder or contractor.
