New Drywall Joined with Old Drywall

[augusta]

Daniel:

Here is a good free resource - has a short video too http://www.drywallschool.com/mud.htm

Make sure you know the different types of mud. I wouldn't use the same type for all coats. You may get away with it on the ceiling since it's textured, but you're going to need the fine mud for your finish coat on the wall (Home Depot sells it premixed in a bag inside a box).

If it's your first time, I'd practice on some scrap drywall. Just screw it to some scrap wood and give it a go. My first few jobs were pretty comical. Several dozen jobs later, you'd never notice a wall or ceiling was patched after I'm done with it.

Hope that helps.

[GabeS]

After I'm done with the final coat and before I prime, I take a cordless light and hold it against the wall and turn it sideways so that the light travels down the length of the wall. With 120 grit sandpaper in the other hand I do a once over really quickly to get any leftover imperfections.

That's the best you can get it. There's always going to be some minor imperfections no matter how good you are. Just depends on how far you want to go.

Like I said, if you drywall the ceiling, you STILL have to compound it. It's more work to drywall. Skimming the walls should not be expensive at all. A single person painter will charge a day's labor, get it done and be gone leaving the painting for you.

You can dramatically increase the drying time by mixing plaster of paris in the compound in the first and second coat. It makes the finish job stronger and more scratch proof. Though it will be more difficult to sand. The last coat should be so thin that it should dry very fast after application. I mix the compound with a little water for the last coat and use a 12" knife. An option to dry sanding the last coat is wet sanding. It's so thin that you could just take a stiff sponge, dip it, and smooth it out.

Obviously, you won't be able to skim walls to an acceptable finish without a lot of experience doing it. Have fun.

[frenchie]

I have never had a drywaller want to skim over textured surface. Is it possible? Yes. But I can see the difficulty with putting on a nice smooth coat.

Tom

That's because most drywallers don't know how to skimcoat.

In terms of skills, the entry bar is lower for drywallers than any other trade (except maybe painters)... "Pro" often isn't saying a lot.

Talk to a plasterer, you'll get a different answer.