I am removing non-asbestos popcorn ceilings on a 2200 sqft house. All walls in the house are knockdown texture.
After the popcorn comes off, I can either smooth out the drywall or apply knockdown texture to match the walls. Either way I don't really have a preference.
My question is how do these two compare in terms of cost, labor, and skill required? Assume that all specialty tools would need to be purchased/rented and the entire interior will be repainted after.
Also, if I smooth out the ceilings, will it look unusual with the knockdown walls?
Best Answer
If you remove the popcorn texture with as few gouges and mars as possible than a smooth ceiling is the faster and least costly. Of course this is completely dependent on your skills with repairing and patching drywall. The extra step taken to apply a knockdown texture (which is a challenging task) will add to the total investment for the job when compared to skim coating. Skim coating the ceiling is patching and filling any irregularities so that it's appearance is uniform and smooth. It is not a substantial difference in labor and materials, approximately less than half if texture is removed attentively. Conversely, if the ceiling has many divots and uneven sections than applying a textured knockdown would be faster because it would hide these imperfections that add to the labor of skimming coat them. Lastly, having a contrasting (smooth) ceiling finish, although completely subjective, is perfectly acceptable in any style motif.