Do I have to texture a ceiling?
Question:I am getting ready to renovate a house...or hire someone to do it. Anyway, I am having someone take down the accoustic popcorn ceiling...I just hate it. And I want to repaint. I want a smooth modern look. But my mother-in-law is swearing that I have to put a texture down first. She says I have to use a "knock down" texture than I can repaint it. She says no one has a smooth ceiling, that everyones has a knock down texture. I am looking at my current house's ceiling and it doesn't look like I have any texture at all. Does anyone have any experience with this? Can someone settle this for us?
Answers:
YOU DONT HAVE TO BLOW TEXTURE ON A CEILING, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT FLAT, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO REPAINT OR CLEAN**
You don't have to put texture up but one of its main purposes is to hide all of the flaws that are normal in a drywall job. No matter what you do you will want to put a skim coat of mud and sand it smooth to make sure that screws/nails don't pop out or show. Once you remove the popcorn look at it closely, unless you have an unusually good job you might want to put a light texture coat up.
all i can tell u is let the pros handle that.
You can have untextured ceilings or plain ceilings. It's entirely up to you. I painted houses for many years and saw both in people's homes. Do it however you want.
Absolutely not. You do not have to have any texture on your ceiling if you don't want it. Modern builders have started using the various forms of texture (popcorn, stipple, Spanish lace, et al) to save money on the drywall finishing. It is cheaper to do this than to have the drywall company back several times to mud and sand, and mud and sand, and mud and sand, to get the smooth finish.
You can safely inform your mother-in-law that not only can you have a smooth ceiling, but current market trends show that the textured ceilings are OUT. People want the smooth.
For my two cents, and all the different ceilings I have had, I prefer stipple. It is solid, easy to paint, shows no flaws. Smooth celings show ALL flaws, and are hard to paint in that it has to be perfect or you will see every roller and brush stroke. Popcorn - well let's put it this way - whoever invented it should be shot. That stuff sucks a*s. Spanish lace is good but isn't as easy to patch as stipple.
You don't have to do anything.however, a light texture will to several things...for one it will hide many of the flaws from the sheet rock job.2. It is cheaper that having the sheetrock finishers back several times to get a very smooth service...But it is not a requirement by any means..you do what you want.but a light texture does make things a little easier to finish.
No you do not have to texture your ceiling. Although acoustic spray on (popcorn) does help with echoing.I have smooth ceilings now and do notice echos.
Have fun.
smooth ceilings are better. if you ever need to repair artex or similar it will always show
You know you can do whatever you feel looks best. You don't have to have it textured, but I do suggest putting on a primer first before painting.
i took down a tectured ceiling apart and just went with a plain smooth one . its easlier to clean and paint.
The textured look was famous, I had it, I think it was so contractors didn't have to finish the drywall. If it's flat and without obvious blemishes, I'd roll her.
Mother in law is trying to sell you on what she likes, but not something necessary. If she insists, let her pay for it. If not, no you do not have to texture a ceiling. Most do it to cover up ceiling imperfections and for a change in texture from wall to ceiling. If you choose to let them be flat like walls it will take a little work to fix the imperfections in the ceiling with drywall mud but it can be done. It's just a matter of personal taste, amount of effort and resell value. Is this a house you occupy or is it one you plan to sell? If you are selling I wold suggest the retexturing of the ceiling with the spray technique. It is faster and cheaper to do than the other option. A ceiing can be sprayed in one room in about 10 minutes or so. You also dont have to "knock" it down either. I practice this technique often. Just spray the ceiling and let dry. I do typicaly knock down the walls for a difference in texture. I believe it would be more cost effecteve for you to texture ceilings and not knock them down than it would be to leave them flat. It does look nicer too. But no, to settle the dispute, you do not have to texture the ceilings, its a matter of personal taste.
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