Finishing & Texture
Smooth Wall Finish in Olympia & Lacey, WA
Solis Interiors provides smooth wall finishing in Olympia and Lacey, WA, preparing and skimming existing surfaces for a consistent finish. A smooth wall finish eliminates all texture—orange peel, knockdown, and splatter—leaving a clean, modern plane. Solis Interiors converts existing textured walls and finishes new drywall smooth throughout Lacey, Olympia, and Tacoma with precision skim-coating and dustless sanding.
Request an estimate
Texture follows the build year, and the build years here run late
Across the South Sound, wall texture is really a vintage question. DuPont is the clearest case: 75% of its 3,948 housing units went up between 1990 and 2009, with 51.7% in the 2000s alone and a median build year of 2002. Yelm runs the same way, at 59.5% built between 2000 and 2019 and overwhelmingly single-family. Spray-applied orange peel and knockdown belong to that era. Chehalis sits at the other end of the same map, where 29% of its units predate 1940 and the median build year is 1965, so texture there more often sits over older board or plaster and has been patched unevenly across decades.
Raking light, not age, decides where a smooth conversion earns its cost
On the Thurston peninsulas the housing is newer than the cabin-and-estate shorthand suggests: the Johnson Point and Puget Point area has a median build year of 2008 with 63% of its homes built since 2000, while Boston Harbor is genuinely mixed at roughly a fifth pre-1960 and more than half from 1970 to 1999. What decides the smooth-wall question there is glazing and volume rather than era — floor-to-ceiling glass and two-storey vaulted great rooms throw low-angle morning and late-afternoon sun across long wall planes, which is exactly where inconsistent texture reads as shadow banding.
Original video still
A smooth wall under a work light
This still from Solis Interiors' on-site video shows a portable light facing a smooth drywall surface. Lighting helps make surface details easier to inspect.
See the work-light setup →Frequently asked questions
Questions & expert answers
Q1Can you convert textured walls to smooth without tearing out drywall?
Yes. Tearing out sound sheetrock creates unnecessary waste and cost. Solis Interiors converts textured walls by scraping down high stipple, applying high-adhesion bonding primer, and skimming two to three successive tight coats of finishing compound across the full surface. We sand between coats until the texture is completely buried and the plane is flat.
Q2How do we control drywall dust in occupied homes?
Solis plans floor protection, containment, and cleanup for smooth-wall work in occupied rooms. The crew uses dust-extraction vacuums on nearly every job and commercial HEPA extractors when needed, keeping sanding dust contained while the finish is prepared.
Q3What factors determine smooth wall conversion pricing?
Pricing depends on existing texture depth (light orange peel vs. heavy knockdown), ceiling height, room access, and whether the substrate requires repairs or fastener re-securing before skimming begins. We provide clear, itemized square-foot pricing with all primer and prep included.
The process
Want textured walls converted to a smooth finish?
A short path from the first description of the problem to a clear next step.
Step 1 — Describe the surface and light
Share room photos, existing texture, windows or direct lighting, and the finish you prefer.
Step 2 — Clarify the preparation scope
Existing texture, prior repairs, and surface condition can change whether a repair, skim, or broader preparation discussion fits. A site review may be needed to identify the scope.
Step 3 — Agree on the visible finish details
Discuss seams, corners, transitions, and paint sheen before work is scoped. Confirm which walls and related preparation or coating work are included.
Request a bid
Tell Solis Interiors what needs attention. This short form collects only what the crew needs to qualify the next conversation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year, year structure built (via Census Reporter)
Smooth Wall Finish — let’s look at it
Send photos and the room dimensions; you’ll get a written number back.