Smooth walls for textured Tumwater rooms
We create a smooth wall finish in Tumwater by skimming over the old texture and bringing the whole wall to one flat plane for paint. Walls that once had orange peel or knockdown end up reading like new board, and we tell you up front which walls and ceilings are included.
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Bring textured walls through to a smooth finish
Existing texture, old repairs, and uneven areas can remain visible after a paint change. Treating one spot alone can leave a transition where the newly smoothed patch meets the surrounding wall.
Solis prepares and skims the selected wall area for a smooth finish, accounting for existing texture, lighting direction, and paint sheen. Working across the surface keeps the finishing area connected and gives the room a consistent ground for its next coat.
- A smooth finish carried across the selected wall area.
- Surface preparation connected to the next paint coat.
Here’s how we get it handled
Text us photos or call
A close-up, a wider view and your city give us a useful starting point. You can also call and talk through the work.
Agree the scope and schedule
We review the work with you, arrange a site visit where needed and put the agreed scope and finish in your estimate.
Get the space finished
Solis completes the agreed work and reviews the finish with you. Include interior painting in the scope for a complete drywall-and-paint handoff.
Have a project in mind? Send us a photo.
Tell us what needs fixing or finishing. We’ll take it from there.
Smooth wall finish in Tumwater homes
When Tumwater's homes were built shapes what is behind the wall and which rules apply to the work.
- 2% Before 1940
- 9% 1940–1959
- 22% 1960–1979
- 24% 1980–1999
- 43% 2000 or later
- 1995Median year Tumwater homes were built
Half of Tumwater's homes were built before 1995 and half after. Send the year your home was built with your photos; it tells us what the walls and earlier patches are likely made of. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, median year structure built
- 33.5%of Tumwater homes were built before 1980
Asbestos was banned from wall patching compounds in 1977, so old patches and joint compound in these homes are tested before they are sanded. U.S. EPA, regulatory history of asbestos bans
- 1978Washington's lead-safe renovation cutoff
Washington's lead renovation rules cover housing built before 1978, and a firm must be certified to do paid renovation work under them. WAC 365-230-020 and 365-230-360
- Tumwater homes built before 1980
About a third of Tumwater's homes were built before 1980, before asbestos was banned from patching compounds in 1977. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024, year structure built (B25034)
Plan the conversion around the wall that is there
A wall with light texture and a wall with heavy knockdown take different amounts of work. We look at the texture, the old patches and any loose paint first. Some walls only need a skim; others need a few repairs or a damaged sheet replaced before the skim goes on. We also pick where the smooth area stops, usually at a corner, so you never see texture end halfway across a wall.
Gypsum Association GA-216 application and finishing of gypsum panels
Smooth appearance and Level 5 describe different things
GA-214 Level 5 means a skim coat over the whole face of new board after the joints are done. Smooth is how the wall looks when we're done. Converting a textured wall reaches the same look by a longer road, since the old texture has to be knocked down or covered first. Our quote names both: the finish level and the texture work it takes to get there.
Older Tumwater walls get tested before sanding
About a third of Tumwater's homes were built before 1980. EPA banned asbestos in patching compounds in 1977, so texture and joint compound in those houses should be tested before anyone sands them. Washington puts that inspection on the owner before work that could release asbestos. In a house built after 1980, the original compound postdates that ban.
Show us the texture you want gone
Text one photo of the wall straight on and one close-up of the texture with a light held to the side. Tell us the year the house was built and whether the ceilings are part of it. That's usually enough for us to say how much skimming the room needs.
Smooth Wall Finish questions in Tumwater
Does Level 5 automatically remove existing wall texture?
No. Level 5 is a skim over the board face. Taking down the old texture is separate work, and our quote lists it on its own line.
Can only one wall be changed to a smooth finish?
Yes. We usually stop the new finish at a corner so the change in texture lands where it looks intentional.
Request an estimate
Text a straight-on photo and a side-lit close-up of the texture, plus the year your Tumwater home was built.
(360) 350-8616Share the project details
Choose the work you need and tell us how to reach you.
Text us photos for a quick estimate!