Does anyone know what kind of finish this is?

Question

This are interior walls in a property we just purchased and are in the process of rehabbing. The house was originally built in 1960 so I don't know if this was popular at that time or sometime later. We are trying to find out the best/cost effective way to refinish or remove. 2 of the photos are of the fire place and it looks like this may be a panel that was placed over the original drywall and then finished. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

ated. Thanks!

Sorry the photos were taken at night and in poor lighting.

ated. Thanks!

Sorry the photos were taken at night and in poor lighting.

Cody Thompson · Answer

@David Handel The second picture is a profile of the fire place. It looks to me like  there is a panel placed over the original brick and then this finish  done on the panel. I could definitely be wrong about that. The idea  being we want just a standard drywall finish as opposed to the 'Venetian  Plaster' you mentioned. We can' tear anything off yet because the  appraiser needs to come back through. I think if we just prime and paint  it will not bond very well and we would still have the texture showing  through. It's not the style we're going for and I think is was done by  an amateur. Thanks for the response.

@Marcus Curtis  It does look to be in overall good condition, just not very well executed. We picked up some of supplies last night and will be testing a few areas to see what works best.

@Jonathan Key  Definitely not pretty and definitely not what we are looking for. The property is a mid-century modern and judging by the color choices and the neighbors, the old owner was a bit eclectic. I'll try to get better before pictures as well.

David Handel · Answer

The first picture looks like Venetian Plaster.  It is a multiple-layered, hand trowelled finish.  The products I am familiar with produce a higher gloss with more buffing. The 2nd just looks like a bunch of layers of paint over cinder block.  What are you looking to do here?  I have been in the paint business for almost 15 years, so I might be able to give you some guidance.

Pat L. · Answer

Thats exactly what I did, but all the walls were a 'cosmetic' Adobe finish. Scraping it etc was a waste of time so strapping & new drywall was the fastest & cleanest solution.I also did the popcorn ceilings as well.

I replaced all the old metal electrical outlets prior to the rehab so I could recess them correctly before the new drywall went up.

Peter Sanchez · Answer

are you sure that's a finish?  It looks like someone covered up the plaster with wallpaper, then removed it later on.  that "pattern" looks like old glue

Paul Ortiz · Answer

@Cody Thompson

I agree with @David Handel

it looks like a poor quality work of Venetian Plaster.

Michael Hicks · Answer

A lot of times it is easier to pull off the trim, put extenders on the receptacle boxes, and hang 1/4" drywall of spots such as these providing you are not just covering up a problem but rather taking care of a cosmetic issue.  I have done this more with ceilings than anything due to cutting down on the mess but the concept works both ways.  Hope this helps.  Best of Luck, Mike

Jonathan Key · Answer

@Cody Thompson Whatever it is it sure is ugly! Please post pics when you get it done so we can see the transformation!

*followed

Marcus Curtis · Answer

Looks like your standard skip-trowel plaster application. In the mid 70's it became popular to start using acrylic plaster which is essentially acrylic paint with plaster mixed in as a thickener versus a bonding agent. You might try chipping/chiseling it in a inconspicuous area to see if it falls off. Otherwise, if it is generally good condition you should be able to prime it, skim coat it and finish it as you would with any drywall/plaster.

Cody Thompson · Answer

The second picture is a profile of the fire place. It looks to me like there is a panel placed over the original brick and then this finish done on the panel. I could definitley be wrong about that. The idea being we want just a standard drywall finish as oppsoed to the 'Venetian Plaster' you mentioned. We can' tear anything off yet because the appraiser needs to come back through. I think if we just prime and paint it will not bond very well and we would still have the texture showing through. It's not the style we're going for and I think is was done by an amateur. Thanks for the response.

Does anyone know what kind of finish this is?

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