We are remodeling the kitchen and need to decide whether to do an orange peel texture or knockdown. We will also be adding texture to the family room and hallways. Which do you have and are you happy with your choice?

Hi Topkicker, You can probably guess the correct answer...Yes, you DO need to prime for best results! >>> My little priming phrase..."Priming solves many problems, but creates none..." sums up a lot of things I feel. >>> Your topcoats will... * Bond better, * Develope an even Sheen, * be shielded from staining underneath...IF a good stainblocking primer is used. * Some primers even have Vapor-barrier ratings! >>> Your colors should be light enough that a white primer will be just right. Faron

Granted, smooth walls are very hard to do well, and every little nick or wave in the drywall shows. But when done well, and painted well, it's pretty amazing. And it makes the room look bigger because you lose a visual sense of where the wall actually is, especially if you use a flat finish. I just got so tired of 11 years of that knock-down collecting so much dust and dirt. Another alternative is that with each successive painting of your textured walls, the pattern disappears as the paint builds up. When we bought our house, I immediately painted the bedrooms and noticed a huge difference, especially since I used 2 coats. I didn't do the common areas, and you could see the ridges and plateaus much more easily. To each his/her own.

I don't think texture hurts resale as long as it looks professional and well done. I do know that skimcoating a 3800 square foot house of textured wall will be a whole lot of work. As for the spraying, the 311 sounds good thought you may find that is a bit much for trim. The walls you should backroll (spray the paint on then roll it out). There will be a learning curve to spraying, especially trim spraying. Don't expect to pick up the sprayer and be good at it right away...takes practice.