What material is used on the walls in Denver homes? (between)

[mczabe]

Texture is NOT common in the Northeast, new construction or not...promise.

ETA: My comment reads angry to me. I'm not angry. I just know that in the Northeast, walls are smooth. Or at least they try to be.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by mczabe

Texture is NOT common in the Northeast, new construction or not...promise.

ETA: My comment reads angry to me. I'm not angry. I just know that in the Northeast, walls are smooth. Or at least they try to be.

That's because those people are strange and have old house fetishes.

(also not angry, just snarky)

[cowboyxjon]

I had to smile when I read this thread because I just bought a house in Denver and it has textured walls. Everyone thought I was weird when I commented on how the place had textured walls, but I grew up on the East Coast and never saw walls like that until I moved west, so the walls are kind of a novelty.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by mczabe

Walls here actually took quite a bit of getting used to, although I've since learned you find this type of wall in other parts of the country as well. The underlying surface is the same (as far as I know) but all the walls - ALL the walls - are then texturized. There are no smooth walls in Colorado. They are all bumpy. I have no idea why this is so. Apparently, it's an extra step at least and extra cost.

Never noticed they were any thinner; they seem thicker if anything to me. But the bumps are really quite distracting for newbees from the east.

Some builders offer an "upgrade" to flat (no texture) walls. They call it "knock down" texture and it basically just makes it easier because the drywall installers don't have to sand the walls perfectly smooth. It's pretty standard these days anywhere in the West.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by cowboyxjon

I had to smile when I read this thread because I just bought a house in Denver and it has textured walls. Everyone thought I was weird when I commented on how the place had textured walls, but I grew up on the East Coast and never saw walls like that until I moved west, so the walls are kind of a novelty.

I didn't know it was such a regional thing. All new houses I've ever been in in California have the same texture. At least it's better than the popcorn ceiling texture of the '70s. I figure after about 15 coats of pain, our wall will be smooth lol!

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Let me comment on this. In the old days and before drywall was common walls were made of plaster. The problem today is getting someone willing to pay for a plaster wall. It is so much easier and cheaper to sheet rock a room. You lay up the drywall and with a drywall screw gun you can attatch a 4 x 8 sheet (or larger) in seconds. After installing the sheet rock or drywall the seems are taped and a mud is applied to the tape and screw holes. When That dries a texture is installed over the drywall. Options for this are a smooth wall that looks similar to plaster, although plaster can have texture as well. This is more labor intensive to get a true smooth wall look. Another option is a orange peel finish. Not as smooth as a true smooth wall but still a nice look. What is popular at least in California, Arizona, and I am assuming Colorado is a knock down finish. For both the orange peel and the knock down finish you spray the mix onto the wall and depending on how the spray equipment is set up will determine the finish that you end up with. After the wall dries in a day or two you sand it lightly, in the case of a knock down finish you knock down the excess material leaving a textured wall. I prefer the look myself. Many people remove the popcorn ceiling and put a knock down finish on the ceiling as well.

[blobbin]

My newish condo in dc has knockdown. I'm trying to recall if most of the places I looked at did, I think so. D.C. is on the east coast but you would be amazed how many times you have to tell customer service reps on the phone that fact.

[steve0617]

I moved from Chicago over the summer. All our walls there are just plain old sanded smooth drywall, which made it super easy to patch/repair holes.

The textured thing out here I'm getting used to although I haven't yet tried to patch anything.

The texture is basically a spray can kind of thing for repairs, right?

Also working on getting used to a closed water system with a pressure relief valve on the water main which then didn't have a hot water expansion tank installed.

So my water pressure sucks cause it's so dialed down to account for the thermal expansion from the hot water heater.

[bhcompy]

Yes, for patch work it is a spray can. Make sure you test it first though, as the first use can provide mixed results as you're not sure how the texture is going to come out(meaning it might not match the texture on the wall.. too clumpy, etc).

[PonderingDon]

As a former architect, I'm with Soon2bnsurprise; it's largely a material and labor issue, which equates to money. A good, smooth-finish wall is more labor intensive and actually uses more drywall mud because a) you can't leave the paper exposed for a host of reasons and b) it's got to go on relatively thick to last.

To address the OPs feeling that it sounded different, several people have hit on the correct issues: thickness of the drywall and construction of the wall will make a huge difference in its sound. Also, whether or not the wall was insulated can change the sound - it may be more (or less) drum-like.

Our first house was built in the 1930's and had 1/2" plaster walls. The house could take longer to heat and cool, but the plaster had surprising thermal efficiency; even without the air conditioning on it would be cool in the middle of a summer day. Of course, it could just as easily be cold as a cave in the winter.