Painting the Transition Between Drywall and Plaster

[gobofraggle]

After extensive plaster ceiling repairs, where my ceiling meets the walls, there is a transition between plaster (ceilings) and drywall (walls) about one foot down on the walls. After painting with flat latex paint, the painted plaster on the upper walls appears lighter and shinier than the painted drywall (lower down on the walls). This is especially so right where the wall meets the ceiling, where I've used a brush (rather than a roller) to cut-in. (Of course, the plaster is much smoother than the drywall.)

Is there anything I could do to minimize the transition between the plaster and the drywall in terms of painted finish/texture? Someone suggested using a thicker nap roller on the plaster to create some texture that would match the "orange peel" appearance of the drywall.

Any advice?

[Mike Paulsen]

Try rolling on a primer/filler like Sheetrock First Coat, followed by a good primer/sealer, and then paint.

[Norminn]

The plaster is new? Primed? The drywall is old, previously painted?

[Norminn]

And.........did the plaster cure for at least a month?

[gobofraggle]

The room is totally painted, so I really can't go back and repaint the whole room with the Sheetrock product. I am willing, though, to go over the area where the ceiling meets the wall. Should I just keep recoating until the tones match? What about brushstrokes, as compared to the texture a roller leaves?

[RicodJour]

You can't paint one foot down on a wall and expect it to match. Even if you didn't have the plaster/drywall texture difference - it always shows up. Using a coarser nap roller cover and painting the smoother area, then letting it dry and painting the whole wall with the original roller cover is one sequence I use to match textures. Using a coarser roller cover for the whole thing is fine if you like slightly textured walls more than smoother ones.

R

[Phil Again]

If, and that could be a big IF, I understand your question:

Talk to a decorator, getting a match between plaster and drywall will be hard to do. So, don't try. Use another approach, such as a decorative wall-paper strip (with boarder) about 12" or 24" from the ceiling down on each wall. (or how ever far down the wall the problem is.)

Warning, if you don't know what you are doing with matching wall paper colors, window treatment, carpets, color schemes, and color transitions room-to-room, you can get into a lot of ugly real fast.

[Steve Barker DLT]

Using drywall primer on both surfaces would have netted an even looking finish.

s

[Norminn]

The age of the plaster and whether it was primed are important to consider before proceeding. Assuming it cured for at least a month and was primed, the next step would be light sanding of the drywall surface to take down the texture a bit. Then a coat of paint with roller on the entire wall.