Paint/prime over thinset

Submitted by staff-infection t3_z7qrjn in DIY

I put a good amount of thinset over a plaster wall. The idea was that it was going to be tiled over.

I've decided not to tile it but now there's a rough patch of thin set along the whole wall. How can I get around this? I am concerned that when the wall is painted that the thinset will look rough. Also am not sure whether or not thinset can even be painted.

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loganab13 t1_iy8ayc8 wrote

Tear it out & replace or tile over it. It’ll never look correct if you paint over thinset.

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imoutohere t1_iy8eaqk wrote

Get it as smooth as possible. Then skim it 2 or 3 times with powdered joint compound like easy sand 90 if you want it smooth. You could do a rough plaster look also. Check out YouTube videos for that.

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staff-infection OP t1_iyappo7 wrote

I am seeing conflicting suggestions about using drywall compound on top of thinset. Is it really acceptable?

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Pristine-Today-3079 t1_iyb20v1 wrote

I agree, but for "Get it as smooth as possible." I'd only knock down any bumps sticking out of the current thinset wall. Drywall mud will stick to it, and it will stick better to a rougher surface.

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tired_and_fed_up t1_iy8lawe wrote

You can paint over thinset but it will look like painted thinset/cement. If that is the look you want, then go for it.

Otherwise, you can drywall mud it back to a flatter surface.

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staff-infection OP t1_iyaprkj wrote

But can drywall mud be placed on top of thinset?

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tired_and_fed_up t1_iyb5ffx wrote

Yes, but I would use slightly wetter mud for the first coat as thinset soaks in the moisture.

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Mildly_Angry_Biscuit t1_iybhp07 wrote

You can use joint compound over thinset to restore a smooth surface, no problem. How I've fixed a problem like that is by loading a 12" plastic taping knife with joint compound, and spread a very thin coat over the thinset. I then let it dry, hit it with some drywall sandpaper to get rid of the ridges, then repeated with another coat that I smoothed with a drywall sponge. I recommend a couple coats of PVA primer on the fix prior to paint, just to ensure the paint gets a consistent bite (and you can see any spot repairs you need to do).

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