Drywall patching advice needed.
 

Just took out a soffit and divider wall in a bathroom in our house. There's a big difference in the height of the surfaces where we put in the patched drywall. The original drywall has an orange peel texture and numerous coats of paint. What's the best method to even this out? I know I have to skim the new sections to bring up the height after taping the joints. But, the tape is going to add height to the original sections. Plus, this is all on the wall in the bathroom with the vanity lighting fixture so any flaws will be magnified by the angle of the light. I'd hate to have to skim and retexture the entire wall, but fear it may come down to that.

I've watched numerous Youtube videos and non seem to address a situation like this. Any suggestions would be appreciated! SmileWavy

Can you skim a bit off with a box cutter where the taping will be (also bevel the edges to get more surface area in the join). Then try to spread the plaster out over three or four layers to blend in the two thicknesses.

Are you looking for perfection? If the new repair is below the surface of the rest of the wall, just use a trowel to fill the difference with hot mud and let dry, then sand and paint. Its a wall, not a car so I wouldn't get carried away with it.

Hang a painting over the offending spot?

We would dilute some drywall mud into the pan, dip the bristles of a whisk broom and fan our hand across the bristles to fling it on the wall until we had the desired texture. It's hit or miss but it gets you close.

YouTube. The Vancouver Carpenter. He covers every drywall repair possible.

It sounds like 1/2" was used instead of 5/8".
Hah I just did the same thing: https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1023147-continuing-thread-what-you-fix-iting-today-45.html
I think the options are to start over with thicker drywall or blend in the edges.
Don't worry about the tape, the difference should be marginal I think and will blend.

Matching the texture patterns will be tougher. Watch those videos. There is popcorn (get spray cans to shoot onto wet primer or pour pellets into the primer and apply), knock down (splat on and smooth but looks tricky without practice), and random star (applied with mud and a round brush).

A thick and I mean THICK nap will help hide your work when repainting.

Use the 12" knife and always stay smooth when applying.
Sandpaper on a pole or 2x4 with big sweeps will help you feel the differences. 60 or 80 grit knocks it down fast.
The flaws will show up with that first coat of primer.
You can always add another skim coat to low spots after that, but any lumps will cause problems.

If the difference is significant, bite the bullet and just pull off whichever area is smaller (easier to redo) or uglier and redo it with thicker/thinner drywall. You should only hae to go to the closest corner. Shim between the 2x4s and drywall if necessary. It will never be "right" otherwise and will always annoy you (and reduce the value of your home). Do it before you put more into finishes so you do not have that cost, make that mess twice.

Use a solid trowel, not a flex trowel....

Bite the bullet.

Pull the offending drywall. The light reflecting off the "blend" will drive you crazy. Hard to tell without pics, but from what you describe, I bet you'll spend more time trying to blend it and (still end up with compromised result) than just starting fresh with something new and flush. It'll go quicker than you think.

I'm making a new room today at work and will be making 2 new walls. I found this video which at close to 3 hours long has to answer anyone's questions on drywall.

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Yes! I've watched quite a few of his videos. He's very skilled. I haven't even done the work yet and know I need to lay on the mud pretty thick. He uses way more than I ever have working on a patch.

The old drywall is definitely 1/2". It looks like 5/8 because of the texture + multiple layers of paint.

I'm a big fan and user of veneer plaster. There is a guy on YT called Kirk Giordano who uses dry hot mud much the same way. It comes in 3-4 setting times, so you can get a lot of work done in a day.

Remember, it can be hard, but it has to be completely dry before you can paint. Several coats of hot mud can be finished off in a day but take a week to dry out. Just like real plaster.

Properly done veneer plaster can be painted day after tomorrow at 70º round the clock temps.