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Learning how to texture a wall can help DIYers transform boring surfaces or newly built walls into visually appealing ones with rustic charm or depth. Texturing walls also can help hide imperfections that might exist.
DIYers can choose from several methods and tools to apply and create texture, and we’ve addressed five common wall texturing methods, incorporating advice from painting professionals.
Wall Texture Types
Simply rolling texture onto bare or damaged walls can improve their appearance, but several types of texturing can look more professional and purposeful. According to Chuck Reger, franchise business coach with Five Star Painting, a Neighborly company, some are easier for DIYers than others. “Knockdown and orange peel are manageable for beginners; skip trowel and sand swirl demand more skill and patience,” says Reger. Common types of wall texture are:
- Comb: This is a simple technique, creating thin lines in either direction, or even swirls, with a comb tool or notched trowel.
- Popcorn: Though popcorn walls and ceilings hark back to the ‘70s, the texture goes on easily and is superb at hiding imperfections; it is typically achieved with a sprayer.
- Orange peel: This texture has smaller bumps than popcorn texture, and is easier to clean. Spray the texture material on in small splatters from a can or a spray hopper.
- Knockdown: Making a second pass over orange peel texture with a trowel or sponge to flatten peaks and bumps gives the wall this stucco-like appearance. For stomp technique, smack a stiff brush repeatedly against the compound. Some of the mud pulls away from the wall with each strike. Before it dries, eliminate unwanted peaks with a knife or paint scraper.
- Swirl or sand swirl: Swirls create both texture and movement on a wall by using a trowel to create a swirl pattern (or by using a special brush or roller for complete circles). This texturing type requires some skill, and might be best left to a professional.
- Slap brush: This technique creates a random pattern of edges or bumps with a stiff brush, and requires more skill than other texture types.
- Slap brush knockdown: Combining slap brush and the flattening of knockdown, this more advanced texture type involves several tools to accomplish a finished look with random patterns of wide lines.
- Skip trowel: Similar to knockdown, this type involves applying texture with a sprayer and then using a trowel to pull the material around, lifting every so often for the skipped look. Reger lists this among types that “demand more skill and patience.”
Project Overview
Working Time: About 3 hours for a standard 10-foot by 10-foot wall
Total Time: 27 hours, including drying time
Skill Level: Beginner to expert, depending on the texture type chosen
Estimated Cost: From $30 to $1,000 (50 cents to $2 per square foot for a pro)
Before You Begin
Before applying texture to a wall, decide the best method and texture type for the look you want to achieve. Also assess tools you have on hand, the cost of materials and tools, and your DIY wall texture skills. No matter the method, start with a smooth, even surface “for better texture adhesion and a uniform finish,” says Reger. The existing drywall “should be free from any cracks and the drywall tape needs to be skim coated and sanded,” he says. Painted walls in good condition need only a coat of primer before texturing, says Reger.
Be sure the surface is clean and that skim coats or primers are dry. Then, gather all the tools you need so you can work relatively quickly to prevent premature drying of your texture material while you search for tools or supplies. In addition to specific tools listed with each below, gather typical painting project supplies like drop cloths to protect surfaces, a ladder, and a brush or sponge to cut into corners.
How to Texture Walls With Joint Compound
SUPPLIES
Premixed joint compound
Water
Clean bucket or pail for mixing
Drill with mixing wand
Trowel or wide compound knife
Drywall mud pan (if desired)
Sponge, roller, notched trowel, or brush, depending on texture type desired
Also known as drywall mud, joint compound is a material designed to cover drywall tape or imperfections. When working with joint compound, avoid applying it to a large area; work in patches as you note how quickly the material dries on the wall. Follow these basic steps to apply the compound and add texture:
- Add water to the compound just before applying, according to the product’s label directions and how you will apply the material.
- Mix the water in thoroughly, using a drill with a mixing wand if possible, until it has the consistency ranging from thick pancake batter to peanut butter (thicker for a more detailed or defined pattern).
- Apply the watered-down compound to your wall using a paint roller or trowel. A trowel can apply thicker layers over problem areas.
- If using a trowel or compound knife, hold the tool at an angle (of about 15 degrees), spreading as you apply.
- Go back over the compound with a trowel to knock down peaks or create your desired texture with a specific tool. For example, dab with a sponge or brush, use a special swirl brush or roller, or use a notched trowel to create ridges or lines.
- Before the texture dries, step back and check your work periodically.
- Check the work again when you’ve finished a wall, looking for areas that lack texture or have too much, adding compound or adjusting texture as needed.
- Allow joint compound to dry thoroughly (typically 24 hours) before covering the wall with paint.
How to Texture Walls With Paint
SUPPLIES
Primer
Textured paint or texture additive
Roller, paint sprayer, or a trowel
Many of the major paint manufacturers offer lines of textured paints. The paints are available in a range from smooth to coarse texture, often based on common wall texturing types such as knockdown or popcorn, or as sand texture or Venetian plaster. “Textured paint can offer subtle texture, but typically lacks the depth of traditional methods like trowel or knockdown technique,” says Reger. They also can be more difficult to remove than plaster. In addition, texture additives are available for most interior paints to broaden color choice.
- Start with a small accent wall or practice piece to master the application of textured paint. Some of these products, such as Venetian plaster, take time and skill to master.
- Prime the clean, touched-up walls.
- Tape off areas you want to protect from the paint.
- Follow manufacturer recommendations for application.
- In general, work quickly to cover the entire surface before the coat dries to prevent rigid lines where sections intersect.
- After the recommended drying time, check for missed areas. Most textured paints require two coats, one for the base and another as the finishing layer, using your desired texturing tool.
How to Texture Walls with a Roller
SUPPLIES
Premixed joint compound or textured paint
Paint tray
Paint roller and finishing roller if desired
Roller cover (½-inch to ¾-inch nap)
Paint brush
Using a paint roller to apply joint compound or textured paint is a simple and inexpensive approach to wall texturing, relying on tools most DIYers have on hand. One pass alone can create a basic texture with an antique look.
- Start with clean, dry walls.
- Pour medium-to-thin texture compound (or a textured paint product) into a roller tray.
- Dip a ½-inch nap (or thicker) paint roller brush and roll the texture product onto a section of wall.
- To add a more finished look, roll the wall again with a clean roller brush after the joint compound has partially dried to lift some off for a more finished texture.
- Follow manufacturer directions for textured paint or additives to ensure proper roller application and number of coats.
- Go back over the wall as desired with other texturing tools or a finishing broadleaf roller with a design.
- Texture corners or edges where the roller cannot reach with a brush.
- Allow the paint or compound to dry completely before painting.
For a faux finish, which gives the allusion of texture with standard paint, roll on a base coat and allow it to dry. Then roll a second paint color or glaze over the base coat with a ¾-inch nap roller or a special stencil roller.
How to Texture Walls with a Sponge
SUPPLIES
Paint
Synthetic or paint sponges
Sponges are handy tools for second passes over trowel- or roller-applied compound to create a stippled effect in the texture, especially in hard-to-reach corners (you can easily cut a sponge to fit). A typical household synthetic sponge will create a fairly uniform effect, while sea sponges create more natural patterns. Paint sponges also work well to create interesting faux textures with standard or textured paint.
- Apply wall texture with a roller or trowel, depending on whether you want to start with a relatively smooth or more raised effect.
- Dab the sponge on the compound while it is still relatively wet to achieve a stippled effect. Avoid a wiping motion.
- For faux texture with paint, prepare the wall, including painting the base layer or underlying color you want to show through the sponged paint.
- Soak one side of the sponge in the paint and dab it randomly but repeatedly on the wall.
- After finishing, check your application or texturing to improve its natural look or make it more uniform, dabbing as needed.
How to Texture Walls With a Texture Sprayer
SUPPLIES
Drop cloths and painter’s tape
Joint compound mixed with water
Gravity-fed texture sprayer or pressurized texture sprayer (purchase or rent)
Finishing tools
Although wall texture spray cans are available and relatively inexpensive, they are designed primarily for small jobs or to repair patches or popcorn texture, for example. If you wish to texture a ceiling, a large surface, or several walls, consider using a drywall texture sprayer to speed up the task. The tool should be available for purchase or rental from home improvement centers.
A texture sprayer is similar to a paint sprayer, which uses either gravity or compressed air and a gun-like nozzle to spray dense texture. Just beware that using these tools requires some skill, along with “proper setup and cleanup,” says Reger. If you’re uncomfortable using a sprayer, consider getting quotes from a professional.
- Cover any windows, light fixtures, floors, or other surfaces nearby, and remove furniture.
- Mix the joint compound and water well, according to the directions of the compound manufacturer and the sprayer instructions. Spraying joint compound typically requires a thinner consistency than if using a roller or trowel.
- Fill the sprayer’s hopper with the mixed joint compound.
- Before starting, check the sprayer label directions to determine how to adjust the nozzle to control how much material it sprays to match your desired pattern and coverage.
- Spray in smooth and consistent motions, completing one wall before beginning another.
- Adjust the nozzle as needed, wiping off any unwanted material before it dries.
- Complete the texturing design as desired with tools such as a trowel or sponge before the compound dries completely.
- Clean the hopper and sprayer as soon as possible after finishing, according to the unit’s directions.
Tips for Wall Texturing
Keep it random. Larry Oliver of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Lawrence Oliver Painting, says that no matter which technique you use: “When texturing walls, try not to be too repetitive, making the same shape over and over like chicken tracks,” he says. “To create a more professional finish, keep the textured pattern random.”
Easily correct mistakes. When working with joint compound, if you apply too much or incorrectly position it, you can simply wipe away the mistake and begin again, even smoothing out damp compound with a trowel and starting over.
Trowel at an angle. When learning how to texture a wall, always apply joint compound while holding the trowel at about a 15-degree angle, Oliver suggests. “The slight angle and light pressure ensure that you do not smooth out your finish too much,” he adds.
Adjust drying time to reflect conditions. When working with joint compound in humid climates or areas, “allow extra drying time,” says Reger, and use fans or dehumidifiers to prevent sagging or uneven textures. He suggests that in dry climates, DIYers “lightly mist the surface to prevent cracking or premature drying during application.”
Watch edges and corners. Many DIYers don’t pay enough attention to corners and edges, says Oliver. “Always remember not to be heavy-handed in the corners and edges,” he cautions.
