How to Achieve a Textured Wall Surface with Paint

LESLIE: Nora in Texas is on the line with a textured-wall question. Tell us what you’re working on.

NORA: We are remodeling our house and we have a room that has a wall that has some flaws in the wall: some bumps and things that I know I won’t get out. But we were going to – we were texturing it with a lightweight joint compound and a paint roller. But when I put it on, I kind of went above my head and came down and then I dipped again, went across the wall and then went across the top about a foot from the ceiling to the – where I’d started. Then went across the bottom from the foot – from the – right ended to the floor. Is it going to show line – how do you keep from showing line marks and …?

TOM: Well, you know, Nora, there’s paints that are designed to do that; you don’t have to use spackling. But I mean I can respect the fact that you probably had some spackle and maybe you just tried to make that work. How do you avoid paint lines or how do you avoid trowel lines with that? You only get one shot to do it and that’s when you work it when it’s wet.

NORA: OK.

TOM: It’s OK to cut-in like that but before it dries. What you have to do is go across the wall and sort of break into those sort of bands so that you have a pattern there.

NORA: OK.

TOM: I probably would not have used spackle for that, if it was me. I would have used a good-quality textured paint, which would have given you the same effect. But it sounds like that ship has sailed and now you’re working with the spackle. Is that correct?

NORA: Well, yes. What kind of paint has texture in it?

TOM: Oh, there’s lots of different paints. I know, for example, I think it’s Valspar has got about a dozen different ones. And I’m sure every major paint manufacturer has a textured paint.

NORA: So you just roll it on like paint and it …?

TOM: That’s right. It has less coverage. So while regular paint covers about 400 square feet per gallon, textured paint will cover between 150 and 200 square feet per gallon.

LESLIE: And it also depends – the application depends on the type of texture that you choose. Some of them have certain rollers that are required – certain applicators, I should say – that will achieve that look for you.

NORA: OK. Well, thank you very much.