Painting Textured Walls? Here's How to Do It Right
If you have textured walls in your home, painting them can feel like an intimidating task. The unique contours and indentations seem impossible to cover evenly. However, with the right prep work, painting techniques, and tools, you can give your textured walls a fresh, new look.
With these tips and steps, you'll be able to achieve a smooth, consistent finish on your uneven, textured surfaces.
Assessing the Walls and Choosing Paint
Before breaking out the paint, it's important to fully assess the current state of your textured walls. Look for any cracks, damages, stains, or flaws that will need patching and repairing prior to painting. Also determine if the existing paint is in good condition or will need to be sanded or primed first.
When choosing paint, opt for a high-quality latex or acrylic formula. The paint should be thick enough to fully cover the textures but thin enough to avoid clogging the uneven grooves. A semi-gloss or satin finish will help smooth out the appearance of the textures. Darker paint colors will also disguise imperfections better than light hues. Purchase all the paint you'll need in one batch to avoid variances in color.
Prepping Textured Walls for Painting
Proper prep work is crucial for getting flawless results painting textured walls. Here are the key steps:
- Remove wall plates, outlet covers, and light switch plates.
- Clean the walls with an all-purpose cleaner and rinse thoroughly.
- Fill any cracks, holes, or damages with spackle or joint compound.
- Sand glossy areas to help the new paint adhere.
- Tape off baseboards, trim, and ceiling edges with painter's tape.
- Apply painter's caulk to gaps and seams to prevent bleeding.
- Prime bare drywall patches and repaired areas.
Picking the Right Color for Textured Walls
While color is a matter of personal preference, some shades will help conceal or downplay the wall textures better than others. Darker, subtler colors like grays, greens, and blues will make the walls recede. Glossier paint finishes also minimize the visibility of textures. For a lively accent wall, brighter colors can highlight the dimension of the textures.
Paint Application Techniques
Applying paint properly is key to getting the textured walls fully covered without losing definition of the contours. Follow these techniques:
Priming Textured Walls
Always apply a coat of high-quality primer before painting. This helps the topcoat of paint adhere evenly. Look for primer specially formulated for textured surfaces. Apply in long, slightly overlapping strokes using a 1/2 or 3/4 inch nap roller.
Cutting-In Trim and Edges
Use an angled sash brush to carefully "cut-in" around all trim, corners, ceilings and edges. This will give you clean, defined lines. Hold the brush at a 45 degree angle and lightly dab the bristles against the edges. Don't heavily brush back-and-forth.
Achieving Full Coverage
When rolling paint onto textured walls, use a thick 1/2 to 1 inch nap roller to work the paint into the grooves. Apply in a crisscross W or N pattern. Roll in different directions to cover all angles. Apply enough pressure to reach recessed spots but not so much that you remove paint from protruding areas.
Add extra coats as needed until the texture is fully covered. Thinner paint will absorb more on textured walls, so apply less paint per roll for the first coat. After the first coat penetrates, subsequent coats will glide on easier for full coverage.
Troubleshooting Common Texture Painting Issues
Painting textured walls comes with some unique challenges. Here are solutions for some common problems:
Removing Old Wallpaper
Eliminate any remaining wallpaper glue by scoring the surface with a multifunction tool, spraying with remover, and scraping. Sand any heavily textured glue residue before priming and painting.
Fixing Cracks and Damages
Fill any cracks, chips, or holes with spackle or drywall joint compound. Allow to fully dry and sand smooth. Spot prime repairs before painting the full wall.
Covering Stains
Block bleed-through from water stains, smoke damage, etc. using a heavy duty primer like Kilz before painting. For grease stains, clean with TSP and rinse thoroughly before priming.
Preventing Absorption Issues
If the texture absorbs paint unevenly leaving some areas muted, apply a coat of primer/sealer so the topcoat glides on smoothly. Use a nap size that matches the depth of the texture.
Achieving a Professional Finish
With the right tools and techniques, you can achieve a polished, pro-quality finish on DIY textured wall paint projects:
Minimizing Brush Strokes
Paintbrush marks on flat paint will make the texture more visible. Roll paint on instead of brushing. Finish with light feathered strokes blending in any lines.
Ensuring Consistent Coverage
Maintain a wet edge and roll systematically from top to bottom in 3-4 foot wide sections. Overlap strokes to blend paint evenly across the entire wall.
Adding Accent Colors
Define architectural details by painting trim, ceilings, or accent walls in a crisp complementary color. Contrast makes textures recede into the background.
Avoid hanging heavy items directly on textured walls which can pull off paint. Use adhesives strips or anchors in wall studs instead. Touch up any nicks or scrapes right away.
You can give your textured walls an updated look with the right preparation and painting strategy. Properly prepped surfaces, quality primer and paint, and smart application techniques will help you achieve full coverage and a uniform finish. Follow these steps and tips to paint textured walls the right way.