With many wall texture types available, finding one that’s perfect for your home can be a challenge. Choosing a wall type is a commitment. Most people will begin by searching online for “drywall texture companies near me,” which is a good place to start. However, if you want to go deeper, you’ll need the right information.

Wall textures offer dramatic effect for your living room and dining room, for example. Texture also adds value to your home. Look at it like this, a wall is a canvas. Once you wrap your mind around that idea, everything else should be easy. If you let your creative juices flow, you might surprise yourself and your family.

After you select the type of wall texture you want, choose you’ve taken the first step of the journey. The next step is choosing the texture for your wall.

Should I Remove Old Drywall Textures?

If you’re trying to determine whether you should remove old drywall textures, consult a professional. Depending on your skill level, this might be a good DIY project or if you don’t know what you’re doing it could be a disaster. If the wall texture was applied pre-1980, take an old piece and have it tested.

If the wall texture was applied in the 80s or later, you shouldn’t have any concerns. However, you can apply a thin layer of drywall mud or plaster to your wall and use that as a base instead of scraping away the old drywall.

Another option would be to remove the wall texture and apply new drywall.

Types Of Wall Texture

Drywall is the most popular type of wall and ceiling in US homes. It is closely related to plaster. However, did you know that drywall can also have a molded layer?

Sante Fe

Sante Fe is a type of wall texture that gets its name from its origin, the state of New Mexico. The drywall texture is also popular in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California, and Nevada.

Unlike other textures, this wall texture is applied with a finishing knife by skimming a thin, flat layer of drywall mud over the drywall surface. When you want an elegant finish or you want to create a dramatic effect, Santa Fe would be a perfect choice.

The trick is not allowing the drywall to cover the entire surface. There will be bald spots and slightly higher spots. But overall, it will be very close to the wall and end up looking smooth with a few rougher spots.

Comb Wall Texture

Drywall comb texture is where you create lines on a wall surface. As a visual, and as the term implies, imagine a pattern that’s made when you run a comb through your hair. However, with this texture, lines overlap and swirl, thus creating a comb-like texture.

The texture is applied with a thick bristle brush and using a brush technique so the lines rundeeper, which means the grooves are more noticeable.

While the technique creates different patterns on wall surfaces, it is used to create arch patterns stacked on top of each other. With the pattern, each line is alternated. This is the classic “comb texture” on drywall.

Hawk And Trowel

Hawk and trowel is a busy pattern for those who want something more intricate. The intricacy depends on how many layers you apply, and how thick they are.

Hawk and trowel texture is applied in very thin layers. The end result looks like water flowing over the surface. It gets its name from how it uses both a hawk and trowel to create the texture over the drywall.

Popcorn

Popcorn ceilings were popular in the 60s and 70s. The texture was a popular style until it was discovered that it contained asbestos. However, it is no longer made with asbestos, so it’s safe.

The plus side is how popcorn is easy to apply and doesn’t require special skills. All you do is mix the texture with water and spray it on your ceiling.

Orange Peel

Orange peel drywall looks like an orange peel. It is bumpy, yet smooth in texture and is common for those who once liked popcorn ceilings but aren’t crazy about the association now. Orange peel is applied the same way.

The drywall compound is sprayed on the wall, and this time, since it doesn’t have rough particles of vermiculite or polystyrene, it runs smooth on the surface. Many homeowners prefer this look to popcorn.

Skip Trowel

The skip trowel is a type of drywall texture inspired by a plaster wall technique. Skip trowel wall texturing is not recommended if you do not have dry wall experience.

Skip trowel starts with a large curved knife that you use to spread thin layers of drywall compound mud on the wall. You can skip across the surface to create a unique texture.

Knockdown

If you have much knowledge of drywall at all, you are familiar with knockdown drywall. This type of texture is achieved in a few different ways, but the most common involves using the orange peel technique.

This time, after you apply the texture, then you flatten the tops instead of letting them dry. You do this by lightly going over them with a knockdown knife before the dry. It is a simple way to get a different look.

Spanish Lace

As far as drywall texture types go, Spanish lace is one of the rarest. It is a technique that is vague at best because there are so many ways to achieve it. You can use the knockdown technique or the spray technique.

Either way, the last step is going to be carving tiny little designs that look like Spanish lace into the drywall mud. You can wait a few minutes so that the design is clean or do it right away for a murkier look.

Rosebud

Rosebud is very similar to Spanish lace but with a less detailed finish. However, the rosebud texture is easier to apply because it doesn’t need the finishing work that Spanish lace does, which takes a steady hand.

There is a brush known as a rosebud stomping brush. When you use this brush it does all the work for you. So all you have to do is stomp away in the correct areas and you will see the pattern appear before you.

Spanish Knife

Yes, Spanish knife is similar to Spanish lace due to the fact that you have to pay attention to the details to achieve the look. You can create your own techniques but there is a most common way to do so.

If you want the simplest yet rarest type of drywall texture, this may be it. You apply the mud smooth letting the edges of the knife leave peaks so that you can see how it overlapped. The result is stunning.

Sand Swirl

Sand swirl is a special type of drywall texture that you don’t see as often as you should. It is most commonly achieved by using perlite, which is primer and sand mixed together to give this unique texture.

You can use the technique by taking a standard paintbrush and making huge swirls, almost at a complete arch in front of you. Keep doing this in any pattern that you like to get your own unique sand swirl pattern.

Slap Brush

The slap brush texture is a great drywall texture for beginners because it covers mistakes, it looks good, and it is easy to apply. All you need is a slap brush that is used to apply this type of texture on drywall.

All you really need to do is slap mud onto the wall. Yep. Keep doing it until you have it all covered. Try not to get too much mud on your brush until you know how much you need. Start small and work from there.

Slap Brush Knockdown

The slap brush knockdown texture is just like the slap brush texture only with the knockdown texture applied after it. You simply use the slap brush technique and after you use it, slide over it with the knockdown knife.

This two-in-one technique is one of the most popular among DIY-ers. But it is important that you wait about fifteen minutes before knocking down or you will leave marks in the mud from the edges of the knife.

Plaster Feature: Venetian Plaster Finish

This special technique is used much more often for plaster than drywall. But if you are a drywall expert you can always give it a try. It’s called Venetian plaster and it is made by mixing plaster with marble dust.

Yes, marble dust! Not an extremely affordable wall texture type but it is a unique one. You apply the plaster in thin layers with a spatula and have a high-dimensional finish added by the marble dust of a different tone.

Choosing The Drywall Texture For You

After being introduced to so many different types of drywall textures, it may be difficult to find out which one is right for you. But it is possible. You can start by deciding if you are DIY-ing your texture or not.

Some textures require special equipment while others turn out so much better if a professional is applying it. After you find out if you will hire a professional, then you can decide on how busy you want it to be.

Finally, it’s time to pick out the exact texture. It’s really all about the final result. Today, you don’t have to worry about asbestos or other dangers, so you can choose the one that you fall in love with and stick to it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

How To Repair Textured Drywall Cracks?

When repairing textured drywall cracks, use plaster of paris to cover the cracks and fill in small holes. Make sure the plaster I s applied evenly. After you’re done, smooth the surface with a putty knife. To repair a one-inch hole, use a fiberglass patch that’s a little bigger so it covers the hole, and then stick the adhesive on the wall.

Do You Paint Drywall Before Texturing?

There’s no reason you should texture drywall. Texture is for when you want your wall to have a classic look or perhaps a contemporary look. It’s also done to cover flaws, not to make the paint work better as it offers long-lasting protection.

How Long For Drywall Texture To Dry?

You need to wait 24 hours. When you open windows or use a box fan, it will speed up the drying process. After the mud is dry, prime and paint the surface would new drywall.

How Much Does It Cost To Tape And Texture Drywall?

The average cost of tape and mud drywall is between .35 to $1.10 per square foot. This price does not include sanding or the final finish to prime the surface for paint. Taping and mudding drywall joints for a standard 12 foot by 12-foot bedroom will cost between $180 to $580.

Do You Need To Prime Drywall Before Texture?

Yes, you should prime your walls before you texture them with a latex drywall primer. You’ll also need to make sure that you don’t use undercoater as the walls will have too much of a sheen. This would ruin the classic look that you want your end result to achieve.

Drywall Texture Conclusion

Wall surfaces can be challenging if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you decide on a comb wall, for example, you’ll need the right brush to make sure you do it right. When texture is applied to a wall, it creates a new dimension to your space.

What it comes down to is the type of texture you want to apply to a piece of drywall. Although popcorn texture is an excellent choice, and one of the most popular types, it’s not your only choice. Santa Fe drywall would be a great choice, for example.