Step 10
If your existing wall is smooth without texture, you can now prime and paint. If however your walls are textured, you will want to determine if it is orange-peel (stipple), brocade (knock-down), skip-trowel or another type of textured finish. Most homes that have textured walls will be an orange-peel which is one of the easiest for DIY to match.
There are several manufacturers of “texture in a can” products. Any home center or hardware store should have several to choose from. Read the directions on the can and apply accordingly.
Tip – Practice on a scrap piece of wallboard or a large piece of cardboard and allow to dry before trying it on the actual patch. Depending on the “thickness” of the texture, it may give better results by applying two or more passes allowing each to dry before applying the next. This is another step that you do not want to rush. Practice first.
Before texturing, cover the area twice as large as you think the over-spray will go. It’s much easier to spend a few minutes masking than hours cleaning over-spray.
When your satisfied your practice texture matches the existing surface, apply the texture well beyond the patched area so it “blends” in with the surrounding wall surface. The key to making a patch not look like a patch is gradually blending of the patch to the existing wall (or ceiling)
Note – Many professionals prefer to apply texture AFTER the area has been primed. This is good practice as the unsealed joint compound is much more porous than the surrounding wall, and the texture will absorb at a different rate. To allow uniform application of texture, it is recommended that the area first be primed.
Apply texture as recommended by the manufacturer. Once the texture has dried thoroughly, apply an additional coat of primer to the entire patched area. Once the primer coat has dried, apply at least one coat of matching paint. DO NOT apply primer and/or paint in thick coats as this can “wash away” much of the texture you just applied.
Tip – Depending on the area of the patch and the lighting, it may be best to prime and paint the entire wall, from corner to corner and floor to ceiling for best results.
