Drywall Texture Techniques

There are a multitude of different drywall texture techniques that you can use in your home. Each of them requires a different method, and gives your home a unique appearance. While any of the techniques will work, you should research each one before applying it in your own home, to see if the methods and appearance fit with your personal preferences. What follows should give you a good idea as to which texturing technique is the best for you.

Orange Peel Technique

Orange peel technique is named for the orange peel-like texture it makes on your walls. To create this effect, add water to your joint compound until it is a thick liquid. The resulting mixture should be thick enough to apply with a paint roller, but thin enough to pour. Once you have the proportions right, put the mixture into your roller pan. Once you have done this, apply it to your walls or ceiling. After you apply it, allow it to dry for 10 minutes.

Now you can apply a second coat. This will give your drywall the recognizable orange peel texture.

Knockdown Technique

The knockdown technique for drywall texture is a similar method to the orange peel technique. However, the method is slightly different, and the results are quite distinct.

To use the knockdown technique, water down your joint compound until it is thin enough to pour and apply like paint. Use your paint roller to apply it. Wait 10 minutes, and apply a second coat. Essentially, you should pretend you are applying the orange peel technique.

However, this is where the knockdown technique changes. Before the second coat dries, get out your finishing knife. Go over the entire area with it. Press the flat of it against the wall to create a smoother texture. However, be sure to press down lightly. You should err on the side of not pressing down hard enough, as you can always press down harder afterwords.

When using this technique, you can also rent a knockdown sprayer to apply your mixture to your walls and ceilings, instead of doing it by hand. This will save you a lot of time and effort, but it is not an absolute requirement.

Sand Swirl

The sand swirl technique gives your drywall a very different appearance and texture than the other techniques. The sand in the name actually refers to literal sand that you add to your mixture.

First, water down your joint texture. This time however, add white quartz sand to it. Continue to do so until your mixture is just barely solid enough to be applied with a trowel. You will know you have added enough sand when you can pick up the mixture easily.

Next, apply your mixture to your walls or ceiling. While it is still wet, get out a flat piece of cardboard and place it lightly against the wall. Rotate it gently to get the swirl effect that this technique is named for.

You can get a variety of different results by experimenting with different sizes and textures of materials for swirling. Feel free to experiment.