Painting Over Textured Walls: What You Should Know
Textured walls aren’t as commonplace as their smooth counterparts, but some homeowners prefer the dynamic, tactile appeal of these surfaces. Like any other painted surface, though, there will come a time when a fresh coat of paint is in order. When that time comes for your textured walls, you’ll want to be prepared to tackle the task at hand. You might make things easier on yourself by hiring a Raleigh painting contractor. But if you’d rather try your hand at painting over your textured walls, here are some key things to know.
How to Paint Textured Walls
You’ll Want to Clean Every Nook and Cranny
Thoroughly cleaning your surfaces is an essential preparation step for any painting project. Painting over textured walls is certainly no exception. As a matter of fact, cleaning textured surfaces typically requires more effort than cleaning smooth ones. This is because the various protrusions and indentations of textured walls make it easier for dust, debris, and other particles to build up. To remove dust and debris, vacuum your walls with a bristle brush attachment from the top to the bottom, and then scrub the walls with a proper cleaning solution and durable sponge.
Don’t Forget to Tape those Edges
Painter’s tape is a staple for any interior painting project, making it easier to create straight lines and avoid getting paint where you don’t want it. You’ll want to use painter’s tape when painting over textured walls as well, but not your typical fare. In this context, you’ll want to use a product specifically designed for textured surfaces — these specialty painter’s tapes require a two-step process. First, the tape is placed where you want it. Then, you apply a liquid sealing solution to the tape edges to prevent any paint from bleeding past the desired line. While this process is more involved, the results are worth the effort.
Priming Is Essential
Priming is often an important step prior to painting, but it’s necessary for painting over textured walls. The aforementioned nooks and crannies present on a textured surface can interfere with paint adhesion. Priming the surface will aid in paint adhesion and act as an initial coat. Use a deep-pile roller for this part of the process to cover all those tricky spaces.
You’ll Need More Paint than Usual
If nothing else, know that painting over textured walls will require more paint than is necessary for painting a smoother surface. As a general rule of thumb, purchase twice as much paint as you would normally — you might not end up using all of it, but it’s better to have some paint leftover than to run out during the process. Apply the paint generously and plan on applying two coats total.
You Might Miss a Spot
Even with all that priming and multiple coats of paint, you might find that certain portions of your wall don’t blend with the rest of it. This is somewhat normal when it comes to painting over textured surfaces, so don’t fret. Rather, take the time to examine your initial results in different lighting setups and at different angles. If you missed anything or notice that any area is lacking, use your leftover paint (assuming you have some) to touch up those spots.
Painting Over Textured Walls Can Be Rough
Every DIY paint job comes with its challenges, especially if you’re tackling a textured surface. That said, with the proper approach and equipment, you can paint over your textured walls like a pro. If you’d rather have an actual pro help you out, though, don’t hesitate to hire reliable Raleigh painters. At Anderson Painting, our experts are equipped to coat any type of surface to our customers’ satisfaction. To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com! You can also request a free estimate here.
