Although you might take your home’s walls for granted on a daily basis, they actually endure a great deal. From weathering the elements to holding posters, photographs, shelving units, and televisions to literally forming the bones of a house, walls do a lot to keep your family safe and secure! Due to the wear and tear they can face, walls sometimes start to look dingy over time. If you’ve been looking for a way to change the look of older drywall, consider orange peel texture.
Orange peel texture, unlike popcorn ceilings and walls, is subtle and retro-cool. It is also a project you can handle yourself if you’re interested in do-it-yourself jobs. Essentially, all you have to do to create orange peel textured walls is add a layer of plaster that will greatly improve the durability of your drywall. Here, you’ll learn more about the process if you are thinking about giving it a try.
Prepare your walls
The first step to adding orange peel texture to drywall is making sure the walls in question are prepped for the project. New drywall boards need to be sanded using a sanding pole; this will help you reach into corners and all the way to the top where the drywall meets the plane of the room’s ceiling. Once you’ve sanded, you will need to clean the walls with a wet rag to remove any dust and dirt. The final step in the prep process is to prime each wall texture will be applied to with a high-quality primer.
Mix and fill the hopper gun
Because orange peel texture is put on using a splatter technique, the best way to apply it is to use a hopper gun and an air compressor. If you aren’t a frequent do-it-yourselfer and don’t already have these items, most North Carolina and South Carolina home improvement stores have them available to rent. Your air compressor only needs to be rated for about 100 pounds of pressure, which may make it cheaper than more powerful options.
As a general rule, one bucket of plaster mud should be used for every room in which you want orange peel textured walls. To mix the mud to an appropriate consistency (think muffin or pancake batter), use a drill with a paddle attachment in place of a bit.
Spray the texture
Once your mud is mixed and your hopper gun is filled, it’s time to finish the project by getting the texture onto your walls! It is wise to spray a test section on a spare piece of drywall before you do your first interior space. This way, you can figure out how far away you need to stand in order to achieve your desired aesthetic.
Remember, if you want to add orange peel texture to some of the rooms in your Carolina residence, but you aren’t much of a DIY enthusiast, you can hire professionals to handle this type of job. Simply get online and start researching contractors who offer plaster services in your region. You can also talk to family and friends who have had plaster work done in their own houses.