How to Make an Orange-Peel Texture for a Wall

Roller Application

• 1

  Brush or roll on a coat of oil-based primer on the wall surface. This helps the texture withstand moist and grease, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. It also helps prevent any color from the surface underneath from showing through the texture. If you are working on a new drywall or previously painted drywall, you could use a latex-based primer instead.

• 2

  Pour wall-texture material and water into a bucket and mix them with a hand mixer or a mixing attachment for a power drill. Follow the instructions printed on the product label for the appropriate proportions.

• 3

  Pour some of the texture mixture into a paint tray.

• 4

  Pick up some of the texture with a heavy-nap paint roller and apply a thin coat to the wall. Let the texture dry for about 10 minutes.

• 5

  Apply a second coat of texture to the wall with the roller until you get the coverage you want.

Sprayer Application

• 6

  Apply a primer to the wall to help make the orange-peel texture more durable. Use an oil-based primer, unless you are applying the texture on new drywall or previously painted drywall, in which case you can use latex primer.

• 7

  Mix the texture material and water according to the instructions on the product label.

• 8

  Attach the hopper to the spray gun and the air compressor, then turn the sprayer on.

• 9

  Direct the spray gun to the wall to apply the orange-peel texture, moving the gun continuously to get a smooth, even result. The quicker you move, the lighter the result.