How to Paint Textured Walls

Painting the walls of your room is one of the cheapest, quickest and easiest ways to change the look of your room. Textured walls, however, require special attention when painting them. The nooks and crannies of a textured wall create a minor challenge to the painter, but there are ways to get around them. This article will give you tips on how to paint textured walls as well as some alternate ideas to painting them.

Things You'll Need

• Good quality paint brush
• Large wall brush or roller
• Semi-gloss paint
• Primer
• Ladder if needed
• Dropcloth
• Painter's tape

Instructions

1. Choose the correct kind of paint. A semi-glass paint will give better coverage because it is not as easily absorbed by the texture as a flat paint is. Semi-gloss finishes are also easier to clean.

2. Prepare your surfaces. Priming a textured wall is just as important as priming a non-textured wall. Tape off any surfaces you want to protect, and protect the floor area with a drop cloth as well. Keep a ladder handy for the hard to reach places.

3. Choose the correct brushes. You will need to start with a regular paint brush. Use this brush to cut into the the edges of the texture; wiggle the brush back and forth while cutting the lines so you're sure to get into all of the little nooks and crannies.

4. Use the large wall brush in an "X" pattern or diagonal back and forth motion over the surface to give yourself nice even coverage. Using diagonal strokes will ensure that you get into the crevices and it will also create a random pattern that will better hide the brush stokes. You can also use a roller to do this, but rollers tend to glide over a textured wall, missing many of the nooks and providing uneven coverage.

5. Wait for the paint to dry, and then step back and look for areas that are thin or that you missed completely. Touch up those areas, or apply a second coat of paint. Allow the paint to dry, remove the painter's tape carefully, and enjoy your new wall color!

Tips & Warnings

• Test colors first by painting a small area of the wall and watching to see how the paint appears in different lighting situations throughout the day.