How To Texture Paint Walls With A Roller? [7 Easy Steps]

These days, texturing walls can be accomplished in a variety of styles. Different homeowners prefer different texture styles. Different varieties of modern wall textures give walls and ceilings a plush look, enhancing the home’s interior aesthetic. Wall texture has the distinct advantage of being a quick way to finish walls without having to mix, cure, and sand drywall chemicals in apparently endless cycles. 

It’s used to hide drywall imperfections. It dries in a short amount of time. Two excellent options are texturing walls with an electric texture machine and a roller. This article will cover how to texture paint walls with a roller. We’ll also compare the texture machine and roller.

How Does Wall Texture Work?

Wall texture is a special mixture of materials. It is usually thicker than paint but thinner than straight drywall compounds. The bumps and depressions in the wall texture cast little shadows on the walls and ceilings. While direct light causes these shadows to vanish, they grow when the light source moves at a greater angle to the wall. 

This gently darkens the wall by darkening the general shade of the surface. This darkening technique brings an effective result in concealing surface flaws. Wall texture can be a long-term solution for removing apparent seams and bulges in your drywall.

Texturing a Wall: Texture Machine Vs. Roller

When it comes to texturing paint walls, both electric texture machines and rollers offer significant advantages. Both provide a high-quality finish when painting a wall with paint or drywall compound. The key distinction between the two wall texturing tools is the method of application. 

Electric texture machines use electrical energy and paint the walls by spraying texturing compounds. In contrast, a roller texture machine uses texturing compound and paints the walls by rolling on the walls. Electric texture machine operation is straightforward. You can easily add different designs to your wall texture.

Professional painters now widely use modern texture machines or sprayers to produce wall and ceiling textures. You can pour a texturing compound into a hopper of the tool, and the machine will add water and air to the mixture. 

The machine rapidly textures the walls by spraying texturing compounds. Sprayed texture dries quickly, leaving a shine on the wall. If you intend to texture a large area of walls, the texturing machine is a better choice. The machine is able to spray texture onto the surfaces at a rate of one to three gallons per minute.

On the other hand, the paint roller tool is an ideal choice for texturing small areas. The application of the roller is much slower compared to an electric sprayer. However, the roller is easy to control and can be a good alternative for painting walls without using electrical energy.

Can You Paint Your Textured Walls With a Roller?

Of course, you can apply your textured walls with a roller. The use of the paint roller is quite simple. A paint roller comes in handy, enabling you to texture your walls effectively. The fibers of the roller sink into the grooves in the texture, providing the best coverage to your walls with fewer passes.

What Kind of Textured Paint Rollers for Walls Must Be Used?

If you have light to medium textured surfaces in your home, microfiber rollers are a good option. However, a white woven short nap roller is recommended for a flawless finish if your surfaces are smooth. Similarly, applying a thick 3 to 4 inches nap roller to a smooth wall will create an orange peel-like finish.

Do You Need Special Paint Rollers for Textured Walls?

You can opt for a thick nap paint roller of 3 to 4 inches in thickness for the texture of your walls. It is best to make a cool effect on your wall texturing. This type of roller allows the paint to penetrate all the grooves when painting the walls. As a result, it provides better coverage of the walls. However, a thick nap roller will not be recommended if your walls are smooth.

Types of Textured Paints

When texturing a wall, you can use physical texture or create a faux finish that seems like a textured wall using paint tools and supplies. Both wall types are appealing and can conceal minor flaws in your walls. 

The physical texture on the wall, on the other hand, is denser and gives a layer of protection that can help to absorb sound. The texture of the paint is graded from very fine to coarse. The several types of texture are listed here. You can select one as per your choice.

1. Smooth Texture Paint

Smooth texture paint is not actually smooth. It has a light texture that is far less noticeable than other textured paints. It is devoid of sand or other things that would give it a rough and grainy texture. It’s genuinely thick and heavy, with plaster-like visibility.

2. Knockdown Texture

You may create a knockdown texture on your walls by applying Knockdown texture. As a consequence, you’ll have a marbled texture that you may paint in any color you choose. Knockdown texture is preferred for achieving the best ceiling texture.

3. Sand Texture Paint

Sand texture paint has a thicker body and can be used on both walls and ceilings to create a grainy texture. If you may choose the paint that has been pre-mixed with sand, using a silica sand addition in normal paint will allow you to better manage the quantity of texture.

4. Orange Peel Texture

Orange peel texture is a popular wall texture choice. This texture is a mild splatter effect made by spraying plaster over drywall. The plaster layer strengthens the walls, making them more resistant to cracks and dents. The delicate bumps on this wall texture look like an orange peel.

5. Popcorn Texture

Popcorn texture, also known as acoustic drywall texture, features a sound-deadening ceiling texture with a thick and puffy texture. It’s manufactured with a joint compound and huge texturizing bits made of Styrofoam and other materials. Popcorn has a tough texture. It isn’t easy to get rid of once it’s been applied.

What Equipment/Tools do You Require for Texturing Walls?

• Drop cloths
• Drywall knife
• Plastic sheeting
• 5-gallon bucket
• Paint roller and cover
• Attachment for drill and paint mixer
• Paint tray
• Paintbrush

What Materials Do You Require For Texturing Walls?

• Painter’s tape
• Flat paint or drywall primer
• Drywall compound
• Paint

How to Texture Paint Walls With a Roller?

Texturing a wall with a wall roller necessitates the use of the proper painting techniques. Even the most efficient painter will need to cover the floors, and other wall surfaces when stippling a ceiling. It will have a negative finish on the wall if not painted carefully. Also, it will not provide adequate coverage for your walls, allowing flaws in the walls to be obvious. Here we’ll show you how to texture paint walls with a roller.

1. Patch Surface

Before using stipple texture, correct some wall surfaces. Use drywall compound or lightweight spackle to fill any gaps. Using the edge of your drywall knife is ideal for smoothing the compound across the surface after driving it into the hole with your drywall knife. If you spend too much time on it, the texture material will eventually cover it up. As a result, don’t waste too much time on it.

2. Prime Surface

Apply a thick coat of flat white latex paint or drywall primer to the walls. Allow time for it to dry. This is because applying texture paint directly to bare drywall will sink into the wall surface. Hence, this precoat is crucial. 

3. Compound Texture

By diluting drywall chemicals in a 4:1 ratio with water, you can produce your wall texture material. Take a 5-gallon pale and a drill attachment with a paint mixer to mix the texture compound fully. Blend the substances until they turn into thick paint. It needs to be seamless to roll on and be smooth.

Apply a Texture to the Wall

Texturing is two rolling techniques that include an initial application and a second rolling over the partially dried material. The most difficult aspect of the process is getting the timing right. Fill a paint pan halfway with texturing material. Dip a paint roller into the texture, roll it out, and apply it to the wall or ceiling surface you choose.

A texture can be created with a conventional roller cover, but stippling-specific roller covers are also available. Most significantly, while using texture paint provided by the manufacturer, you must follow the package instructions provided by the manufacturer.

1. Reach Hard-to-Reach Areas with Brush

Some portions of your wall surfaces or ceilings, such as corners and edges, are too narrow for the roller to reach. In these instances, the best option to finish the texturing is to use a flat-faced paint brush and apply the paint.

2. Allow Texture to Dry

Letting the texture dry after you’ve finished texturing the walls is critical. Hence, dry the texture halfway to full dryness. You can check for dryness by pressing your thumb into it and pulling it out. Sharp spikes are expected as a result.

3. The Second Texture

Roll over the surface one more when you notice the texture compound has reached the correct consistency. This will lift the partially dry compound slightly, giving it the three-dimensional texture you want. Aside from that, use the flat face of a paintbrush to bring up the texturing compound to the tight areas where the roller can’t reach.

4. Develop Knock-Down Surface

You can turn this feature on or off if you want to. This technique should not be utilized until the surface is completely dry. To knock down the texture, use a drywall knife and hold it at a level.

The texture substance must be of the correct consistency for this to work. If the texture is too moist, it will smear, but it will not knock down if it is too dry.

5. Homemade Texture

Allow the walls and ceilings to dry completely before priming and painting them if you want to texture them with a homemade paint mixture. By applying this, the painting’s finish results will be wonderful.

General Tips for Texturing a Wall

• Avoid using a thick-nap roller cover because it collects too much texturing compound and makes rolling it out difficult.

• Texturing work should be carried on fast as drywall compound, or mud dries quickly.

• If you roll the texture out to achieve knock-down type texturing effects, an assistant will follow you with the drywall knife.

• The thick wall texture dries too slowly, so turn up the heat in the room or switch on a fan to speed up the drying process.

How to Paint Wall Using an Orange Peel Nap Roller?

Painting the walls and ceilings adds an aesthetic touch while concealing minor flaws in the drywall. Using an orange peel nap roller to create a light orange peel pattern can help cover up small tight areas as well as repairs without generating a thick texture.

1. Orange Peel

Orange peel painting is a light texture that conceals wall defects and blemishes without generating a noticeable pattern. It’s named orange peel because the texture resembles that of an orange peel when viewed from a distance, but when examined closely, it’s dimpled.

2. Nap

Some rollers come with orange peel roller labels, whereas others aren’t. Nevertheless, when utilized with thin drywall mud, they can provide an orange peel texture. The rollers are easily identified by their thick nap. A smooth surface is achieved with a thin nap roller, whereas a textured finish is achieved with a thick nap roller.

3. Rolling

A paint roller with orange peels is used in the same way as any other paint roller. Fill a paint tray well halfway with drywall mud thinned to a viscosity somewhat thicker than paint, then dip the roller in the mud. To massage the mud into the nap, roll it up and down the sloped part of the paint pan a few times.

4. Paint

Choose a roller with a heavy nap, usually 3 to 4 inches, and roll the paint onto the wall. It will produce a fantastic texture with paint that is similar to orange peel but not as elevated.

When to Call a Professional to Texture Your Walls?

You may easily tackle small portions of walls or surfaces on your own, but hiring professional painters to paint huge areas of walls is a fanatic idea. With the help of an air compressor-powered electric texture sprayer, they’ll be able to make awesome textures in just a few hours. Texture sprayers may create orange spatter, peel, and knock-down effects in your excellent walls. 

Conclusion

Roller paints are inexpensive tools that can fit into any budget. Painting with a roller is a simple method that requires little effort. Furthermore, it gives your modern walls an appealing look. Hence, a roller is the best for texturing small areas.