How to Repair Orange-Peel Texture on Walls

Methods for Aerosol Sprays, Hand-Pump Sprayers, and Repairing by Hand

Couple painting walls of new home
Adam Crowley / Getty Images
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 1 - 2 hrs
  • Total Time: 1 day
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $1 to $2 per square foot

Orange-peel texture is a wall finish technique that looks like a uniform covering of small bumps. It is sometimes called a "splatter" or "eggshell" texture. You can find it on plaster but more commonly on wallboard walls. Such a thick coating makes walls more durable and hides imperfections, but it can also be damaged just like any other finish. Luckily there are ways to repair the damage to this kind of wall texture by hand or with a sprayer using premixed wallboard compound.

Recreating the texture is not difficult, but plan on spending a little time practicing on scrap pieces of wallboard. Wall texture varies based on the tradesman who applied it, so practice may be necessary to match it. Similar techniques can be used to repair other textures, such as knockdown (also called "skip trowel"), sand, and popcorn texture (also called "acoustic" or "cottage cheese" texture).

Learn how to repair orange-peel texture on your walls using these methods.

Assess the Damaged Area

If you just have a small hole or area that needs a texture patch, there are products designed specifically for this. For instance, Homax offers a premixed Texture Touch-Up Kit, which comes with enough material to cover 10 to 15 square feet. It can handle orange peel, splatter, and knock-down patterns. If you have a very small area to patch, Homax also makes an adhesive texture patch to fix it. This works for larger nail holes and wall anchor removal holes.

Practice Your Texturing Technique

Orange-peel textures can be repaired simply. Using an ordinary 3/8-inch nap paint roller, slightly stipple a coating of wet wallboard compound across the surface. Before attempting repairs on the actual wall, practice your technique on pieces of ordinary cardboard, scrap wallboard, or plywood.

Before You Begin

Before tackling the texture, repair any underlying damage. Fill and cover any holes with a wallboard patch and compound. Worn or abraded wall texture and gouges can be remedied with spackle or ready-mixed wallboard joint compound. Sand smooth and wipe any sanding dust with a damp cloth.

Watch Now: How to Texture a Wall With a Roller

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 3/8-inch nap roller
  • Hand-sanding block
  • Old cloths
  • Roller tray
  • Hand-pump sprayer
  • Eye protection

Materials

  • Premixed wallboard compound
  • 220-grit sandpaper
  • Primer
  • Interior paint
  • Scrap wallboard
  • Plastic drop cloths
  • Aerosol spray-texture product

Instructions

Repairing Orange-Peel Texture by Hand

  1. Prepare and Apply the Compound

    • Combine premixed wallboard compound and water. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.
    • Pour into the lower part of a paint tray.
    • Apply the compound to the area in need of repair using a 3/8-inch nap roller.
    • Work from the center outward. "Feather" out from the center by lightening roller pressure as you expand towards non-damaged areas.
    • Do a final roll, moving the roller in one direction only.
  2. Allow the Compound to Dry

    Allow the wallboard compound to dry completely. The effect won't match yet because the dried wallboard compound will have peaks throughout.

  3. Sand and Rub the Area

    After the wallboard compound dries, lightly sand the area with a hand-sanding block with 220-grit sandpaper. The goal is to level off the peaks and create the orange-peel effect.

    Take a clean cloth, such as an old T-shirt, and lightly rub the repaired area to soften the edges of the sanded orange-peel repair.

  4. Paint the Repaired Area

    Prime and paint to match the surrounding area (for best results, you will probably need to repaint the entire wall).

Repairing Orange-Peel Texture With a Hand-Pump Sprayer

If you have an area of damage that's a bit larger, use a gravity-fed, manually-powered pressure sprayer to repair your walls. This handy tool does not require an air compressor or another power source—just your hand pressure. The gun can apply several different wall and ceiling textures, including orange peel, splatter, knockdown, and popcorn. It can work well for medium-sized areas with each full-pressure stroke covering an area of 6 inches by 3 feet.

  1. Prepare for Painting

    Put on eye protection and cover the floor, as well as any surrounding furniture, with plastic drop cloths. Test the spray pattern by adjusting the front plate and nozzle lever to vary the texture until it matches your walls.

  2. Spray the Walls

    Maintain a distance of 3 to 4 feet from the wall. Pull back the lever so the chamber sucks in the textured paint. Pump the lever to push the paint out through the front plate. Adjust the front plate and lever as needed to control the sprayed textured pattern.

    Move the gun in a sweeping motion as you spray. Pull the handle back as required for the amount of spray, and push it in completely to complete the stroke.

  3. Clean Up and Let It Dry

    Rinse and clean the gun. Let the texture dry completely. Prime and paint, as desired.

Repairing Orange-Peel Texture With Aerosol Spray

Aerosol texture products will be most suitable for fairly small patch areas. Companies such as Homax offer oil-based products, as well as newer water-based aerosol spray texture products in a spray can.

  1. Prepare for Painting

    Put on eye protection. Place plastic drop cloths on the floor below the repair area and on any surrounding furniture.

  2. Mix the Texture Spray and Test

    Shake the can to mix the ingredients, as directed by the label. After the can is shaken and warm, test the spray pattern by spraying on a piece of cardboard or plywood. Homax provides different spray straws for various spray patterns and heaviness levels.

  3. Spray the Walls

    Depending on the manufacturer and product used, hold the can between 12 inches and 24 inches from the wall surface. Spray using a circular motion, and cover only about 50 percent to 75 percent of the repair area with texture at once.

  4. Let the Walls Dry and Then Paint

    Let the walls dry for as long as recommended on the product packaging. Once the surface is dry, prime and paint as desired.

Carpenter cleaning wall
Adam Crowley / Getty Images
Series-Real painter spraying
JodiJacobson / Getty Images
Homax Wall Texture
Courtesy of Amazon
Homax Touch Up
Courtesy of Amazon
Hopper Gun
Courtesy of Amazon

Repairing a Large Area

Major damage, such as what occurs with water damage can leave you with a large area or even an entire wall or ceiling in need of repair. In the event that you are trying to recreate an orange-peel texture on an entire wall or several walls, you'll probably have to use a hopper spray gun and air compressor.

  1. Mix and Prepare the Compound

    Put a thinned mixture (consistency of cake batter) of drywall joint compound (e.g., 30 pounds of a compound to 5 pints of water) into the hopper.

  2. Spray the Walls

    Run the gun half-open through a small nozzle at about 25-30 psi. This setting usually gives you splatter the right size for an orange-peel texture.

    Adjust the hopper gun for consistency with the pattern you need. This method can create any number of textures by varying the size of the gun orifice and orifice opening, trigger setting, air pressure, or consistency of the joint compound mix.

  3. Allow to Dry and Paint

    Let the walls dry for as long as recommended on the product packaging. Once the surface is dry, prime and paint as desired.

Tips for Creating Better Orange-Peel Texture

If you used a water-based product, including any texturing you did with the wallboard compound, you can simply scrape the failed texture off with a putty knife. If the texture has hardened already, then spray the texture down a bit with water, and let it sit a few minutes to soften. Then just scrape it off, and apply the texture again.

If you used an oil-based product, the best way to remove a small area is by sanding. A handheld block sander will give you a fairly uniform removal. Use 150-grit sandpaper to get the high points then move to 220-grit to get it fairly smooth. Make sure not to apply too much pressure, or you may accidentally sand down into the drywall paper layer. Once the oil-based area texture is removed, prime and spray with a latex orange-peel texture spray.

FAQ
  • Why do builders use orange-peel texture?

    Not only does orange-peel wall texture add some visual interest to walls, but it also helps to hide dirt and imperfections. And it’s durable when done right. This is why it’s popular in rentals and commercial spaces.

  • Is orange-peel texture outdated?

    Orange-peel texture gained popularity several decades ago. But it doesn’t have to look dated today if you use a modern wall color and have an otherwise updated space.

  • What's the difference between orange-peel and knockdown texture?

    Orange-peel texture features a bumpy, irregular surface similar to an orange peel. Knockdown texture has a flatter surface because during its application it’s pressed down with a trowel—unlike orange-peel texture.