How To Get Perfect Orange Peel Texture

If you are interested in redecorating your home, then chances are you have probably heard of new and exciting techniques that can be used to freshen up your house. If this is the case, then you may have already chosen your favorite wallpaper or selected the best paint color for the job.

But did you know that you can also change the texture of your walls? These days, you can give your walls the same texture as orange peel, resulting in a unique and personalized look.

Orange peel texture works to give your walls a more distinctive appearance, which can also be effective when it comes to protecting your walls from marks and welts. While some people may see textured walls as being dated or difficult to execute, they can actually be done very easily when using the correct tools and supplies.

So if you want to know how you can get the perfect orange peel texture, then you have come to the right place.

In the following article, we have collected some important information concerning this texture and how it can be easily sprayed onto your walls. We have also outlined the various tools you will need and how you can repair or remove the texture after it has been applied.

So if you are ready to learn more, just take a look at our detailed guide and you will find everything you need about orange peel texture and its countless applications. Now let’s get started…

What Is Orange Peel Texture?

Orange peel texture is a splatter texture that can be sprayed onto your walls and ceilings, giving them a unique texture that is similar to the peel of an orange. 

While the technique is now considered to be dated, there are countless reasons why homeowners will still use it on their walls and ceilings. However, many people believe that the texture can be hard to produce, even though this is not always the case. 

Instead, orange peel texture can be very easy to implement, especially when using the right tools and instructions. So if you want to learn more about the spraying process, just follow our detailed guide and you will find everything you need to get started. 

Why Use Orange Peel Texture?

These days, many homeowners consider textured walls to be dated and unattractive, even though there are numerous benefits to spraying the interior of your home with orange peel texture.

For example, orange peel walls are considered to be more durable than flat walls, as the finished texture can be used to camouflage minor dents and scrapes. This is why orange peel texture can often be found in rental properties and commercial homes.

Not only can orange peel texture be used to hide existing flaws in your walls and ceilings, but it can also be used to freshen up your home, with the process being a cheap and affordable alternative to expensive sheetrock and paint.

What You Will Need

Before we can teach you how to get the perfect orange peel texture, you must first understand what tools and materials are needed to complete the job.

Fortunately, spraying your walls with orange peel texture does not require any professional equipment, with most of the supplies being found in your home or at the local hardware store.

So if you want to know what tools you will need, we have compiled a helpful list in the section below:

• Drywall Mud (Plus 3): This is the mud that you will need to mix up to produce the perfect orange peel texture.
• Mixer & Paddle: It is impossible to mix your drywall mud with an ordinary drill, as the material is known to be incredibly heavy. So a mixer and paddle will be required when stirring the mud.
• Texture Sprayer: For the best results, we recommend purchasing a wagner power sprayer, as this tool does not require an air compressor to operate.
• Painter’s Plastic: You will need this during the preparation process, as it can be used to protect your home’s decor.
• Masking Tape: This will also be needed during the preparation process, as it can be used to cover lights and switches.

How To Get Perfect Orange Peel Texture

While spraying a perfect orange peel texture is not a complicated process, it does require confidence, the correct tools and a texture with the right consistency. So now that you understand everything you will need, let’s take a look at how you can texture your walls for the best results.

Step One: Prep The Room

Before you can start spraying your walls, you will need to prep the area that you intend to work on, otherwise, you could risk severe damage to your home and decor.

When it comes to spraying a splatter texture, you will want to remove all furniture from the room, as well as cover the light switches with masking tape. Following this, you will also need to cover the lights using the painter’s plastic.

Once you have removed everything from the room and the lights have been covered, you will need to close the room from the rest of your house, as this will protect your home from any dust or mess. This can be done by closing the door or taping sheets of plastic to the entrance.

You will also need to block up any vents or airways that lead from the room, as you don’t want any mess being sucked into your furnace.

Step Two: Mix The Mud

When it comes to mixing the orange peel texture, all you need to do is combine basic drywall mud with water until it reaches the correct consistency, which should resemble the smoothness of pancake batter.

To begin the mixing process, you will need to take a 5-gallon bucket and fill it about halfway with the drywall mud.

Once you have completed this step, use the mixer and paddle to start stirring the mud, while slowly adding water until it reaches the desired consistency. During this process, you should not add too much water at the same time, otherwise, you could risk the texture becoming runny.

After the mud has reached the right consistency, you will be able to start spraying your walls with the finished texture.

Step Three: Spray The Texture

Now that you have prepared the space and mixed up the splatter texture, you can begin spraying down your walls.

To begin this process, you will need to fill your texture sprayer with mud, while making sure to use the nozzle with the smallest hole. By using this particular head, you will be able to produce smaller droplets, which can be beneficial when it comes to applying your splatter texture.

When approaching your walls, you will need to hold the nozzle 3-inches away from the area that you are working on, as once you have pulled the trigger you will be unable to stop the process. To ensure an even finish, you will need to move the nozzle over the wall’s surface, while overlapping around 50% on every pass.

For the best results, we recommend testing your texture sprayer on a flat surface, so that you can find the correct rhythm for the job. After all, once you have started spraying a room you will not be able to stop until it has been completed.

While there are hundreds of texture sprayers now available, we recommend purchasing the wagner power tex sprayer to achieve the best finish. However, if you already own an air compressor and a texture gun, then you will not need this product and will probably have the experience to complete this process without our instruction.

How To Practice Texture Spraying

If you have no prior experience when it comes to texture spraying, then we recommend taking some time to hone your craft before tackling your walls, as this will help you to understand the process better and reduce the risk of future mistakes.

To begin honing your skills, you will need to find a flat surface (such as a piece of drywall) and approach it with your texture sprayer and mud. While it is also possible to practice on your walls, we do not recommend doing this as you will have to scrape them clean if the texture doesn’t meet your expectations.

You can practice spraying your orange peel texture by using numerous methods, such as applying thick and thin coats to your drywall. This will help you to determine the consistency that you prefer, as well as how much of the mixture you will need to complete the job.

While some homeowners prefer their orange peel texture to be thick and impenetrable, others prefer to see the wall through the mud. However, the final decision depends on your own preference.

Once you have had some practice and feel more comfortable, you can begin spraying down your walls with the splatter texture.

How To Check Texture Consistency

While spraying down your walls, it is advisable to pause every 10 feet and assess the consistency of the texture, which can be determined by the color and finish of the mud. For example, if the texture is light or patchy, then you will need to go back and respray the area until it is smooth and even.

This process can also be used when you have finished spraying the room, as you can still respray the walls once the texture has dried. However, if you are unhappy with the texture and its consistency, then you will need to remove the mud using one of the following methods.

If you are unsatisfied with the finished texture and it is still wet, then you can use a mud knife to scrape it off the walls. However, if the texture has dried, then you will need to use sandpaper to remove the splatter and respray the room.

Because there is no paint covering the texture, it should be able to sand off very easily, leaving you with a blank canvas to start again.

Step Four: Clean The Mess

Once you have finished spraying the orange peel texture, you will need to clean your equipment before the mud has time to dry. This can be done by washing your sprayer and mud knife with soap and warm water.

During the period, you will also need to clean the floor to remove any mud stains before they harden, although this can be avoided by placing down sheets or old clothes before beginning the spraying process.

How To Paint Orange Peel Texture

When the orange peel texture has dried, you will need to paint it so that it matches the rest of your home’s interior. And while painting splatter texture can be a simple process, it does require some patience and skill.

If you want to paint your orange peel ceilings, then this can be done by cutting into the texture with your paintbrush, which can be a slow and tedious task. This is because textured surfaces have various nooks and crannies that can be missed by the paint, which is why you will need to slowly shuffle your brush to ensure an even coat.

While it is possible to paint your orange peel texture with a normal paint brush or sponge, you can speed up the process by using a thick nap roller, as the extra padding will cover the textured areas and result in a faster finish.

For the best results, we recommend purchasing a ¾-inch nap roller, as this will help to paint the textured surface without issue or error.

How To Remove Orange Peel Texture

While many homeowners assume that removing splatter texture is a long and complicated process, this is not always the case. In fact, removing texture from your walls can be very simple, especially when using the right tools and instructions.

However, when it comes to removing the orange peel, you will need to remember that under the paint there is just drywall mud, which can be very easy to sand down and respray should a problem arise.

What You Will Need

Before we can teach you how to remove your orange peel texture, you must first understand everything you will need to get the job done.

While sanding down your splatter texture can be a simple task, the process will only go smoothly if you purchase an electric drywall sander, as removing the texture by hand can be a long and painstaking process.

Fortunately, you can now purchase drywall sanders for around $100, which is a reasonable price when you consider how many uses the tool has. However, if you are working with a budget, then you can rent sanders from online platforms or hardware stores such as Home Depot.

Now that you understand what tools you will need, let’s take a look at how you can remove the texture from your walls.

Step One: Remove The Texture

When you have acquired an electric sander, use the lowest sanding disc to approach the walls and remove the splatter texture. During this process, you will need to use a 60 or 80 grit, which can cause serious damage to your home when left unsupervised. Because of this, you will need to make sure that you are constantly moving the sander when removing the texture, which should help to speed up the overall process.

However, when it comes to sanding any other surface, you will need to work your way through the different sanding discs from the lowest number to the highest. While a quick pass with each disc should be enough to remove the texture, you still want to end up with an even wall and smooth surface.

Step Two: Inspect The Smoothness

After you have sanded down the splatter texture and worked your way through the different grit discs, you will need to inspect the wall to determine its smoothness.

This can be done by using one of three ways: a basic eye test, a touch test and a light test.

If the wall is still rough after the sanding process, then you should be able to see this with the naked eye, as any leftover patches will be visible or pronounced.

However, if you do not see any obvious imperfections, then you can run your hand over the wall to feel for any roughness or markings.

If you are unable to feel anything, then this could mean that you have removed all of the texture from the wall. However, you can further confirm this by shining a light on the wall to show any cracks or imperfections.

Step Three: Smooth The Wall

If the wall is still not smooth enough to meet your standards, then you will need to skim coat the wall for a final finish.

This involves taking some drywall mud and applying a thin layer to the walls before letting it dry and sanding it down, which should result in a smoother surface.

For the best results, we recommend using a 180 or 240 grit disc to achieve a perfect finish.

How To Repair Orange Peel Texture

If you have noticed a crack or hole in your orange peel texture, then there are numerous methods you can use to fix the problem. For example, if the damage is minimal, you can purchase specific products to patch up the texture. However, if the damage is more serious, then you can use the following technique to fix it yourself.

What You Will Need

Before we can teach you how to repair your orange peel texture, you must first understand the tools and materials you will need to get the job done. This is why we have provided a detailed list in the section below:

• ⅜-inch nap roller
• Drywall mud
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Clean cloth
• Paint
• Primer

Now that you understand what you will need, let’s take a look at how you can repair your orange peel texture in the following steps.

Step One: Make The Texture

To begin repairing your orange peel texture, you will need to take some drywall mud and mix it with water until you have a batter-like consistency. Once you have finished making the texture, use your ⅜-inch nap roller to apply a small amount to the damaged area.

For the best results, we recommend starting from the middle of the spot and working your way out, while making sure to feather the texture so that it blends in with the original orange peel.

When you have done this, give it one final roll and allow the mud to dry before attempting the next step.

Step Two: Sand The Wall

After the splatter texture has dried, take some 220-grit sandpaper and use it to smooth off any peaks or edges created by the orange peel effect.

When the wall meets your standard, take a clean cloth and lightly rub the repaired area to soften any unwanted points.

Step Three: Paint The Area

Once the repaired area is to your liking, paint and prime the area until it matches the surrounding wall. For the best results, we recommend repainting the entire surface, as this will yield a more consistent finish.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to redecorating your home, you may consider orange peel texture a thing of the past or a complicated process that you are unable to undertake. However, applying orange peel texture to your wall can be very simple when using the correct tools and instructions. So if you are interested in texturing your walls, you will need to have the confidence to get the job done.