What is that textured coating they put on drywall

[smorris]

Not the ceiling popcorn but that hard lightly textured coating on the walls? I have to do a patch job and want to make it match as much as possible.

Thanks,
Scott

[Pappy]

There are several different patterns to wall texture, from orange peel to a knock down. HD and Lowe's both sell a it in a kit with a pump sprayer and in spray cans under the name "Homex". For a small repair, it's not hard to match fairly close. Make sure you have enough to practice the pattern on a piece of scrap drywall or smooth plywood.

[just4funsies]

What Pappy said. And don't overdo it. Too much is NOT better than not enough. You can scrape it down and try again. And remember that it will look different (better) once it's painted.

[lago]

Depends on what kind of texture pattern you have. I had a house built in the mid-70's and they used a long coarse bristle brush to slap it on. They also used a coarse roller, similar to a paint roller. My current house is sprayed with the 'orange peel' finish. I have used the pre-mixed joint compound to match the old finish. As previously stated, HD and Lowes have various kits.

Ken

[smorris]

Well, I'm off to Lowes to get some of the orange peel and practice. Thanks for the information.

[devinjc]

Is it easier to remove than to patch? I have a room that used to be 2 rooms and a hallway, and need to patch where the walls were and what was the hallway. It will peel off in some places, and other places it's a nightmare.

Oh, the wall underneath is plaster.

Didn't realize HD sold the stuff, so I may just patch it up and paint.

[smorris]

I found the stuff I needed and with a bit of practice was able to blend in the sections very nicely, so thanks to everyone who pointed me in the right direction. The wife is quite pleased with the result.

Now for the rest of the story...Once I primed the walls every push pin hole jumped right out at me, my son had apparently had some sort of love affair between these and his walls. The textured surface doesn't lend itself well to fill and sand, not to mention these tended to have a raised dimple so I had to find another way. I chucked a round head bolt in the cordless drill and proceeded to slightly spin each hole to be slightly incuse. I then applied mud with the 1/2" tool I use for filling finishing nail holes and wiped each down with a very damp sponge. End result is you can't find any sign of those holes now. Mission accomplished, today the finish coat goes on the walls and it is done.