Pros & Cons of Textured Paint

Textured Paint Benefits

• The most significant benefit of textured paint is that it hides imperfections in ceilings and walls. From tiny nail holes in newly installed drywall to dents, gouges or tears in old walls, textured paint beautifully hides flaws while adding a professional decorating touch to the room.

Drawbacks of Textured Paint

• Using textured paint instead of conventional paint costs more as it takes between 15 to 25 percent more paint to cover the same square footage, and costs between $10 and $15 more per gallon than traditional interior wall and ceiling paint. Choose your type of textured paint carefully as it's extremely difficult to remove. Some textured paint must be sprayed on, which entails renting or buying a paint sprayer if you're doing the job yourself. If you want colored walls or ceilings, textured paint must be covered with regular paint.

Textured Paint Options

• Paint that's textured with granite crystals gives surfaces a rough, irregular finish. It can be purchased premixed or you can add your own texturizing crystals. Sandstone textured paint can also be pre- or hand-mixed and creates a more subtle texture. Orange peel textured paint is applied quickly with a sprayer to finished and smoothly sanded bare drywall. The finish is slightly rough, like an orange peel, adds depth to walls and ceilings, and lasts indefinitely. Orange peel textured paint can easily be painted over but is impossible to remove. Spanish drag textured paint has several layers of overlaid geometric patterns; it requires multiple steps and artistic talent to achieve the desired results. If you're a novice painter, it’s best to hire an experienced textured paint contractor to apply Spanish drag paint.

Textured Paint Application

• Textured paint dries to a dull, eggshell color that makes it easy to paint over with tinted paint once it dries. Tinting it before application will thin it and produce an uneven finish. Let textured paint dry for a minimum of 24 hours before painting over it. Choose a slow-drying type so you can paint small sections and create the effects you want without rushing. Check for seams between each section and eliminate them with a clean paintbrush slightly dampened with cool water.