When you mention “textured paint,” most people think of expensive high-end décor. Textured paint, on the other hand, is a simple and creative way to transform even the most basic of living spaces. It can also be quite affordable with the right materials, and it is often a fun way to try out one’s DIY painting and décor skills.
What is Textured Paint?
Ordinary paint has a simple and plain appearance, with the color, type, and quality of the paint being the main distinguishing features of the finished look. However, textured paints may be what you need if you want a unique, rustic, casual, or chic look that is more than just a plain finish.
Textured paint is available pre-mixed in a variety of sizes (such as with 0.5mm-2mm textures). Regular paint can be combined with non-chemical aggregates such as silica sand and other additives. The final texture’s coarseness or fineness will be determined by the aggregates’ constituent size.
Why Textured Paint?
Textured paints can bring life to even the most mundane living spaces, and they are extremely useful for commercial property owners who are constantly trying to attract new customers with unique designs and special effects. Aside from being decorative, textured paints can be used to conceal flaws in walls such as damages and cracks that cannot be easily repaired and painted over with regular paint without compromising the wall’s aesthetic integrity.
Textured paints with unique additives and resins that are fungi-resistant, tougher aggregates, fast-drying pigments, and various admixtures can be formulated to be suitable for external application. This can be a great way to increase the longevity and maintenance life of external walls, which are frequently damaged by moisture and UV light from the sun.
Other benefits of special textured paints include crack resistance (due to their thicker film), heat resistance, and the ability to withstand extreme temperature changes.
How to Apply Textured Paint
The process of applying textured paint is determined by the desired objective and final pattern or finish. Typically, the process would begin with the preparation of the base surface and the application of a suitable undercoat. This can be done with a regular paintbrush. It is recommended that the color of this undercoat be as close to that of the desired final product as possible. It is also advised to avoid the process on external walls if it is raining or if rain is expected within a few hours.
The desired textured paint, usually Acrylic paint with a percentage of aggregates of various sizes, should be chosen, and a paint color test should be performed to determine the correct color specification for the finish.
A coarser aggregate size may be more appropriate for a rustic look. To achieve the desired application thickness and consistency, the acrylic paint can be diluted with water or other recommended agents.
Use an exterior emulsion paint roller to apply the base coat. For light-to-medium applications, microfiber rollers are also recommended. A honeycomb roller can also be used to create a much more intricate pattern by alternating the direction of the paint application at varying angles. It is critical to get this first step of the base coat application right to ensure that the design is consistent from start to finish.
The base coat should be allowed to rest for 2-8 hours, depending on coat thickness, temperature, and aggregate size. Any excess paint can be sanded or brushed away.
After the base coat has dried, use the exterior paint roller to apply a single coat of primer. Alternatively, depending on the desired pattern or coarseness of texture, a fine-textured emulsion roller can be used. After about 2 hours, apply a single coat of royal matte emulsion paint, using different colors to add effect. At this point, the emulsion paint can be used to implement the final design with different colors.
Can You Achieve Quality Textured Paint as A DIYer?
The steps for applying textured paint outlined above are not set in stone, but they are good practice. As a DIYer, you have the freedom to experiment with various colors and designs (use a piece of cardboard or waste drywall for this purpose). Always test various alternatives before implementing the actual paint job to ensure higher quality and consistency.
Another advantage of textured paints worth mentioning is that you don’t have to use this technique to paint entire rooms.
You can select a single wall or a heavily trafficked section, such as a patio or a single living room or bedroom wall. Alternatively, you could test your DIY skills in a much more enclosed and hidden space and see how it goes.
