Match wall texture over a drywall patch

How wall texture is made, and why patches show

Most drywall in newer homes isn't smooth. After the joints are finished, a thin layer of joint compound is sprayed or troweled on to add texture. That hides small flaws and gives the wall its look. Orange peel is a fine spatter of small bumps, like the skin of an orange. Knockdown starts as a heavier spatter that's flattened with a wide knife a few minutes later, leaving flat-topped splotches. Hand textures like skip trowel or swirl are applied with a knife, trowel, brush or sponge. Ceilings may have popcorn, a thick, puffy texture.

A patch is sanded flat and smooth, so it reflects light differently from the textured wall around it, even under the same paint. To make it disappear, you add texture with the same size, spacing and height as the wall, and blend it gradually into the existing texture instead of stopping at a hard edge. Spray cans sold for drywall texture have an adjustable nozzle for fine or coarse spatter. Joint compound thinned with water can be flicked, sponged or troweled for hand textures. Priming the patch first keeps the texture and paint from looking different over the new compound.

Why a patch still shows

Let's fix it

1. Identify the textureHold a flashlight flat against the wall next to the patch and look across the surface. Small, round bumps spaced closely mean orange peel. Larger flat-topped splotches with smooth spaces between them mean knockdown. Curved swirls or overlapping smooth patches mean a hand texture. Note the size of the bumps compared with a coin, and how close together they are. If it's a puffy popcorn ceiling in an older home, stop and have a small sample tested for asbestos before going further. Take a phone photo of the texture with the flashlight beside it. Comparing your practice cardboard to the photo makes matching easier.
   Done

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2. Prepare and prime the patchMake sure the patch is flat, dry and sanded smooth with fine sandpaper (about 120 to 150 grit), with its edges feathered into the wall. Wipe off the dust with a barely damp cloth. Brush or roll a coat of drywall primer over the patch and a few inches past it, and let it dry as the label says. Priming seals the new compound so the texture and paint go on evenly. Cover the floor, trim, nearby furniture and any switch and receptacle plates with plastic and painter's tape. Most primers dry to the touch in about an hour; check the label before texturing over it.
   Done

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3. Spray orange peel textureShake the can of orange peel spray texture for at least a minute, and set the nozzle for fine spatter as the label shows. Practice on a piece of cardboard propped up beside the wall, adjusting the nozzle and your distance until the bumps match the wall. Many cans suggest about 1 to 2 feet away. Then spray the patch in light, sweeping passes, starting and stopping off the patch. Feather the edges by spraying lighter as you move outward. It's easier to add a second light coat than to fix a heavy one, so wait a few minutes and look again with the flashlight.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The bumps are too big or blobby Wipe it off right away with a damp sponge, let the primer dry, then practice again on cardboard with the nozzle set finer and the can held farther away.

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4. Spray and knock down for knockdown textureFor knockdown, use a can labeled knockdown or set the nozzle for coarse spatter, and practice on cardboard first. Spray the patch and its edges with a light, even spatter. Wait until the spatter loses its wet shine but is still soft, usually about 5 to 15 minutes depending on the room; the can gives a time. Then hold a clean, wide drywall knife or knockdown blade almost flat and glide it lightly across the surface in one direction, flattening the tops of the splotches. Don't press hard or go back over the same spot. Wipe the blade after each pass.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The splotches smeared into streaks You knocked down too soon. Let it dry, sand lightly, prime the spot and try again, waiting longer before the knife.

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5. Match a hand texture with compoundFor swirls, skip trowel or other hand textures, thin some premixed joint compound with a little water to the consistency of thick pancake batter. Practice on cardboard with the same tool the wall seems to have been made with: a sponge, a stiff brush, a trowel or a drywall knife. Apply a thin layer on the patch, then make the marks to match the pattern around it, extending the pattern past the patch so there's no outline. For skip trowel, hold a curved trowel or knife almost flat and skim small amounts so it skips and leaves random smooth patches. Let the compound firm up for a few minutes, then lightly smooth any sharp ridges with a clean, damp knife so they match the softer look of the old texture.
   Done

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6. Dry, prime and paint the whole sectionLet the texture dry completely, usually several hours, or overnight for heavy coats. Check it with a flashlight and knock off any sharp peaks with light sanding. Prime the textured area, since texture absorbs paint differently than the old wall. Then paint the whole wall from corner to corner, or at least from edge to edge of a natural break, rather than only the patch. The paint calculator shows how much paint that takes. A touch-up spot usually shows on a textured wall because the sheen and color shift. See how to touch up wall paint so it doesn't show. Use the same sheen as the wall, often flat or eggshell, and the same roller nap so the paint lays down the same way on the texture.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The textured spot looks shinier or flatter Primer was skipped or the sheen doesn't match. Prime the area, then repaint the whole wall with paint of the same sheen.

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Watch it done

How To Spray Drywall Texture from a Can & Get Great Results!By Jonny DIY on YouTube. Their method may vary a little from ours.

Watch on YouTube

If it comes back

If the patch area cracks or bulges later, the repair under the texture moved. Check whether it was taped and filled properly; see how to patch a hole in drywall and how to fix a crack in drywall.

If the outline shows only at certain times of day, sunlight across the wall is exaggerating a small difference. Another light coat of texture feathered wider usually fixes it.

If you see bumps from nails pushing through near the patch, see how to fix drywall nail pops.

If you have several patches to do, practice once and do them all in one session with the same can and nozzle setting. Matching the pattern is easier when your hand and the can are already dialed in.