Service 04 Textures
Knockdown, orange peel, skip trowel or smooth
Texture is a look, and it's also a tool. It hides small flaws and softens raking light. Smooth walls hide nothing. Here's how the usual options compare.
Samples The common four
Pick a texture.
Knockdown
Mud sprayed in splats, then flattened with a knife once it starts to set. Common in Billings homes. It's forgiving and hides a lot.
Goes over Level 3 or Level 4. Heavier knockdown hides more and needs less finishing underneath.
Orange peel
A fine spray, left to dry as it lands. Subtle.
Usually goes over a Level 4 finish. A light, even look that works in almost any room.
Skip trowel
Hand-troweled, so the trowel "skips" and leaves flat patches of mud. A rustic look.
Slower than spray textures, and priced that way. Every hand is a little different, so we show you a sample first.
Smooth (Level 5)
No texture at all: a skim coat over the whole surface. The cleanest look, and the least forgiving.
Shows dings and raking light more than any texture. Worth it in rooms built around big windows or glossy paint. About Level 5
Getting the look right
Texture is part skill, part setup. The tip size, air pressure, how thick the mud is mixed and how long we wait before knocking it down all change the result. We spray a sample board before we start, so you see the texture before it goes on every wall.
Then the texture gets primed before paint. Fresh texture soaks up paint unevenly, and primer is what makes the finished wall look even.