Orange peel texture fits a range of styles, hides imperfections, and can take most paints.
Flat hides imperfections the best, but is the hardest to clean. Gloss highlights imperfections but is quite easy to clean.
A light orange peel usually will hide imperfections like visible sheetrock tape lines, etc. If you paint the ceiling a flat finish, it doesn't show imperfections as much as a satin or eggshell type finish. Basically, you're okay to leave as is if the smooth finish is... smooth.
Orange Peel (also called splatter or eggshell) looks like the skin of an orange. It is a great alternative to a smooth finish because it is subtle but easily hides wall and ceiling imperfections. It's durable and easily to clean making it a popular texture in rental homes, commercial buildings, and new construction.
Textured paint is a popular choice for homeowners looking to add a distinctive look or hide imperfections on their walls. Textured finishes can be an aesthetically pleasing solution if you want to create texture on an accent wall or add personality to a room.
Glossy and satin sheens are more likely to show imperfections, but some matte sheens can be challenging to clean despite being better at hiding blemishes. Choosing a more middle-ground sheen, like eggshell, could be the best solution when your goal is to hide imperfections.
Orange peel texture fits a range of styles, hides imperfections, and can take most paints.
Is orange-peel texture outdated? Orange-peel texture gained popularity several decades ago. But it doesn't have to look dated today if you use a modern wall color and have an otherwise updated space.
Prepare your walls If you're going to apply orange peel texture to a wall that has already been wallpapered, you'll need to remove the wallpaper, sand the wall down to a smooth surface and then apply a coat of paint primer. For a painted wall, simply go over the coat of paint with a coat of primer.
Orange peel (also called “splatter” or “eggshell”) is a wall texture that looks a LOT like the skin of an orange. It's subtle, but it still does a good job of hiding imperfections.
Spray Sand Ceiling Texture
When done properly it gives a textured surface that doesn't crack and separate like an orange peel texture. Often applied as a subtle accent, spray sand is primarily found on ceilings, but can be found on walls, as well.
Prepping Drywall for Orange Peel Texture
You can't just jump right in and apply your texture on virgin drywall—it needs to be sanded, cleaned, and primed in order to get the texture to stick in a way that's smooth and free of grimy flecks of dirt beneath.
Wall condition: If your walls are in good condition, you may only need one or two coats of paint to achieve a smooth, even finish. However, if your walls are rough or damaged, you may need to apply additional coats to cover up imperfections.
Level 5 is an additional coat of mud sanded smooth and is only necessary when the walls will have a harsh light illuminating them. Level 5, of course, is the most expensive due to all the extra hand-troweled labor.
Knockdown is a flat texture that's created with a knockdown knife. The orange peel texture has a mottled look created by using different sizes of aggregate to create an uneven surface. The best way to think of this type of ceiling is as having small bumps on its surface, like, well, an orange peel.
Orange peel is a wall or ceiling texture that is named after its resemblance to our beloved, citrus fruit: the orange. This slightly bumpy texture is a popular choice because of its durability, holding up to wear and tear, easily hiding any nicks or scrapes that can occur over time.
If you use a thick 3/4″ roller cover on a smooth wall, it will produce an orange peel textured surface.
Priming is often an important step prior to painting, but it's necessary for painting over textured walls. The aforementioned nooks and crannies present on a textured surface can interfere with paint adhesion. Priming the surface will aid in paint adhesion and act as an initial coat.
Thickening of the skin and “peau d'orange”, where the skin of the breast appears pitted like the peel of an orange with large pores, may develop in mastitis or in inflammatory breast cancer, a rare form of breast cancer.
Apply a level 5 skim coat of joint compound
Applying a level 5 skim coat across the entire wall will remove the seam, and it is the best solution for hiding drywall seams. Using this method will require a professional to apply an eighth-inch layer of skim coat compound to cover the seams and holes in the walls.
Color Considerations
We all know that lighter colors emphasize imperfections while darker colors hide them. This also has to do with light and reflection. Lighter colors reflect more light while darker shades absorb it.
A Level 5 drywall finish involves an additional skim coat of joint compound over the entire surface, providing the highest-quality finish. This level is essential for areas with critical lighting conditions, where the appearance of the wall is paramount. It can deliver a smooth, uniform surface.