Prepare Wall

• Before applying any texture product or paint, wash your walls with warm, soapy water and a sponge to make sure that they are free of dirt, dust and debris. Next, apply a coat of flat latex paint in a white shade or a base coat intended specifically for use beneath a texturing product. To ensure that the texturing product dries properly, try to texture your walls when the air temperature is approximately 55 degrees. Avoid ventilating the room until after you have applied the texture and allow the walls to dry naturally without the aid of a heater.
  
  

Mix Texture Product

• There are several different texturing product that you can use for your walls. Texture paint is probably the easiest product to use because you do not have to mix it. However, if you prefer a bolder look, you can use drywall joint compound on your walls. You must mix the compound with water prior to application. Consult the package's instructions to determine the proper ratio of water to compound for your project. You can mix powdered drywall joint compound with latex paint to create a Venetian plaster texture.
  
  

Apply Texture

• When it comes to applying the texture product to your wall, you can do it by hand or with a texturing gun. When applying the product by hand, use a drywall knife or paint roller. If you prefer a sprayed texture, rent a texturing gun from your local home improvement store. When applying the texture product by hand, the application is usually only the first step in the process. However, when using a texturing gun, the application itself provides the texture. The most common sprayed texture for walls is the orange peel texture. If desired, you can use a drywall knife to smooth an orange peel texture to create a knockdown texture.
  
  

Use Texturing Tool

• Depending on the type of texture that you want to for your walls, you may need to use additional tools after you have applied the texturing product. If you use a roller to apply joint compound, allowing it to dry slightly and going over it again without adding any product to the roller creates a stipple texture. You can also use a hand broom to brush over the compound in an arching pattern to create a swirled texture. If you use a drywall trowel to apply your joint compound, you can use it to create strokes in different directions for a troweled texture.