The Most Common Styles of Drywall Texture With Examples
Whether it’s new, freshly hung drywall, or basic drywall repairs, the texture is what will ultimately be what you see. There are many different types of texture, and within those types, modified styles of application. Here are some of the most commonly used, as well as photo examples.
1. Smooth Finish

While still considered a drywall texture, a smooth finish is created by applying one or more smoothed and sanded layers of drywall compound. There are different levels of smoothness, but most smooth finishes will be level 4 or level 5. Smooth texture is generally what’s desired when skim coating is done in a home.
2. Orange Peel Texture

Orange peel is one of the most commonly used textures, although the reasons for it’s popularity can vary. It’s creates a basic, inexpensive surface that can hide blemishes or imperfect walls. Orange peel texture is slightly bumpy and resembles the skin of an orange. It’s generally applied professionally with a hopper or spray gun and compressed air, or can be purchased in a can to DIY. Orange peel can range from very light to very heavy.
3. Knockdown Texture

Knockdown is another very common texture style. It is applied to the drywall with a hopper or it can be purchased in a spray can, similar to orange peel. After joint compound is applied, a trowel is used to flatten out the texture, creating the knockdown effect.
4. Skip Trowel

Skip trowel drywall texture is less commonly used, but similar to knockdown. The application process still requires spraying drywall compound, then using a trowel to pull the texture. The main difference from knockdown is that while pulling the compound, the trowel is lifted occasionally to create the skipped texture look
5. Trowel Swirl

When creating a trowel swirl, the drywall compound is applied to the wall with the trowel, then swirled in a circular motion to create the unique texture style. This greatly effects the level of thickness of the swirl. By applying the compound with a trowel instead of sprayer, you can create a less uniform, more artistic finish.
6. Swirl

The swirl texture style is drawn similarly to a trowel swirl with that rounded, circular motion. However, the swirl texture is applied with either a special brush or roller. This will create a unique pattern of swirl with less variations in thickness than a trowel swirl.
7. Lace Drywall Texture

Lace or sometimes called Spanish lace, is another hand drawn texture. The lace style is created by applying drywall compound with a special brush in a circular type pattern. This creates the lace style of finish with an intricate webbing design. Lace texture is common and has been used for years to create a unique drywall surface that looks great and hides blemishes.
8. Slap Brush

The slap brush style of drywall finishing is generally done by an experienced professional. It is achieved by using a stiff bristled brush to apply drywall compound to the wall in a random pattern. Generally, this will create the slap brush style pattern seen in the photo. Please note, since this is a hand drawn texture, the exact design of the pattern can vary depending on the installer’s level of experience and personal installation technique.
9. Popcorn Texture

Love it or hate it, popcorn texture was extremely popular in homes for a long period of time. This is due to the ease of installation and the ability of popcorn texture to hide imperfections. Popcorn texture is most commonly used on ceilings where imperfect framing and drywall installation would be the most noticeable. Also, popcorn texture commonly contained asbestos until the 1970s, making popcorn ceiling removal even more difficult.