This process does not involve the use of any toxic chemicals. You don’t need to worry about wearing gloves or a respirator.
If you do accidentally get some joint compound on your floor, you’ll have 15-30 minutes to wipe it up with a clean rag or damp sponge. This isn’t a big deal, but if the compound is all over the place this can be a nightmare. Ideally, you’re applying the texture before you’ve installed baseboards. If you already have your baseboards installed though, tape your plastic sheeting to the top of the baseboard with painter’s tape. Drop cloths are typically too heavy to tape.
Orange peel is almost always applied before a room is finished. If your room is finished though, use a screwdriver to remove the faceplates out of the outlets. Uninstall any glass fixtures, like lights, by unscrewing them from the mounting plate. If the fixture can’t be removed, you can cover it with a plastic bag or painter’s tape. If you have a ceiling fan, unscrew the blades near the motor and set them aside. Then, wrap the fan in a plastic bag and tape it near the top of the mounting bracket.
Orange peel texture requires a fine mist to settle correctly. This means that you need a thin nozzle setting to get the right consistency. If you have a newer hopper with an adjustable nozzle, twist it until the opening is as small as possible.
Any type of mudding compound will work for this. Fast-drying joint compound will make this process harder though since you’ll have less time to work with it before the joint compound hardens. To keep it easier to work with, select a joint compound with a 24-48 hour drying time. [6] X Research source Do this outside or on top of your drop cloth or plastic sheet.
The joint compound has to be oxidized to make it easier to mix with water. Mixing it softens it up while pulling air into the compound.
The thicker the compound is, the more water that you need to add.
Most professionals don’t use a recipe or predetermined amount of water when mixing a texture. They simply stop once the compound has a thin, soupy consistency.
Some hoppers are stationary and have built-in compressors. Some hoppers are attached to the top of the spray gun. Larger hoppers have a separate spray gun that have to be attached.
Some hoppers don’t have a fill line. Fill these hoppers up till they’re 2/3 full.
Psi stands for pressure per square inch.
Put your nondominant hand on top of the gun and hold it up near your face to protect your face from any compound. You can wear protective eyewear if you’d like, but this is a pretty safe process. You shouldn’t experience any leaks if you’ve hooked your hoses up tightly. It doesn’t matter where you start. You’ll work your way around the entire room and different walls don’t require different techniques.
Don’t hold the spray gun in any one location for more than 1-2 seconds. Keep moving the gun to ensure that your texture comes out evenly. If you notice your compound is ricocheting off of the wall, back up a little.
Spray each section of your wall for 10-15 seconds to completely apply the texture.
You can use a damp sponge to wipe up any compound that you get on the ceiling, trim, or floors.
You can repeat this process to fill in any sections that you missed. You can apply wet orange peel texture to dry compound at any time. Just make sure that you let the wet compound dry for twice as long since the compound underneath it may get wet again.
