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Design Ideas

Drywall Textures and Styles

There are two basic drywall finish styles: smooth and textured.

Textured finishes range from light to medium and heavy, with both simple and complex textures. There are two types of smooth wall finish: smooth for wallpaper and smooth for paint (smooth for paint leaves a slight pebble finish).

Most people elect to keep their walls unfinished in garages, storage and other work areas.

A sprayed drywall texture is the most popular application method today. It uses less labor and isn’t as costly as hand-applied finishes.

Fine to coarse grades of texture can be sprayed. The texture is made coarser by adding textured granules (of foam, for instance) to the drywall compound or paint.

If you are matching existing drywall and having it professionally installed, it’s important to let your service professional know the size and texture type so a more accurate estimate can be delivered.

While metal studs make for stronger, straighter frames, wooden studs are America’s most popular way to frame. Kiln dried studs have all the moisture removed before they are used so they stay straight. Untreated lumber will warp as it ages.