For a PDF of this article, including some great photos of the textures, click here: Using Decals on Textured Walls

Using Decals on Textured Walls

We hear it every day “Will wall decals work on my textured walls? The truth is that it really depends on the texture that you have. From the smooth textured walls on the east coast, to orange peel effect in the west’s great housing boom areas, there are a variety of textures found in homes across the US.  Trading Phrases shows you the effect on the most popular texture effects found in most homes. 

Orange Peel: It is found anywhere a building boom occurred in the past 2 decades. This typical drywaller’s friend can be used with decals. Just use a bit of elbow grease to make sure you’ve gotten the decal into the crevices.

Venetian Plaster: If you like the old world look, you may have this finish on one of your walls. The deeper the finish, the more work it will take to get into the hand troweled crevices. It will work with decals, but may lose the hand painted look up close. Use the installation tool to really work the design into the grooves.

Sandstone: Add sand to a can of paint and voila, you have a sandstone finish. What you also have is a porous surface that makes a decal a bit tougher to adhere. Once it is in place, however, it looks beautiful on the relatively smooth surface.

Tissue Paper: Some tissue and even wallpaper effects are heavy on the texture. Some are not. If you’ve got a heavier texture, it will take a little more work to get the decal in to the crevices. If you have the smooth version, well life is good!

Textured Fresco: This is a relatively smooth texture, and it works really well with wall decals. The minimal texture shows through the solid pieces of the design, making the decal look like it has been painted on the surface better than some other textures.

Glazing: This dramatic finish adds very little overall texture to the wall. This means it works really well with wall decals. The matte finish decal goes really well against the glazing and looks hand painted. Decals are a great compliment to your hard work on the glazing effect.