5 Ways to Refresh Your Walls on a Budget


by Kelly R. Smith

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Colorful walls & energy efficient windows
Colorful walls & energy efficient windows

This article was updated on 09/27/20.

Face it; contractor-built walls are just plain boring. There’s a reason for that. Actually, there are a couple of reasons. First, it is frugal to blast cheap texture through a spray gun texture hopper for a conventional orange peel texture. Secondly, that blah flat white paint? It is uninspiring but also frugal and allows for new homeowners to upgrade easily to a more attractive color and sheen.

Let’s take a look at some of the options we have for refreshing those tired, boring walls.

  1. Upgrade Your Texture

Contractor-applied texture is great for hiding drywall joints that were not properly finished but it is just a bit boring. Upgrading your wall texture is easy. I like to use a specialty roller like the one pictured below with watered down drywall compound (mud).

Use a drill and a ribbon mixer to thin the mud. It should easily drip off the mixer when the proper consistency is reached.

A texture roller
A texture roller

You can also used a regular paint roller with the nap of your choice for a less pronounced effect.

2  Paint Your Walls to Make Your Room Appear Larger

Not all homes are as large as we want them to be. Older homes can be notoriously small, especially stairways and halls; not a good thing for the claustrophobic among us. But rest assured that there are ways to open up that space.

Lighter color paint, especially in brighter sheens like eggshell and gloss create the illusion of more space. Wallpaper with vertical patterns give the illusion of more height.

3  Paint Over Old Paneling

Dark paneling may have been quite the thing in the 50s and 60s but today it looks old and dated. Removing it can be messy especially if adhesive was used. Luckily, it is easy enough to paint over wood paneling.

If it has vertical grooves, you will need to skim those with drywall compound and lightly sand the surface before texturing and painting.

4  Install Crown Molding

Polyurethane crown molding
Polyurethane crown molding

Installing crown molding will give even the drabbest rooms a touch of class. You’re not limited to wood either. Today you can find it in polyurethane and PVC which makes it easy to work with.

Fancy door trim styles
Fancy door trim styles

5  Install New Door and Window Trim

Contractor-grade door and window trim is just boring. In just a few hours you can remove it and replace it with trim that will give your walls a shot of style and class.

Kits are available at stores like Home Depot. All you will need is:

  • Tape measure
  • Miter saw or radial arm saw
  • Stool or ladder
  • Finish nail gun or hammer and nails
  • Nailset
  • Spackling
  • Paint and brush
  • Painter’s tape


I hope the above tips on refreshing your walls on a budget proved inspirational and informative. Got any tips of your own? Share them with our readers in the comment box below.


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About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

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Drywall Texturing Techniques for Remodeling

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A texture roller, from the paint section of Home Depot
A texture roller, from the paint section of Home Depot; photo copyright 2020 Kelly R Smith

This article was updated on 07/31/20.

There is nothing quite so plain as an un-textured wall or ceiling; do you agree? Fortunately, you don’t have to be a pro or spend a lot of money to get exceptional results. Drywall texturing techniques for remodeling and original home construction are well withing the reach of anybody that indulges in the occasional DIY project. Here we list some of the most common ways to go about this DIY particular task.

Common Texturing Methods

  • The paint roller method. This one is most likely the easiest and most frugal because… it just uses a paint roller (see it in the photo above)! For instructions on any of these methods, reference the links below.
  • The knockdown texture method. This involves a bit more work but the results are impressive. This involves applying drywall mud to the surface with a tool, pulling the tool off to form ridges, and then dragging a wide floating knife across to “knock down” the ridges. Use a crow’s foot brush or see my instructions to make your own unique texture knockdown tool. I made mine to match a client’s existing texture during repairs and I’ve been using it ever since.
  • Orange peel, eggshell, or splatter texture. This is the one most frequently used by contractors. For this method you will need a compressor and a hopper, both of which you can rent. You can buy those little spray cans at Home Depot for minor repairs but they are very expensive, and in my opinion, render less-than-favorable results.

Drywall Texturing How-To Articles

Knowing and using these drywall techniques for remodeling will help give your home that unique look to differentiate it from all the other contractor-grade homes on the block. Go ahead; have some fun with it.



Looking for more great content? Visit our partner sites:

The Green Frugal

Running Across Texas


As Featured On Ezine Articles

I offer article and blog-writing services. Interested? Hire Me!


Did you find this article helpful? Thanks for supporting this free site with a small donation! We depend on our readers rather than a bothersome paywall to keep the lights on here in the shop.

 




Visit Kelly’s profile on Pinterest.


About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

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