How do you paint a textured or rough wall?

Yes, you can paint a textured wall. Use a long-nap roller and allow more paint

Roughcast and pebble dash are not named in the maker pages; the rough masonry steps are the closest guide.

• Roller: a long nap. Dulux's roller guide says 20 to 32mm for rough or textured walls.
• Paint: buy more than the label's spread rate suggests. Dulux says to allow more paint for textured surfaces.
• Topcoat: on a branded texture coating, recoat with the topcoat its maker names.
• Tape test: cut an X in the old paint, press tape over it and rip it off. Anything that lifts comes off before you paint.

You'll see two Dulux nap figures in this guide, 20 to 32mm and 18mm or more. They come from two different Dulux pages, the roller guide and the Weathershield instructions, and both point to a long nap.

A sound textured wall can be painted like any other. The catch is getting paint into every hollow. Two things fix most of that.

The roller. A normal wall roller is too short for texture. Dulux lists 10 to 12mm nap covers for low sheen and flat paints on ordinary walls, then 20 to 32mm for most paints on rough surfaces such as concrete or textured walls. Taubmans says a 20mm nap holds a large amount of paint that gets into every nook and cranny. Haymes warns the wrong nap length can leave unwanted texture or incomplete coverage.

The paint quantity. Dulux's Weathershield instructions say to allow more paint on textured surfaces. Weathershield Low Sheen's label rate is an "up to" figure, so on a rough wall treat it as the most you'll get.

Texture coatings add a third rule. Many are sold as a system with their own topcoat, and their makers say to recoat with it. More on that below.

Know your wall: bagged brick, render or an acrylic texture coat

Work out what the texture is made of before you buy paint. Haymes says render, brick, concrete and bagged finishes are all masonry surfaces, and masonry is porous, so it soaks up and lets go of moisture over time. An acrylic texture coat is different. Dulux says an Acratex acrylic texture is an integrated, flexible, multilayer polymer system, not rigid cement render.

Not sure which you've got? Ask the builder, or look through the house paperwork for a texture system name before you buy anything. For smooth cement render, our guide to painting rendered walls goes further.

Prep for a rough wall: wash, rub, tape test, then fix the cause

Prep on a rough wall follows the same steps as any masonry, with a stiffer brush. Here's the order, drawn from the Dulux and Haymes instructions.

1. Wash it. Dulux says to wash masonry down with water and a stiff brush to shift loose material.
2. Treat mould or moss. Dulux says to wash with a bleach solution or a demossing chemical, then hose down.
3. Clean off white salts. Dulux suggests its Concrete and Paving Etch & Clean or a 5% white vinegar solution.
4. Do the rub test. Haymes says to run your hand across the wall. If powder comes off on your fingers, the wall may need sealing before repainting.
5. Do the tape test. Dulux's version: cut an X through the old paint with a sharp blade, press tape firmly over it and rip it off. If old paint or render comes away, it should be removed.
6. Look for the cause of any damage. Haymes says paint should never stand in for repairing building defects. Leaking gutters, damaged flashing or structural cracks get fixed before any prep or painting starts.
7. Let new work cure. Dulux says unpainted masonry should cure for 28 days before painting.

Rollers for rough walls: 18 to 32mm nap, and skip foam

Pick a long-nap roller for a rough wall: the makers below land between 18mm and 32mm. Every one of them points the same way, even if their numbers differ a little.

Load the roller generously, as Dulux tells you to with its Texture Medium Cover. Spray is another option: Dulux lists a 15 to 17 thou spray tip for Weathershield, and Taubmans says Moroka can go on by mitt, roller, brush or spray. Our guide on how to paint a house exterior covers the order of work.

How much extra paint texture takes: more than the can says

No maker we checked gives a set percentage to add for texture, so treat the can's spread rate as the most you'll get. Dulux simply says to allow more paint for textured surfaces. The figures below show how far the numbers can move.

On porous walls, the makers change the first coat too. Dulux says to thin Weathershield's first coat with up to 100mL of water per litre on very porous surfaces. Rockcote allows up to 5% water in the first coat of Armour over acrylic texture and render. And Dulux says a first coat of Texture Medium Cover thinned four parts to one part water conditions a porous surface.

Measure the wall, work out litres from the label, then buy a little extra and keep the receipt. Our guide to how much paint you need walks through the sums.

Texture coatings: recoat with the matching system

If your wall is a branded texture coating, recoat it with the topcoat its maker names. Rockcote, Dulux, Wattyl and Taubmans each name the topcoat that goes over their own texture.

• Rockcote. The Acrylic Texture data sheet says it must be overcoated with Rockcote Armour. Rockcote's Armour data sheet lists two coats as usual, 4 hours to recoat, and no application below 10 degrees or above 35 degrees. Over cement render, Rockcote says its Anti Efflorescent Primer must go on first.
• Dulux Acratex. Dulux says the life cycle costs of an Acratex facade are optimised when the AcraShield topcoat is re-applied after 7 to 10 years. Minor surface blemishes can be touched up with the same AcraShield layer.
• Wattyl Granosite. Wattyl says its textures come as complete systems, and a final topcoat is recommended and sometimes necessary.
• Taubmans Moroka. The Wall Treatment builds the bag and paint look, and Moroka Top Coat goes over it where more weather protection is needed.

There's another reason to stick with the system. Wattyl says a project specific warranty is available for approved Granosite texture systems, so check any paperwork before you change products. For a painted rendered wall with fine cracks rather than a branded texture, Dulux makes Weathershield Render Refresh, a high build acrylic that goes on in two generous coats and helps fill and bridge fine cracks.

Textured walls and ceilings inside the house

Inside, the same roller and paint rules apply. Dulux's roller guide puts textured walls in the 20 to 32mm nap range for most paints. Porous patches can soak up paint unevenly, and Haymes says a sealer undercoat helps even out porosity for a more consistent topcoat. Our guide on whether you need primer covers which surfaces need one, and our interior house painters can paint textured walls and ceilings inside.

When a textured wall is a job for a painter or a builder

Painting a ground-floor bagged wall is fair DIY. These jobs are better handed over:

• Cracks that are wide, stepped or growing, or walls with damp patches. Haymes says structural cracks and leaks get fixed before any painting, so have the cause found and repaired first.
• Upper storeys. Safe Work Australia calls working at heights a high risk activity and a leading cause of death and serious injury in Australia.
• Texture coating that's lifting over a large area. Haymes says loose or failing paint comes off before repainting, so that's a repair before any recoat.
• A branded texture system with a project warranty, where the maker's own system rules apply.

If you can't reach the top of the wall standing on the ground or a solid platform, stop there. A painter with scaffold or proper access gear should do the high part.

Getting textured walls painted on the Sunshine Coast

Dulux says textured surfaces take more paint than smooth ones. Thinking of getting rid of the texture instead? No maker page we checked gives a removal price, so removal is a quoted job. Our exterior house painting cost guide shows how wall type and condition change a price. Before deciding whether brick should be painted at all, read our guide to painting a brick house.

Once it's painted, wash it. Dulux recommends washing Weathershield every 6 months in coastal areas and every year in sheltered or inland ones. For Acratex, Dulux says every 12 to 18 months, more often near the sea.

Check our locations page for the suburbs we cover, and get a quick guide price from the instant estimate on our contact page before you book a proper quote.