A Painting Technique to Cover Flaws in a Bad Wall

An old or “bad” wall can detract from the beauty of a home. What can you do with a wall that shows obvious flaws and defects that are short of replacing it with a new wall? Believe it or not, some useful painting techniques can help to beautify an ugly old wall that takes away from your enjoyment of a room. If you have a flawed wall and you’re wondering how to correct the problem, here are some useful tips on how to solve the problem without totally replacing the wall.

Preparing an old flawed wall for painting

Some great painting techniques can clean up and improve the appearance of old or damaged walls. Before you get started, take a look at the wall and determine what, if any preparatory measures need to be taken before you apply the painting techniques. For example, if there are holes in the drywall or cracks, you’ll want to repair these before painting. If the wall is dirty, it will need to be cleaned in advance. Any loose or crumbling areas in the drywall should be patched first, so you have a surface that is as good as you can get it before painting. You may also want to consider sanding some high spots down. Some severely damaged areas may need to have a new piece of drywall cut and pieced into place before you begin.

Textured Paint

According to Wikihow, there are a few ways you can hide wall flaws through painting techniques. One of the fastest and best methods is to use textured paint. The best choice depends on your personal preferences and the extent of the flaws you’re trying to hide. Paint texturing comes in a variety of sizes and styles. If the flaws are not too bad, you may be able to choose a textured paint that will cover the imperfections and leave you with a uniform surface that is more aesthetically pleasing.

Different methods for texturing walls

If you prefer to texture walls and use regular paint, there are a few different ways to hide extreme flaws. Some old walls even look bad after textured paint has been applied. You can pre-texture the walls using spackling compounds or wall texturing mixes to create unique plaster designs that can best hide wall imperfections. Wall texturing can be applied from a spray can, or by hand. If you have a creative nature, you can experiment with plaster and various tools for applying the texturing to the walls, such as putty knives, rollers, brushes, or sponges. If this is a method you want to try, take the time to look at the various tools that can imprint images in the walls to create novel patterns. There are a lot of different patterns you can create from subtle, to more complex, but it can also be time-consuming.

Applying a Tuscan finish

Hunker recommends using a faux Tuscan paint finish for hiding flaws in patched or repaired drywall walls. This is an old-world look that can help to make ragged edges and flaws look like they’re supposed to be that way. This is a decorative painting technique that uses flaws in old walls as benefits to create a distressed and antiquated appeal. After repairing, sanding, and drying the walls, you can add a texture coat of drywall mud, or skip this step and go straight to the faux painting techniques. Add a primer coat of paint to the wall, then apply a base coat of color. When dry, add a glaze mixture and apply it to the wall with a microfiber cloth, or cheesecloth in a light dabbing motion. Allow to dry then repeat the method with your second color of paint for the Tuscan design. You want the original color to show through the glaze coat but the second color should be applied to give the walls a two-tone density to create a faded or leather look on the walls for an old-world look.

The Tuscan Faux Finish generally calls for the use of a topcoat that is slightly different than the base coat to create the look of old and new. A good combination is a warm copper for the base coat with a teal color for the second color. These two colors present the appearance of an aged copper patina aesthetic, but you can achieve this look with a variety of complementary colors. You can achieve the look with a dry brush technique, using rags for paint application, or with sponges. You can also use a combination of different applicators but make sure that you keep the overall design or patterns consistent.

Final thoughts

There are a few different things you can do with a flawed wall that needs attention. Often, painting over a damaged old wall just highlights the flaws and draws more attention to them. Consider using one of the various texturing or painting techniques we offer to turn the flaws into a fashion statement. There are ways to hide the flaws or to make them look like a part of the original decor intention. It’s not always possible to replace a wall that has an ugly appearance, especially if you’re short on time, money, or both, but you can dress up almost any defect to clean up the look and make it look more satisfying. The best approach to take depends on your personal preferences and the kinds of defects you’re trying to address. Slight problems can usually be fixed with a little textured paint, or a good repair and sanding job before painting, but some of the more severe and unsightly issues may call for a more intense approach. Don’t be afraid to be bold and unleash your creativity because an old flawed wall may in fact become one of your most inspiring home decor assets. Have fun and create the home of your dreams.