Knockdown
Sprayed splatter flattened with a knife. The most common texture in Fort Collins homes built from the 1980s onward, in light and heavy versions.
Wall and ceiling texture
Drywall Texture Matching in Fort Collins
The hardest part of most drywall repairs is not the patch itself but making the new texture blend so well that nobody can find it. Fort Collins Drywall Pros has matched wall and ceiling textures in Fort Collins homes since 2011. That work runs from spray knockdown in 1990s subdivisions to hand-troweled finishes and brushed ceilings in older houses near Old Town.
Homeowners call us after a leak, a remodel or a moved light fixture leaves a smooth patch in a textured wall. Contractors, handymen and insurance-driven repairs bring us in when their patch is done but the texture still shows in window light. We also change texture across whole rooms, including knocking down dated heavy textures and converting walls to a smooth Level 5 finish, one of the most popular updates in Fort Collins homes built during the 1980s and 1990s.
Texture is a craft of small variables: compound thickness, air pressure, tip size, knockdown timing and even the sheen of the paint that goes over it. With more than 1,300 jobs completed, our finishers test every pattern on scrap board before touching your wall. Every quote is in writing before we start, and we are licensed and insured in Fort Collins, Larimer County and Loveland.
Know your texture
Textures common in Northern Colorado homes
Orange peel
A fine spray that looks like citrus skin. Common in newer builds and bathrooms because it is easy to clean and hides minor flaws.
Skip trowel
Compound skipped across the wall with a curved trowel for a hand-made look. Seen in custom and Southwest-style homes.
Hand and Santa Fe textures
Troweled textures with broad, irregular strokes. Every finisher's hand is different, so matching takes a practiced eye.
Stipple and swirl ceilings
Brushed or rolled patterns on older ceilings. We match them with the same brush or roller style, not a spray gun.
Smooth
No texture at all. It looks simple, but smooth walls show every flaw, so they need a Level 4 or Level 5 finish underneath.
Our method
How we match an existing texture
We start by reading the existing texture: spray or hand-applied, how thick, how far apart the splatter sits and how hard it was knocked down. Then we mix compound to match and dial in the hopper gun's air pressure and tip size on a scrap of board until the pattern looks right.
The new texture is feathered past the patch into the old, so there is no hard edge. Once it is dry we prime the area, because unprimed compound absorbs paint differently and shows as a dull patch even when the texture itself is perfect.
- Test pattern on scrap board before your wall
- Texture blended past the repair edge, never boxed in
- Primed so paint sheen matches the rest of the wall
Details that matter
Walls versus ceilings: different jobs
Wall texture matching
Walls are seen up close and in side light from windows. We keep the pattern density even and watch that the new texture does not sit higher than the old.
Ceiling texture matching
Ceilings are viewed from far away, often under recessed lights. We match overall pattern and spacing, and blend a wider area so shadows do not outline the patch.
Popcorn and acoustic ceilings
Patching popcorn is possible with aerosol or spray acoustic texture, but it rarely matches decades-old material. Many homeowners choose popcorn ceiling removal instead.
Painted texture
Texture under many coats of paint is harder and flatter than fresh compound. We adjust the knockdown timing to reproduce that worn-in look.
Texture changes and smooth walls
Changing texture across a whole room
Many Fort Collins homes still carry heavy textures that feel dated. Changing them is a finishing job, and the process looks like this.
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STEP 01
Protect the room
Floors, trim and fixtures are masked, and the room is sealed with plastic.
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STEP 02
Knock down the old texture
High points are scraped or sanded down so the new surface does not telegraph the old pattern.
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STEP 03
Skim coat
One or two skim coats create a flat base. For smooth walls, this is effectively a Level 5 finish.
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STEP 04
Apply the new texture
The new texture is sprayed or hand-applied evenly across every wall, corner to corner.
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STEP 05
Prime and hand off
Walls are primed and ready for your painter, with the room cleaned out.
Have a patch that still shows?
We fix other people's texture too. Send a photo in natural light and we will tell you what it takes to blend it.
Pricing factors
What affects texture matching cost and timing
A single texture patch is priced mainly by the visit, since the compound needs to dry before and after texturing. Larger areas are priced by square foot, and full-room texture changes include protection, skim coating and priming.
Hand textures and heavy knockdown take longer to match than orange peel, and ceilings take more setup than walls. Most matched repairs are finished in two to three short visits, and a full-room smooth-wall conversion typically takes three to five working days.
Keep exploring
Related drywall services
Drywall Repair
Holes, cracks, nail pops, torn paper and corner bead, patched and textured to disappear under paint.
Drywall Finishing
Taping, mudding and Level 4 or Level 5 finishes, including skim coating and finish-only work for builders.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Asbestos testing first, then contained wet scraping, skim coating and a smooth or textured ceiling ready for paint.
Ceiling Repair
Ceiling cracks, sagging board, leak stains and holes from moved lights, repaired and textured to match.
Service areas
Texture Matching beyond Fort Collins
Our crews run texture matching jobs across Northern Colorado. These towns have their own pages, written around the homes, codes and permit offices there.
FAQ
Texture Matching questions
Straight answers to what people ask us most. Have a different question? Call or send a photo with the quote form.
Can you match any drywall texture?
Almost any: spray textures such as knockdown and orange peel are the most predictable, and hand textures take a practiced eye. We always test on scrap board first. If an exact match is not possible, we will say so and suggest re-texturing the full wall.
Why does my patch show even though the texture looks right?
Usually it is the paint, not the texture. Bare compound absorbs paint differently from the old wall. Priming the repair and painting the whole wall, corner to corner, solves most of these.
Can I remove texture and get smooth walls?
Yes. We knock down the texture and skim coat the walls smooth. It is one of the most popular upgrades in Fort Collins homes built in the 1980s and 1990s.
Do you use spray cans for small texture patches?
Aerosol texture can work for a tiny spot, but it rarely matches over a larger area. We use a hopper gun and compressor for anything bigger than a few inches.
How long before I can paint over new texture?
Plan on waiting until the next day in normal conditions. Thick textures and cold weather can extend that. We prime the area before we leave.