Drywall repair and texture that actually matches.
Arvada is a textured-wall city. A patch done without matching the texture is visible under every lamp in the room, forever.
Bighorn Painting provides drywall repair and texture matching across Arvada, Colorado, including nail pops, cracks, water damage, holes and full wall repairs. Arvada's housing stock is almost entirely textured, so repairs are matched to the existing knockdown, orange peel or skip trowel finish before priming and painting. Matching the texture is what makes a repair invisible. Call 720-912-4676.
Why most patches are visible
A drywall repair has to pass two tests. The surface has to be flat, and the texture has to match what is around it. Most people get the first one right and ignore the second, which is why so many patched walls have a smooth island sitting in a textured sea.
Texture is not decoration. On an Arvada home built in the 70s or 80s, it is the actual finish, and it was applied with a specific tool at a specific consistency. Reproducing it means identifying which one you have, mixing compound to match the original thickness, applying it the same way, and feathering the edge so there is no visible boundary.
The four textures you will find in Arvada
| Texture | What it looks like | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Knockdown | Splattered then flattened, mottled with flat spots | The most common. 1980s onward, walls and ceilings |
| Orange peel | Fine even stipple, like the fruit | Very common on 1990s and newer builds |
| Skip trowel | Hand-applied, irregular, trowel marks visible | Custom and higher-end homes, and some 70s remodels |
| Popcorn / acoustic | Heavy sprayed ceiling texture | Ceilings in 1960s-80s homes. Test before disturbing if pre-1980 |
What we repair
- Nail pops. Extremely common in Arvada's older stock as framing has dried and moved. Set, secure, patch, texture, prime.
- Settlement cracks. Usually above doors and windows. We address the crack properly with tape rather than just filling it, otherwise it reopens within a year.
- Water damage. Cut out the affected board, confirm the source is fixed, replace, tape, texture. We will not coat over active moisture.
- Holes. Doorknobs, furniture, the occasional accident. Patched with backing so it does not flex.
- Corner bead damage. Dented outside corners from moving furniture. The bead gets repaired, not just mudded over.
- Full wall and ceiling resurfacing where old texture is failing or you want it changed.
Going smooth
Some homeowners want the texture gone entirely for a modern flat look. That is a skim coat, and it is real work: the existing texture is knocked down, the wall is skimmed with compound, sanded, and skimmed again. It is worth it if that is the look you want, and it is messier and costlier than people expect. We will tell you both parts.
Popcorn ceilings and the 1980 line
If your home was built before roughly 1980, popcorn ceiling texture may contain asbestos. Do not scrape it, and do not let anyone else scrape it, without testing first. Testing is inexpensive. We will not disturb pre-1980 acoustic ceiling texture without it.
Other work we do in Arvada
Interior painting
Interior painting across Arvada: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, stairwells, basements and texture repair.
Learn more →02Exterior painting
Exterior house painting in Arvada: siding, trim, fascia, soffit, doors and garage doors, with hardboard repair before coating.
Learn more →03Cabinet painting
Kitchen cabinet painting and refinishing in Arvada: doors sprayed off-site, boxes finished in place.
Learn more →04Deck and fence staining
Deck, fence, railing and pergola staining across Arvada, with cleaning and brightening before any sealer.
Learn more →Drywall repair and texture questions from Arvada homeowners
Can you match my existing wall texture?
Yes. Knockdown, orange peel and skip trowel are all matched routinely, which matters because Arvada homes are almost all textured. The match is what makes a repair disappear rather than becoming a permanent flat spot.
Do you repair drywall and paint, or just one?
Both, and doing them together is the point. A repair is not finished until it is textured, primed and painted to blend. Hiring separate trades usually means a visible patch.
How much does drywall repair cost in Arvada?
Small repairs such as nail pops and minor holes are often folded into a painting project at minimal additional cost. Larger repairs, water damage and full resurfacing are quoted on the actual scope after we see it.
Can you remove popcorn ceilings?
Yes, with one condition. If the home was built before roughly 1980, the texture should be tested for asbestos before anyone disturbs it. We will not scrape untested pre-1980 acoustic ceilings.
Can you make my textured walls smooth?
Yes, through a skim coat process. It is more involved and messier than a repaint, and the result is a genuinely flat modern wall. We will give you the real cost and timeline before you decide.
Will the repair be invisible?
That is the standard we work to. A correctly matched texture under a full coat of paint should not be findable. If a repair is visible after we finish, tell us at the walkthrough and we will correct it.
Request your free estimate
Tell us what needs painting and send a few photos. Most Arvada projects can be priced without a site visit, and we will say plainly when yours needs one.
Prefer the phone? 720-912-4676