What is a Tape-and-Texture Wall Finish?

Recently we went over the VOG (vinyl-over-gypsum) wall type available in mobile homes. In this blog, we will look at the alternative tape-and-texture wall type and cover what are the benefits of this wall option.

Tape-and-texture walls are one of the most common wall finishes in site-built homes. To achieve this finish, raw drywall is installed, the seams are filled with drywall mud, covered in tape, sanded, mudded again, sanded, the whole area is sprayed in texture, and then painted.

Benefits of Tape and Texture Walls

Tape-and-texture walls provide a beautiful, seamless, and “clean” finish to your walls. By “clean” we mean there are no batten strips in seams to break your viewing of a flat wall.

Some of the benefits of a tape and texture finish, aside from the beautiful, clean finish, are to do with the ease of a décor change. Unlike VOG walls that need to be prepped to receive paint, you can simply paint over the existing color on a tape-and-texture wall with most home interior paints, applying a primer if the new color is significantly lighter or darker than the existing one.

In addition, if you ever accidentally damage your wall, patching a tape-and-texture wall typically only requires applying drywall mud to the damaged area then touching it up with matching paint.

On the flip side of this, however, tape-and-texture walls are more susceptible to cosmetic cracks as part of the aging process of every home. You probably have seen these types of cracks in older homes you have visited. So, though the repairs are relatively easy to do, like any old house, you may find a few hairline cracks develop over time.

Considerations in Choosing Tape-and -Texture Walls in Your Home

While the finish is seamless and modern, the process of tape-and-texture walls is very labor intensive which means the overall home price will be higher than a home with all VOG walls.

Because of the initial cost of a tape-and-texture home, some home buyers choose to purchase a home with VOG walls with the intention of giving a tape-and-texture finish later as a DIY project.

As a middle option, some factories offer the option of a combination finish, meaning the home has tape-and-textured walls in the living areas and VOG walls in the “wet” areas (kitchen and bathroom) to prevent water damage and to keep plumbing more accessible.

Because tape-and-texture walls are considered a higher-end finish, it’s worth considering investing in this wall type in order to increase the home’s resale value later down the line.

View Tape and Texture Home Options

In our lineup of homes, we currently offer NXT by Clayton Athens, which are built standard with tape and texture walls throughout. You can view these homes here.

The Fleetwood homes we offer all come standard with VOG walls, but some come with the option to upgrade to either combination wall types or tape-and-texture throughout. You can view these homes here.