Command says no for heavy texture. Its FAQ says Command Strips are not recommended for heavily textured surfaces because the adhesive may not make full contact, and its surface chart puts textured walls in the no row. A few tapes and strips from other makers name rough surfaces instead.
What Command says about texture
- Surface chart: the chart on Command’s hook, bath, picture strip and clear hook how-to pages shows “Textured Walls” and “Other Rough and Non-Stick Surfaces” with a no sign, and “Painted Walls” with a check.
- Bath products: the Bathroom Solutions how-to says “DO NOT use on wallpaper, fabric, textured walls, brick, or rough surfaces.”
- When a strip won’t stick: Command’s troubleshooting answer says the surface may be dusty, oily, damp, textured, or not recommended for its strips, and to clean with rubbing alcohol and let it dry.
- Where they work best: Command says smooth, clean surfaces such as painted walls, finished wood, tile, glass and metal.
Command doesn’t say how much texture counts as heavy. Its reason is full contact, so we’d skip Command on any wall where a strip can’t lie flat across its whole face.
Products whose makers name rough surfaces
| Product | What the maker says | Conditions from the maker |
|---|---|---|
| Gorilla Heavy Duty Mounting Tape | “Sticks to smooth and rough surfaces.” | Gorilla says its limits may vary with surface texture and that both surfaces must be completely flat to make full contact; permanent; “holds up to 30 pounds” |
| T-Rex Extreme Hold Mounting Tape | “Permanent application to a variety of smooth and rough surfaces” | Apply at 50°F and above; T-Rex says it will cause damage if removed; “hold up to 4 lbs per 4 in of tape” |
| VELCRO Brand PRO Series Rough Surface Strips | “adheres to rough and textured surfaces such as brick, concrete and masonry” | Its FAQ says they can also be used indoors on rough or textured surfaces; clean, dry surface; wait 15 minutes before use |
From each product’s own page, data sheet or FAQ. Loctite says more Power Grab tape is needed on irregular or rough surfaces.
Makers that rule out uneven or textured walls
- Gorilla Max Strength Mounting Tape: “If surface is uneven, tape will not be able to make contact and will not hold.” Its page also says it sticks to smooth and rough surfaces, with limits that vary with surface texture.
- Loctite Fun-Tak: its data sheet says not to use it for sticking items to textured wall surfaces.
- VELCRO Brand HANGables Indoor Light Clips: “Not recommended for wallpaper or textured surfaces.”
More on each tape: mounting tape compared and self-adhesive Velcro.
Gorilla says not to use its mounting tapes where injury could result if the mounted item fell. For anything heavy on a textured wall, we’d use a screw and anchor instead: see choosing a wall anchor on our drill bit site.
Putting wallpaper on a textured wall?
Peel-and-stick on textured walls