Now For The Fun! Wall Texture (and Ceiling Texture) Tips.Of course, not everyone likes plaster texture. Some folks are partial to smooth walls or ceilings. That's okay. Different strokes for different folks. Smooth flawless surfaces have their own lovely appeal. But maybe getting to the flawless stage is just too much time and fuss for you right now. And besides, you like texture and would like to try your hand at a ceiling or wall texture technique. You like the unique quality and charm of a beautifully textured surface, like what you have seen in old mansions or European villas. So . . . let me give you some ideas and suggestions that will help you texture like a pro! (or at least reasonably close - it may after all take some practice). ------SIDEBAR------ Want to see some textures samples? ------------------- NOTE: It may be that you have arrived at this page and in truth you are not quite ready for texture. Here is some information to help you get ready. You may have plaster cracks to still deal with, or holes to repair or maybe you have old texture that needs to be skim coated. _______________________ What you need first! Understand first off that you need two things: motivation and perseverence. And, if you have an "artistic flair", so much the better. What you are going to be doing is something like fingerpainting. You remember grade school, what fun it was to smear that lovely cool stuff all over the paper and get those unique designs by experimenting with your hands and movements. Well, putting on wall texture is a lot like that. You experiment for a while on primed plywood, or cardboard, or drywall scraps. You try one tool after another and one kind of stroke after another until you can say "Ah Ha! That's it. That's what I like." Now, can you put that over the whole wall? (or ceiling) To do a whole large surface area, floor to ceiling and corner to corner, you need to strive for consistency. You want your wall texture to be consistent throughout. If what you are doing can be considered random, then you have to be consistently random. I have a wall texture technique or two like that and they are a lot of fun to put on. -------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENT Now you can watch filmed demonstrations of professional texturing techniques. Would you like to try your hand at texturing, but you feel you're just not "artistic"? Don't say that to me, because I won't believe it! Why? Because in my years of doing textures for clients, I have learned an amazing thing - from my clients! Want to know the SECRET? Let me show you all about ceiling and wall texturing techniques with my unusual DVD of live demonstrations. I take you by the hand, so to speak, and walk you through the process of doing wall and ceiling textures. These are actual textures I do for my clients, textures they pay me nice money to do. Are you ready to add that lovely touch to your newly repaired or restored plaster or drywall? I'll show you how easy it really is. I had a lot of fun doing these demonstrations, and I think you will too as you watch. To learn all about the SECRET, go to wall texturing techniques. ____________________________END__________________________ Now, this takes some practice. When you are designing your own wall texture, you have a number of variables to take into account. Variables kind of texture compound amount of water to be mixed in sand? mesh size and amount kind of tools used nature of the surface to receive the texture color to be added? Which? How much? _______________ kind of texture compound You have several ways to go here. You can use multipurpose joint compound (not the setting or hotmud type) straight out of the bucket or box, but ordinarily you will have to put it into a different container and thin it some. Keep track how how much water you use, so you can duplicate the first batch when you make another one. You can buy pre-mixed texture compounds in the plastic lined boxes ready to use, or thin. And you can buy bags of texture compound in powder form, to be mixed with water from scratch. If you have a large area to texture, the bags of texture powder are the best bargain, but you have to be prepared to mix them. You can use a drill with a special beater designed for drywall compound/plaster, or you can buy a "mud masher", which looks like a large potato masher. That's how I go, with the texture powder and masher. I generally mix up my texture and let it sit overnight to soak, then the next day I mix it more to get rid of lumps and add the water I need. If you decide to use pre-mixed joint or texture compound, you can thin using the electric drill/beater or masher, just be careful not to get too much air mixed in. This causes bubbles in your texture coat, which you probably don't want. amount of water to add Go easy here. Set aside a small amount of compound, and add a small measured amount of water. Stir together in a pan and try it out, to see how it handles and if you can get the effect you are looking for. When you get what you want, then do the same with the rest of the compound you think you will need. Be careful to make a batch big enough to go across the whole surface you are working on. You don't want to run out of wall texture halfway across. adding sand? Some wall texture patterns require sand in the mix to get that old plaster look. Use the sharp white quartz sand available at masonry/building materials centers. You may have to buy a whole bag, about 100 pounds worth, but it is not expensive. If they have any torn bags, they may be able to sell you less than a whole bag.
Quartz sand comes in various mesh sizes. The bigger the number, the smaller the sand. My supplier carries 20, 30, and 70 mesh white sand. They have others, but these are the ones you would be looking for, for doing plaster-like textures. I use mostly the 30 and 70 mesh, often mixed together, to get the textures I like. As you do with water, experiment to see how much you need. Also, what mesh size(s). Adding sand to your wall texture mix gives the finished texture more body, and makes it harder. If you want the texture to look quite grainy, you will need to add a fair amount of 30 (maybe 20) sand. One advantage of sand in the texture mix is that it actually makes the mud a little easier to work. That has been my experience. If your texture requires a fairly uniform depth, then the sand will enable you to maintain a minimum thickness. One disadvantage of sand is that too vigorous pressing in of the texture tool will cause streaking as the sand slides across the surface. This is expecially noticeable when you are applying sanded wall texture across a primed surface. In that case, a finer grit or no sand at all may be the answer. Again, experiment, experiment. tools Just about anything can serve as a texture tool. A paint roller, 3-knot roofing tar brush, large paint brush, wisk broom, sponges, rags, your hands even. For the textures I like, I find the plasterer's hawk and trowel indispensible. But I also use the tar brush, paint brushes, sponges, and 12 inch broadknife. Some textures require more than one tool, since they are two stage applications. Some venetian plaster textures are applied with six and eight inch wide knives. One tip: when applying some textures, it helps to stop now and then and clean your tool before continuing. And . . .just cleaning the goop off your hands is nice too once in a while. nature of the working surface A porous, non-primed surface, be it raw plaster or joint compound, will take the texture mix differently than will a primed or painted surface. A non-primed surface will grab the water in the texture mix as you apply it and stiffen it pretty quickly, so you can't loiter very long over one spot. You have to keep moving fairly fast, keeping the wet outer edge of your texture coat as fresh as possible to avoid having lap marks show later. That's why some wall textures cannot be put on ceilings, because you can't go fast enough to avoid lap marks. If you decide to prime first before texturing, that will definitely help, but it will also change the character of the texture you are doing, more or less. So if you must put your wall texture over a primed or painted surface, you want to be sure your experimentation occurs in advance over the same kind of primed/painted surface. Then you will have an accurate idea of what to expect. At the same time, with some textures, working over a primed/painted wall or ceiling can be easier and less stressful than doing it over a porous surface. Experiment.
adding color Some people like to add color tinting material to the wall texture before application. This to me makes more sense on ceilings than on walls, since the ceiling is out of harms way, unlike walls. Drywall texture compounds are much softer than real gypsum plaster, so walls in high traffic areas or in areas like kitchens and bathrooms where water is splashed are susceptible to damage. Tinted, unpainted wall texture may therefore be impractical in such places, although there are probably clear finishes that you could put over such walls to protect them. In such a case, however, tinting the texture in advance may not make much sense. Just put on your wall texture untinted, and paint it the color you want. The paint will lock in the porosity of the texture and make it tougher. (Don't forget to prime the texture first, always!) One great way to beautify an old repaired ceiling is to prime, then paint it well, then apply an open, see-through texture (some skip trowel and brocades will work) that has been tinted a complementary color. One I have done is a grey skip trowel texture over a white background. It makes a stunning ceiling. Very elegant. In general, a darker texture over a lighter background of the same basic color, such as a dark blue over a lighter blue, etc. Experiment. Another idea: gold over white. Wow! A place for artistic types to spread their wings! For tinting your wall texture mix, the thing to remember is to mix the colorant into the water, not the mud. This means that for tinting purposes, you have no choice but to mix your texture compound from powder. Experiment with small amounts of water and tinting material and powder to find the right proportions.Then use those proportions when you mix a big batch. Be sure to get the colorant that is compatible with watered products. That means acrylic-type colorants, not oils, right? Some people have also used latex paints as the colorant, mixed into the water before stirring in the powder. See what works best for you. Take your time, experiment and enjoy the process. You may be surprised at what you can achieve!
If you would like to see some wall texture samples, for ideas you might like to experiment with, check out wall texture samples ___________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
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