Wall Texture Technique
When you are preparing a wall for a texture, you will want to know about every plaster wall texture technique. Keep in mind that these techniques are not set in stone, nor are they the only options available for you. Rather, they are jumping off points: simple ideas that are generally recognized techniques that you can try, adapt, and use as you like.
The important thing to remember is that once you commit to one technique, you will want to stick to that technique for the rest of the wall.
It's really not that hard to learn how to texture. 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 that is what you want.
The Lace Technique
The best way to do this is to use a stiff brush, like a roofing tar brush. What you need to do is tap the plaster with the bristles of the brush making a pattern that stands out from the wall.
Wait a few minutes and then flatten out the pattern until it makes a flatter plaster wall texture.
The Swirl Technique
To do this you will need to use a trowel to sort of carve a swirl pattern into the plaster on the wall. Use a sweeping motion to make the swirl pattern, but use short motions of your hand, not the whole arm.
The Skip Trowel Technique
This takes a lot of effort because the wall needs to have a sand texture added to the plaster. This will create the vibration movement that makes the trowel skip over the plaster and create the bumps and pits in the plaster.
The Roller Technique
Using a roller, along with textured paint or thinned drywall mud, is the easiest way to hide wall imperfections or implement sound proofing. The roller technique does have its disadvantages, number one being the inconsistency from one wall to the next.
The Venetian Plaster Technique
This technique involves the use of a drywall knife and applying some mud or drywall compound to your walls or ceilings. This type of texturing technique is commonly called Venetian plaster. Some people who use the Venetian plastering method like to paint the wall one color and tint the drywall mud another. See: How to Apply Venetian Plaster
How to Use Spray on Texture
If you only need to texture a small section of wall or ceiling you may wish to purchase a pressurized can of texture spray at your local hardware or building supply store. Experiment on a piece of scrap board before spraying on your wall or ceiling to get the right size particles.
For larger jobs, such as spraying the walls and/or ceiling of an entire room you will want to rent a wall texture spray machine from your local building supply store. Most jobs can be completed within 4 hours.
Using masking tape and drop cloths, cover everything in the room that you do not want covered with texture. Texture spraying machines generally have a long spraying hose so the hopper of the machine and the motor which pumps the texture material through the sprayer may be kept outside of the room being sprayed.
Fill the spraying machine's hopper with wallboard compound. This can be either a dry powder or the premixed compound. Add water and stir well. You will add water even if you are using the premixed compound. Add water (stirring well) until the mixture is the consistency of a slightly thick cake mix.
There are different settings on the nozzle of the sprayer which will allow you to spray different sized particles, everything from "popcorn" for ceilings to what is commonly referred to as orange peel for walls and/or ceilings. Experiment on a piece of scrap wall board until you have the size particles that are right for your needs.
It is now time to spray your walls and/or ceiling. Keep the nozzle moving at all times while you are spraying in order to avoid spraying too much texture in any one spot. Remember, it is far easier to add additional texture if needed than it is to try and remove texture that is too heavy. If an area is sprayed too heavily quickly scrape off the texture while it is still wet and then re-spray the area.
Allow your textured walls and/or ceiling to dry for 12 to 24 hours and then prime and paint.
Tips & Warnings
Always test your sprayer on a piece of scrap wallboard before spraying your walls and/or ceiling to make sure you have the proper size texture spray for your needs.
Always keep the spray head moving while you are spraying texture. It is easier to spray an area a second time than it is to scrape off too-heavy of a texture.