How to Make Drywall Stomps

Splayed brush bristles create drywall stomps.

Hanging and finishing drywall panels is one of the more common do-it-yourself projects for the home remodeler, but even the pros sometimes find it difficult to tape a ceiling flawlessly smooth. Applying texture to a drywall ceiling camouflages tiny taping imperfections. Drywall stomps are stippled patterns created in wet compound to give the ceiling a professional look. Called “stomps” because the action used to create the pattern involves repeated whacks on the ceiling, drywall contractors use this texture process, but it’s simple enough for do-it-yourselfers to apply as well.

Things You'll Need

• Drop cloths
• Thinned drywall compound
• Paint roller
• Roller pan
• Stomp brush
• Extension poles (2)

Instructions

1. Pour thinned drywall compound into a large roller pan. You can use powdered compound or premixed compound; thin it with water until it reaches the consistency of thick cream.

2. Attach an extension pole to a paint roller handle and cover the roller with thinned compound. This is drippy business so dress appropriately and lay out drop cloths as needed.

3. Roll an area of the ceiling about 3 feet by 3 feet, covering it uniformly with a 1/8-inch-thick layer of compound. The best way to do this is to roll on the compound in one direction then roll another layer at a right angle to the first layer. Don’t press the roller into the ceiling. Roll lightly.

4. Attach another extension pole to a stomp brush. A stomp brush, also called a slap brush or a crow’s foot, is a long-bristled utility brush with a round, square or rectangular head. The bristles on a stomp brush splay outward from the center of the brush.

5. Stand directly below the rolled compound and hold the stomp brush vertically, with the splayed bristles about 1 foot below the ceiling. Use one hand to hold the pole steady while the other hand holds the bottom of the pole.

6. Thrust the brush upward quickly and smack the wet compound but don’t hold it there. Let it fall immediately back to the starting position. The stomp pattern requires quick slaps of the brush.

7. Turn the bottom of the extension pole 1/4-turn and move slightly to one side. Stomp the ceiling again. The second stomp should overlap the edge of the first stomp.

8. Repeat the stomping action, turning the pole and moving slightly each time to create a random stippled effect over the wet texture.

9. Continue rolling and stomping the pattern over the rest of the ceiling.

Tips & Warnings

• The best way to apply the stomp texture is to work as a team. Someone should roll on the wet compound while the other worker applies the stomps.

• You can purchase stomp brushes with splayed bristles, or you can make your own stomp brush by soaking a long-bristled brush until the bristles are soft then pressing the brush flat on a scrap of drywall until the bristles dry. The brush will retain the splayed shape when used to stomp the ceiling.

• Once you start applying the stomp texture, continue until you finish the entire ceiling to avoid “lap lines” that can occur if a section of the compound dries before you apply texture to an adjacent section.