How to Texture Drywall

Use texturing as a way to lively up a room

Texturing a wall is another decorating option that a lot of people forget to consider. Texturing can make a bold dramatic statement, turning a plain wall into a striking part of the overall design.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Stencils
• Paintbrushes (old)
• Taping knife
• Plastic sheeting
• Soft-bristled brush
• Drywall joint compound

1. Purchase a large bucket of premixed drywall joint compound from your local home improvement center, lumberyard or hardware store. (A 4 gallon pail will cost you about $15.) Also pick up a wide-bladed taping knife or straight-edged trowel (8 to 12 inches wide--less than $10) for spreading a thin coat of the compound on the wall.

2. Remove everything from the walls including switch plates and receptacle covers. Clear furniture away from the wall to be textured and cover it. Spread drop cloths on the floor.

3. Remember you will need to remove any wallpaper before you can apply texturing. The high moisture content of the drywall compound will cause wallpaper to loosen-and come of the wall. Leaving you with a time consuming mess to clean up.

4. Start by applying compound along baseboards, corners and top of walls at ceilings. About 1/8 of an inch thick is fine unless you want a very rough texture, in which case you will want to go thicker. You don't have to be exact--after all, a varied texture is what you're looking for.

5. Work in a small area at a time until you figure out how fast you can work. Drywall compound stays workable for a fairly long time, but don't get carried away trying to cover too much at once. YOu will get the best results working in relatively small sections.

6. Create texture in a wide assortment of ways: use old paintbrushes, wallpaper brushes or sponges to stroke or swirl texture on the wet surface; use your fingers to make all kind of designs; use stencils to apply pre-created designs. One fun idea is to have your children make handprints and footprints in the wet surface. Anything goes.

7. Alternate between applying the compound and texturing it until the entire wall is covered.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people suggest that you can spread the drywall compound with your hands for a rough textured look, but drywall compound could be caustic, so if you're going for the rough textured look, wear nitrile or latex gloves).

• Drywall compound will dry white, brittle and powdery if you rub against it. Protect your wall texture and your clothes by painting the textured walls with a couple of coats of latex paint. (Now is the opportunity to add the color of your choice to your textured walls.)

Resources

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