How to Texture a Wall With Plaster
One of the most popular trends in home decorating is to create unique living spaces. An easy way to accomplish this is by creating texture and color on walls. That can easily be accomplished with beautiful results through various processes involving the use of plaster. Used alone or in conjunction with other products, plastic can personalize any room to set the tone and mood the homeowner desires. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wall primer
- Paint rollers and tray
- Foam core board or plywood
- Plaster
- Mixing sticks
- Buckets
- Color additive (paint, glaze, color pigment)
- Product additive (sand, metal shavings, course glitter or paper fibers)
- Steel spatula or trowel
- Water
- Steer wool
Instructions
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Prepare the wall for plastering. Cover, fill in or sand any seams, tears or holes using the appropriate type of joint compound. Then, apply a priming product acceptable for use with plaster. These can be found at home improvement stores such as Home Depot.
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Mix up a small amount of plaster using the instructions provided on the product chosen. Practice different plaster application techniques on foam core board or plywood until the desired textured look is achieved.
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Decide what color, if any, to add to the plaster. Mix the various color ingredients and plaster together in a bucket until the tone and shade desired are achieved. Color additives can include paint, glaze or color pigment that is specifically made for use with plaster. All of these can be found at home improvement stores such as Lowe's.
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Determine whether any other additives will be put into the plaster mixture. Some people like to add sand, coarse glitter, fine metal shavings or paper fibers for additional texture and for more design pizazz. Practice mixing the various products into the plaster, trying out the mixture on foam core board or plywood until the desired look is achieved.
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Using a steel spatula or trowel, scoop up a small amount of the plaster mixture and apply a thin coat of it to the wall in a space no larger than 4 by 4 inches. Begin in the center of the wall and work outward and up, then down until the wall is entirely covered.
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Take another scoop of plaster and begin again, this time overlapping the previous 4-by-4-inch segment slightly. Don't overlap too far; about 1 inch is sufficient.
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Alternate subsequent plaster applications from right to left to left to right in a fanning motion. Keep the plaster coating as uniform as possible to maintain the textured look desired. Continue applying plaster using the same technique until the wall is entirely covered with the first coat.
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Allow the first coat of plaster to dry completely before doing any touch-ups or applying a second coat.
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Apply a second coat of plaster, if desired, using the same technique. Some people choose to slightly darken the color shade for the second plaster coat to add more depth. Others opt to simply fill in translucent spots left on the wall surface rather than putting on a complete second coat. Any of those methods are acceptable, so it is a matter of taste.
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Burnish the final coating if desired to get a Venetian plaster effect. It must, however, be accomplished before the second coat of plaster is dry, usually within 1 and 1 1/2 hours. To achieve the burnished effect, press the flat edge of the spatula or trowel against the wall. Move it in rapid circular motions, applying heavy pressure.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep water nearby for thinning out plaster than begins to harden too quickly. Don't worry about covering every inch of the wall space with the first application. Subsequent applications of plaster will fill in any holes as well as add delightful texture. Clean the spatula regularly in a bucket of clean water to prevent too much product from buildup in an area and being transferred to the wall space. Scrape away any plaster than has hardened on the spatula. Apply heavier pressure to maintain a thinner plaster coating. Keep the plaster edges slightly ragged and incongruent on the wall. The look isn't supposed to be uniform and perfect. The more burnished the wall, the higher the gloss or shine achieved. Steel wool can be used to burnish plaster to a more satin style finish.
Wall drying time will vary depending upon humidity and the products chosen. Allow between 5 and 10 hours for drying between coats.
