How to Stipple Drywall Ceiling

Stipple a ceiling to add texture.

An often overlooked area of any home is the ceiling. Adding texture to a ceiling can completely change the look of a room, giving it more warmth, energy and style. One way to achieve a textured look is to stipple a ceiling. Stippling a drywall ceiling can be done quite easily and cheaply, but the results are often dramatic. Just follow these simple steps to stipple your drywall ceiling.

Things You'll Need

• ceiling texture mix
• stipple brush

Instructions

How You Can Stipple Your Drywall Ceiling.

1. Prepare the ceiling. You need to have a nice, smooth ceiling that will take your ceiling texture mix, often called "mud," in a consistent manner. If the ceiling is cracked and needs painting, fill the cracks with crack filler, sand, and paint with a flat ceiling paint. Let dry.

2. Mix your ceiling texture product. This product can be found at any local hardware store, and is either pre-mixed, or available in powder. Stir your mix until it is smooth and consistent.

3. Take your stipple brush and dip it into the mix. Get a little on the brush, don't jam it all the way into the mix and choke your brush with too much texture mixture.

4. Dab your drywall ceiling with the mixture. Practice getting the amount of stipple you want. Start with a small area, and have a scraping tool handy. If you don't like the results, scrape the mix off and start over.

5. Finish a small area, step back and take a look. If you like how it appears, do the small section next to it. Frequently check back to the first section to make sure that your entire drywall ceiling will have a consistent look. Let dry.

Tips & Warnings

• The more texture mix you use, the better soundproofing your ceiling will have.

• Use the same brush and the same texture mix for the ceiling. Don't make any changes halfway through or your ceiling will not look consistent.

References

• Home Time: How to Stipple a Ceiling
• Cube Bookcase: How to Stipple A Ceiling