Paint Technique for Faux Stucco Walls

Add glaze and paint to your faux plaster for added color.

Faux stucco walls are created with thick heavy texture hand applied with a trowel. The look resembles aged walls that could pass for decades or even centuries old. Faux is a French word for fake. Using different artistic techniques, you can age and antique your plaster walls for a true faux finish look. The most common used plaster for faux stucco walls is joint compound. Layer on additional products for added dimension.

Materials

Faux stucco walls are created with joint compound, commonly known as drywall mud. The material comes in premixed buckets of one and five gallon. Joint compound often covers about 50 to 100 square feet of wall space, depending on how thick it is applied. Once the drywall mud has dried, a primer coat is rolled over the surface. Next, two coats of latex paint in your chosen color are rolled on. Make sure the latex paint has a satin or higher sheen. The final coat is a mixture of paint and glaze. One part paint and three parts glaze are mixed together and painted onto the wall.

Tools

The joint compound may be rolled onto the surface or troweled on by hand. Use a small mini roller or a drywall trowel when creating the stucco look. Paint over your faux stucco walls using a rough nap roller. Have a trim brush handy to trim out any areas around the perimeter of the wall. Use a rough chip brush to dab paint into any crevices. The final glaze mixture is often applied with a small roller.

Application

Add drywall mud to your trowel's flat surface and wipe on the material with a putty knife. Next, hold the sharp edge of the trowel against the flat surface of the wall. Angle the trowel inwards and wipe on the plaster to your surface. Move the trowel around with your wrist to create dips and crevices into the plaster. Let the faux stucco dry for 24 hours. Paint a primer coat and two layers of paint onto the surface. Add your glaze solution by rolling on the glaze randomly. Use a large bristle brush or sea sponge to move the glaze around the stucco surface. Dab the glaze with a terry towel to create lighter areas in the finish.

Additional Tips

When adding plaster to the wall, it should not be thicker than a few centimeters. If you do add the plaster very thick, it could crack and not adhere to the surface well. Practice several times on an old piece of wood, poster board or drywall piece. Always protect your surfaces when plastering. Cover all flooring with plastic tarps and drop cloths.

References

• "Faux Finish Secrets from Brian Santos the Wall Wizard"; Brian Santos; 2006
• "The Complete Guide to Finishing Walls and Ceilings"; Tom Lemmer; 2006
• "Drywall: Pro Tips for Hanging and Finishing"; John Wagner; 1999