Help with drywall texturing

[David Nebenzahl]

I've been running into a fair number of drywall patching jobs lately that involve small patches to existing walls. While I'm actually very good at creating good, smooth, even seamless patches, one thing I don't know how to do is to match wall textures.

Now, I'm not a professional drwyall hanger, never have been, and don't want to be. I'm not about to invest in a lot of equipment. But I would like to have a few common textures in my bag of tricks, so that I could at least come close to matching the existing texture after completing a patch.

The textures I see vary from the canonical "skip-troweled" texture to a sort of blobby flattened oatmeal to a kind of rough old-fashioned plaster look (on wallboard, not lath and plaster).

Any help here would be much appreciated, preferably using standard tools and joint compound.

[RicodJour]

Here's a video that deals with a couple techniques.

A stick-on repair video (no idea how the stuff is, but it seems odd to cover a big hole with a decal! For most small texturing of patched areas you're just going to be winging it anyway. Have a selection of sponges of varying texture (tight cells, open, natural sponge as used in faux painting) and a selection of brushes (wallpaper paste, short bristled painting brush, long bristled, scrubbing brush). You can apply the thinned compound or take it off with any of the tools. It's easier to scrape a failed attempt off of the wall before it sets up and start over. You may need to take a couple of passes with different tools to get a good result.

R

[benick]

Here's a video that deals with a couple techniques.

A stick-on repair video (no idea how the stuff is, but it seems odd to cover a big hole with a decal! For most small texturing of patched areas you're just going to be winging it anyway. Have a selection of sponges of varying texture (tight cells, open, natural sponge as used in faux painting) and a selection of brushes (wallpaper paste, short bristled painting brush, long bristled, scrubbing brush). You can apply the thinned compound or take it off with any of the tools. It's easier to scrape a failed attempt off of the wall before it sets up and start over. You may need to take a couple of passes with different tools to get a good result.

R

I agree...Pretty much trial and error even for a pro trying to match some one elses mix and application...For the rough plaster look you will need to add some sand to the mix...Sometimes ceiling texture,sand,joint compound and paint are mixed and sprayed on walls with a texture sprayer as well and "knocked down" with a trowl or knife for the old plaster look( That's how we do it)...That mix can be applied with a brush for patches. Just blot it on wait till it sets and knock it down(Trowl the big stuff off )...Good luck....

[David Nebenzahl]

On 10/14/2008 11:50 AM RicodJour spake thus:

After seeing the responses here, I went ahead and did a little experimenting on a scrap piece of wallboard. I used regular mud, dabbed on with a stiff brush and "knocked down" with a taping knife. After just a few minutes, I actually managed to get a decent texture that would probably be OK for some patch jobs (I painted it after it dried to see what it would look like finished).

Having done that, I can say that it's definitely easier to lay down a heavy texture than a light one. Even the lightest texturing I did ended up looking pretty "fat". I can see how having some way to evenly spatter small spots of mud on the surface would yield a much nicer texture.

[Chuck]

Hi;

Home Depot sells a spray mixture that I have used to do patches. I think it comes in several textures. Easy to use. Spray on and wait the required time and then use your taping knife. Let dry and paint. Good luck...

[dadiOH]

Try dipping a big coarse brush (like a wallpaper paste brush) into thinned down mud then smack it against your other hand so it spatters. Distance and thinness of mud vary the result.

[SteveBell]

You're a smart guy. ;-)

1. You can buy spray cans of texture that give you more or less the same results we pros get with dedicated equipment. The problem is that they're kind of expensive, and you might use up one just practicing.
2. Thin out your mud to lighten up the finish. You can spatter thinned mud with a stiff brush.

[dadiOH]

Try dipping a big coarse brush (like a wallpaper paste brush) into thinned down mud then smack it against your other hand so it spatters. Distance and thinness of mud vary the result.

[gpsman]

The latter, I suspect, in many circles is referred to as "knock- down". The "finished" walls are splattered with mud using a "texture gun", then the splatter is gently flattened with a trowel.

When I think "old fashioned" I think "flat and smooth, as if a "craftsman" did it".

To me, texture is just a technique intended to hide shoddy workmanship.

Like "mop stomp"? Thinned compound (or not) has a mop with cut off strings dipped into it then the mop is stomped (usually against the ceiling).

Then there's "broomed". A skim coat is applied and the broom bristles are spun in it to create semicircles.

Sometimes a guy will just take his trowel and place it flat on the last coat of wet finish mud and pull it more or less straight off, creating "stipples". -----

- gpsman