Use a drywall trowel or putty knife to apply drywall mud to walls.
Drywall mud is an easily accessible and inexpensive plaster used to apply texture to walls and other surfaces and is more commonly known as joint compound. One gallon of joint compound often covers about 25 square feet of wall space when texturing. Texture hides wall imperfections, adds interest to a wall's surface and helps with a room's acoustics. Always practice your texture technique on a piece of drywall or wallboard prior to working directly on the wall. Contractors often consider drywall mud a permanent installation when using it as texture. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Prepare the project area by moving all furniture to the middle of the room. Leave yourself 3 to 4 feet of space in front of the wall to work. Cover all furnishings with a large plastic tarp or sheeting. Old bedsheets and blankets also work well. Cover the ground with additional plastic tarps or drop cloths. Unscrew outlet covers and place in an empty bucket or bag for safekeeping. Open windows and doors for increased ventilation.
2. Place painter's tape on all surfaces touching the wall to be plastered with drywall mud. Firmly rub the tape once it is stuck to the surface with your thumb or putty knife.
3. Clean walls with a cloth to remove all dust and debris. If necessary, wash walls with a damp sponge to get rid of any grease or grime. Use a vacuum cleaner with attachment to sweep the ceiling line of old cobwebs.
4. Open a bucket of lightweight drywall mud. Lightweight drywall mud will likely crack less, once dry, than regular mud. Stir the drywall mud well with a drill and mixer attachment to ensure all the joint compound is moist. Add a small amount of water if the drywall mud looks or feels dry and crumbly. Wash the drill attachment immediately after use to avoid the plaster drying on the mixing tool.
5. Smear the drywall mud onto a drywall trowel using a putty knife. Hold the towel in your hand and place one side of the trowel onto the wall. Angle the trowel close to the wall so you are holding the tool at about a 30-degree-angle.
6. Apply the plaster to the wall with a sweeping motion.Resweep over areas to create dips and peaks of the plaster. The technique is similar to buttering a piece of bread or icing a cake but you are creating texture. Each person's texture will look slightly different. Continue to texturize the entire wall's surface.
7. Sand the drywall with a medium grit sanding block to remove all loose plaster. Wipe the entire wall with a damp rag. Pour eggshell or satin latex paint into a paint tray and roll it on the plaster with a rough nap roller. Do not apply heavy pressure but evenly apply the paint in vertical directions. Add two or more coats of paint until you have evenly painted the texture . Allow two to four hours to dry between coats.
Tags: joint compound, putty knife, drywall trowel, entire wall, wall surface