How to Apply Wall Texture with a Sponge
- 1). Wipe down the wall, baseboards and adjoining surfaces with a damp terry towel to remove dirt. Move all furniture and accessories out of the room or into the center of the room. Ensure there is a 4-foot walkway between the wall surface and any furniture. Drape plastic tarps over all furniture and accessories remaining in the room. Put drop cloths over floor. Remove all outlet covers using a screwdriver and place removed covers in a plastic bag for safekeeping.
- 2). Add 2-inch painter's tape to all adjoining surfaces. Smooth down well with a putty knife. Flattening the tape ensures paint or plaster will not leak underneath the tape. Choose a tape that is smooth and does not have crinkles, similar to crepe paper. This type of painter's tape is less likely to leak.
- 3). Roll on a bonding primer to the surface to be textured. Use a medium nap roller to apply the primer quickly. Paint the perimeter of the wall, near the ceiling and floor lines, with an angled paintbrush. Allow primer to dry about 4 hours, or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- 4). Attach a squirrel mixer to a handheld drill. Open a 5-gallon bucket of lightweight joint compound. Whip the plaster until it is even. Add a small amount of distilled water to the plaster if it is dry or crumbly.
- 5). Dip the sea sponge into the joint compound and then pounce the plaster onto the wall. Apply and add texture by continuing to dab the plaster onto the wall. Each person's texture is unique and there is not one correct way to add the texture to the wall. Create a texture you find pleasing to the eye and continue the same technique over the entire wall's surface. Allow to dry.
- 6). Paint the wall texture with latex paint. Dark colors may require more than one layer of paint. Allow paint to dry for about 24 hours. Remove tape by gently pulling. If paint is stuck to the surface use a razor blade to remove any plaster from the tape and heat with a hair dryer. The tape should then lift. Clear all drop cloths and plastic tarps from the floor and replace all outlet covers, furniture and accessories.
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