Textured Stomp Drywall Ceiling Techniques

Joint Compound

• Premixed joint compound comes in 5-gallon buckets, but you’ll have to thin it to the consistency of thick cream before you can roll it on with a large-nap paint roller. All steps in texturing a ceiling are messy, but this step is the messiest. Wear old clothing and protective eyewear, because the gloppy liquid will drip everywhere. A heavy-duty drill fitted with a mixer bit allows you to blend the joint compound smoothly with water in a separate large bucket.

Brushes and Poles

• You'll create a stomp texture by slapping the wet bristles of a large brush upward, against the wet joint compound. You can find single and double slap-brushes with bristles that splay outward from the center, or you can use any large stiff-bristled brush that features a center hole where you can attach an extension pole. Having two people apply the texture works well. One person rolls on the compound, and the other person follows closely behind, slapping the brush upward, using even strokes to create a uniform stippled effect.

Knockdown Options

• You can create a knockdown texture effect by pulling a large trowel over the tips of the stippled texture before it dries. This flattens the tips but leaves the depressed areas for a troweled stuccolike look. Before using a slap-brush or a trowel, practice on a piece of scrap drywall to see if you like the design. For a brocade look, use a 4-inch putty knife and swirl over the wet peaks in a semicircular pattern.

Tinting the Texture

• You can further customize the look of your stomped texture by tinting the thinned drywall compound before rolling it on. If you’re going to tint the compound, it’s important that you record the exact amounts of joint compound, water and latex paint you use so you can recreate the exact color. Use only latex paint, and start by combining 1 cup of paint into 2 or 3 gallons of thinned joint compound. Add more paint, if desired, for a more intense tint.