Maintaining a perfectly smooth surface while finishing the joints between drywall panels on your ceiling is challenging even for professionals. Embrace an uneven and decorative ceiling texture finish and save yourself both time and frustration. A variety of techniques produce striking results, and many don't require any extra specialized tools for application.
Knife Work
Your basic drywall joint compound knife works for applying a number of ceiling textures. Spreading a slightly thinned compound mixture in thick globs with a knife creates the basic Spanish knife texture, says Drywall School. The trick is flicking the knife at the end of each stroke to leave a slightly raised ridge. Spraying or splattering the wall with compound and then flattening the results with a trowel or knife creates the less dramatic knockdown texture that works well on ceilings.
Swirling and Stippling
Many drywall ceiling textures require you to create patterns with a bristle brush or a large sponge. A base coat of joint compound is applied on the ceiling with a roller. Push a round, soft bristled nylon brush straight into the compound to create a subtle starburst according to Drywall Tips. The stiffer the bristles, the more drastic the ridges of the texture will be. A large sea sponge with plenty of open cavities creates a soft, bumpy texture when pressed into the joint compound and pulled away slowly.
Texture Additives
Some drywall ceiling finishes rely on mixing additives into the joint compound to create a texture without as much work. Although most textures that rely on additives are applied with a sprayer, some can also be rolled on or applied with a knife for a different look. White quartz sand creates a slightly gritty finish. Other types of sand shouldn't be used because they will create clumps in the joint compound. Perlite creates a bumpier texture that is only appropriate for ceilings.
Spray
One of the fastest ways to apply a ceiling texture requires the rental of a joint compound sprayer. The cottage cheese style of popcorn ceiling texture is easy to spray on but traps dust and cigarette smoke and is very difficult to clean according to the Housekeeping Channel. Many sprayed ceiling coatings in the 1960s and 1970s also contained a carcinogen called asbestos, but modern mixtures are safer. Save time on knockdown textures by applying a lumpy mixture through a sprayer and finishing it with a trowel.
Tags: joint compound, applied with, ceiling texture, ceiling textures, compound create, drywall ceiling, into joint