Texture in decorative paint gives a wall more interest because of the play of light and shadow onto the high and low areas of the texture. Texture in decorative paint is a technique that anyone familiar with interior painting can learn. The paint will be as individual as you are, because everyone uses a slightly different method to apply the texture and any additional glazes that will make your walls truly your own.
1 Clean and prime walls before beginning the application of texture paint. Apply one coat of wall paint without texture to the walls and allow it to dry.
2 Mix texture powder into the paint in a 5-gallon bucket. Stir thoroughly with a paint paddle attached to a drill. Insert a roller screen into the bucket. Dip a texture roller into the paint and roll off the excess on the screen.
3 Cut in around the ceiling and door frames with a polyester paintbrush. Roll the paint onto the wall, working in 4-foot by 4-foot sections. Work from the wet edge onto the dry. Work quickly, as the texture will set in 15 to 20 minutes.
4 Use a trowel or drywall knife to make swirls in the wet texture paint. Hold the knife at an angle to the wall. Hold the drywall knife in a perpendicular position and then twist the wrist to turn the knife in a half-circle to create swirls. Overlap the swirls to create a pattern that pleases. Other tools such as whisk brooms, sponges or wide tooth combs can also be used to create patterns. This technique works best with two people, one to roll on the texture and the second to create the patterns.
5 Clean the texture off the tools often to prevent dried texture from marring the finish.
6 Prime and paint the wall with a base coat of preferred color. Allow the wall to dry completely before beginning to apply texture.
7 Mix tint that complements the base coat into a 5-gallon container of drywall compound. Mix well; the mixture should resemble thick cake frosting. Thin by adding water a little at a time if the mixture is too thick. Stir the compound several times to keep it workable during the course of application.
8 Transfer some of the mixed drywall compound into a drywall pan. Begin in a corner or at a door frame and work across the wall. Trowel the compound onto the wall using the drywall knife to create a pattern on the wall that pleases you. Clean the drywall knife often to prevent dried particles from leaving scratches in the compound on the wall.
9 Apply glaze to protect the wall and give it sheen. The glaze can be tinted or left clear. Adding metal flakes to the glaze will add sparkle to the textured appearance of the wall.
