Back To The Family Handyman
From 
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
Handcrafted plaster walls have a classic
beauty that perfectly
flat drywall can never achieve.
Picture the walls in an old Italian villa
or a 1920s American bungalow with
wide, ornate trim. Now you can easily
create the look yourself using one
of several new products that are texture
and color all in one.
The three-step product we chose for this project is called Manda Mudd. It comes in three standard 1-gal. paint cans (enough for an average 350 sq. ft. of wall space). Most rooms can be completed in less than a day. Cleanup is easy with soap and water. So if you consider yourself an average do-it-yourselfer in the painting zone, you’ll be able to tackle this forgiving process after reading this article and following the step-by-step photos.
Many other color/texture techniques require you to choose your own color combinations and glazes, leaving the end result a bit iffy. This product removes the guesswork by creating the color combinations for you. Each of the 42 color sets available (with more to come) consists of three complementary colors. The first coat is the base color and the next two applications add texture as well as color to the wall, resulting in a rich three-dimensional effect. In fact you can use this product over existing wall texture or hard-to-remove wallpaper (see “Problem Walls,” below).
Go to the Buyer’s Guide below for information on where to find this product and get color samples. Figure on spending about $115 for the three-step product and another $35 for the application kit and the video that comes with it.You can save money by forgoing the application kit and using a plastic dustpan and a grout float (a tool used to spread tile grout). You’ll also need 1-1/2-in. masking tape and self-adhesive masking paper to cover the baseboard and the tops of doors and windows.
Click Image to enlarge.
Prep your walls
and practice
Begin the project by filling any nail
holes and repairing damaged drywall
or plaster. If the room has
been occupied by smokers or is a
kitchen with a grease film, you’ll
need to wash the walls with a TSP cleaner and then wipe them down
with a damp cloth to get the paint
to bond well. Spot-prime any
newly patched surfaces and then
mask the woodwork (Photo 1). If
your room has wallpaper that’s
tough to remove, see "Problem Walls", below.
As with any other new process, you should practice on a scrap before starting. Buy a damaged sheet of drywall at a home center, cut it 2 to 3 ft. wide and prime it. Then read this article and experiment with the process. It’ll get you familiar with drying times and how best to use the application tool. This way when you get to your wall, you’ll have a good feel for the technique and your results will be more consistent.
Step 1:
Paint the room
The idea behind this step is to create
a base color that completely
covers the walls. It will show
through only as background for
the other two steps. First, cut in
the corners and then roll it onto
the wall, as you would with regular
paint. The consistency is just like
that of paint. You’ll get excellent
coverage with one coat even if you
use a dark color over a light one, as
we did. When you’re finished, let
this coat dry. Our room was ready
for the next step in about an hour.
1. Mask the woodwork and the ceiling and remove the
electrical cover plates. Repair walls and spot-prime
as needed.
Click Image to enlarge.
2. Complete a 2 x 4-ft. sample to practice your skills.
Apply the base coat (Step 1) to the corners and
along the ceiling, baseboard, and window and door
trim using a 2-1/2-in. brush.
3. Immediately follow the brushwork with a 3/8-in.
nap roller for smooth walls or a 1/2-in. roller for
textured walls. Let the walls dry.
Step 2:
Trowel the mud
This part is fun. Sure, it’s a bit
scary because there’s no going
back at this point. The product for
this texture step is the consistency
of runny drywall mud, or if you
prefer, very thick gravy. There are
as many ways to apply the texture
as there are people who try it, so
don’t get uptight about doing it
“right.” The idea is to cover a bit
less than half of the visible surface
with random strokes of mud.
Pour a little into your pan. Get your float ready with your other hand and start applying. I like to work from the ceiling down, completing one wall at a time, but really, there are no rules. If you’re uncomfortable on a stepladder, consider setting up a wide plank on top of sturdy crates to reach the top of an 8-ft. wall. Dip about half the float (lengthwise) into the pan, wipe off a bit of the excess and then lightly push the float onto the wall with the float pointing upward, as shown in Photo 4. Keep the float nearly flat against the wall and drag it across, pulling the mud mixture as you go. Repeat this about every 4 to 5 in. along the wall. If you repeat this process over the entire wall holding the float in this upward fashion, you’ll produce an even, consistent pattern. You can also achieve a more random, hand-troweled look like the walls in our room have if you turn your float 45 or more degrees every other dip. Try both methods on your sample board and see which you like best.
Don’t get bogged down in one area; keep the motion going and refill your pan as necessary. After you’ve completed an area about the size of a coffee table, step back and examine the wall. You may need to go back and add strokes to certain spots to get a more “even” look. Remember, don’t apply too much texture at this time; there’s another layer of texture to come. You can always go back and apply more. As it dries, you can start to see how the room will look.
TIP
You’re bound to drip some
mud onto the floor or the
wall beneath, so have rags
ready to swab the wall or
clean up the dropcloth. You
don’t want to step into the
mud and track it onto carpeting.
Click Image to enlarge.
4. Pour about 12 ozs. of Step 2 texture mixture into the
application tray. Dip the edge of the float into the tray,
then pull the float across the wall to deposit a thin layer over
the base coat. Dip the float often with small amounts of product.
Don’t completely obscure the wall color behind; just
create a thin buildup of material over the entire wall surface.
5. Mimic the overall texture
even in tight areas and along
trim. Move the trowel edge at a
different angle to produce a more
random texture.
Step 3: More mud
By the time you’ve finished the last
wall with the first texture application,
the starting point will be dry
and you can open the last can and
get started. You’ll notice that this
mix is about the same consistency
as the previous one. Dip your float
into the pan and repeat the previous
method. Try to cover some of
the background color from Step 1
that you didn’t cover earlier, but
also overlap onto the Step 2 texture
as well. Vary the starting
points of the strokes at the corners
and along the wall and base trim
to avoid making a similar pattern
along the length of the trim. Try to
imagine that the trim, windows
and doors aren’t there, and have
the texture flow across the wall.
Step back occasionally to see “the big picture” and try to maintain a random uniformity.
6. Apply the final product from the Step 3 can in the
same manner as Step 2, letting the two previous
applications show beneath. The slightly different shade
from the previous product will give the wall a deeper,
three-dimensional appearance.
7. Gently slice through the texture surface to release
the masking paper and tape from the textured
surface after it dries.
Finishing touches
Once you’ve completed the project,
take a break for an hour and
then go back and examine it. You
can still apply more mud to areas you missed or those that look too
plain.
If your newly completed room is in a heavy traffic area such as a bathroom or hallway, you can protect the texture with a clear waterbased satin finish once the wall is dry. Just cut in the corners and along the trim with a brush and use a 1/2-in.-nap roller to cover large areas. You can also use a product called Tile Lab Grout Sealer, which is available at home centers. Keep in mind that clear finishes can darken the color slightly.
TIP
If a run from the mud dries
on the wall and hardens
before you notice it, shave it
off with a putty knife
and apply mud over it.
Problem walls
If you’ve tried to remove stubborn wallpaper and the result was a lot of torn edges, this color/texture finish is a great way to cover them. Because wallpaper paste can lift when water-based latex paint is applied, you’ll need to seal the entire wall with an oil-based primer/ sealer like Cover Stain by Zinsser. But first remove any rough wallpaper edges with a scraper and then sand lightly to feather the edges. If there are air bubbles in the wallpaper, cut them with a utility knife and scrape the surface with a putty knife. Wipe the wall clean with a lightly dampened cloth, let the wall dry and then prime the entire surface with the primer. Use an organic respirator, which is available at hardware and paint stores. Once the primer is dry, you can start with the Step 1 product.
If your walls have an old texture
that’s been compromised by smootherlooking
spot repairs, you can go right
over the old and create a new texture
using Manda Mudd.
To find Manda Mudd, go to www.MANDAMUDD.com. You can look at color samples and order online. If you don’t purchase over the Internet, call Manda Mudd at (877) 626-3268 for more retail information.
Advertisement 
