How was this plaster texture created?
darrel
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
In a fit of rage shortly after we moved in, I decided to smash a 8″ hole in our hallway stairway in attempt to locate some Coax cable (that I later learned was wrapped + ties around the chimney…ugh).
Well, fast forward 3 years and I’m finnaly getting around to fixing it.
Two questions:
1) Anyone know how this texture was created (see photo). It is flat, but pock-marked. It appears that it was put on smooth, and then a wet crumpled rag was used to pull up parts of it.
2) Can plaster be left unfinished? As far as I can tell, this wall has no top-covering other than the plaster. Is that OK? It seems durable enough but I wondering if modern plaster patching is of the same material (for instance joint compound never sets to a stable surface).
Replies
Oops...photo didn't get up there. Here it is...
I would call that a knock-down texture. Roll it on wet with a coarse paint roller, then lay a wide mud knife against it, very gently, and pull the knife down. The less pressure on the knife the better. If you flatten it too much, simply re-roll while still wet.Do it right, or do it twice.
Thanks, Elcid.
I will give it a shot and report back! (Though it may take me a week or so...) ;o)
I have patched a small area of similar texture with a plastic bag crunched up in my hand. If your hole patch needs a larger area to feather out, then the roller idea may work better....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Darrel,
Where are you ? I have a friend in PA that has a home built about the exact same time as yours with a very similar plaster. It just doesn't have the knocked down flat areas. You guys think that they were spraying textured white coat at that time ? 1929 ? I don't think so..............
carpenter in transition
Edited 4/30/2003 12:12:14 AM ET by TIM_KLINE
That actually looks to be sprayed on, and I doubt you will be able to reproduce it by hand. Well, unless you stand back and throw the mud at it.
Darrel,
That's a strike-down. Thinned sheet rock joint mud run thru a texture gun, allowed to set for awhile, then struck down with a wide (12") joint knife.
For small repairs like that, thin your mud till it's about like oatmeal, spread it on, then use a dampened paper towel to raise the splatters. Let it set for about an hour, then strike it down gently with a joint knife. Since you've got this kind of texture in your house, go ahead and buy a knife....cause you'll need to do this more than once.
Thanks, all.
This section is just in the stair hallway, but yea, I did buy a knife (right tools and all...)
It never occured to me that it could have been sprayed. It's an old house ('29) and original plaster walls. The upstairs is a remodeled attic, so perhaps this was added over unfinished 'attic plaster'?
Any response to it being unfinished with a paint/sealer? Am I correct in assuming that?
The only thing I can add is to try your hand at a few various methods on a piece of scrap drywall before attempting it on the wall.
I've seen spray cans filled with texture for patching small damages areas. Has anyone used anything like this?
Primer and paint make the walls a lot easier to keep clean, it just depends on whether that is an issue in this area. If from 1929, I would have to imagine that somewhere along the line they have been painted. Probably just with a flat paint.
Well, I can't say if this top-coat is original or not. The top coat is maybe 3/16 thick, with a 1/2 inch base of rough plaster.
As for paint, I really don't see anything. Wouldn't paint crack/fleck/peel near the hole?
Looks like knock down. It's popular here in South Florida. Also, many paint stores and HD sell it in an aerosol can for repair jobs. I do many drywall repairs here with various types of texture. For knock down, after spraying it on I use a concrete finish trowel to knock it down. By slightly over spraying it onto the existing texture, it can easily be blended in.
From the photo, it looks like it’s been painted many times and is why there are no sharp edges. They’ve all be filled in, smoothed out or rounded with paint. To duplicate that you can use a 4” roller and apply 4-5 coats of paint allowing each to dry first.
Interesting, do different parts of the country have different texturing styles?
Quick poll: what textures do you see the most in your area, what do you prefer, and where are you from?
I'm from Seattle, and it seems like a very light orangepeel is what most people are using. I personally prefer a glass smooth surface :)
I like smooth also, nobody had knockdown a few years ago when I lived in st louis, not many have it hear in kansas now
Orange peel seems to be gaining popularity here though, especially in rental homes and apartments.Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professional build the Titanic.
Tom, I think we're on the same page, but I disagree with two parts: I doubt it was sprayed, and waiting an hour may be too long.
Do it right, or do it twice.
You can roll, stomp, pull, play, or anything you want, but if you want that texture you have to spray it.
If you want to go hero, tell me how to blend a patch in, assuming you can lay the base down.
Nope, it's not sprayed. You need a good thick coat of mud, and the roller makes it peak like old fashioned whipped cream. Can't use a cheap 3/8 nap roller, need somethibng that will really lift the mud. Actually, it could be sprayed, as a means of getting the mud on the wall, but it still needs to be rolled. And it makes a difference which way the roller frame faces and if more than one craftsman works on the same wall. If you flop the roller from left to right, the peaks will be different enough that you can tell.
tell me how to blend a patch in Beats me. I've never tried to patch this stuff, just new installations.Do it right, or do it twice.
Boy, I've looked at it until I am blue in the face, and I would say that is a spray job.
It is a loose plaster, but not overly so, right on the edge. The background is not a roll job, look at it.
We will have to disagree on this one, no hard feelings.
Well, my thought on spraying is that you would have to trhow large blobs at the wall to get the craters, whereas a coarse roller would cause the mud to lift randomly. The last time I did a job like this was about 1982 in Dallas, and we rolled it on...times were tight then, all we had was a pancake compressor, notjhing that was big enough to fling mud...haven't had much call for it since then.
Do it right, or do it twice.
I think you may have accidentally uploaded a photo of the surface of the moon. ;)
Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff.
Steve...funny! ;o)
Great minds must think alike. I saw that photo and immediately thought of Apollo 11 and the Sea of Tranquility.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
I'd agree with ElCid. If all else fails, cut the bristles short on a stiff, coarse brush, stipple the mud by pulling the brush straight off the wall, and then knock it down. With a little patience you'll get a good match.
DRC
Darrel; That texture is definitely a knock down. I extremely doubt that it was sprayed because it was apparently done with excessively thick mud and applied very heavily. I like to use a six inch knife for knockdowns and I train my blade with a slight curve then use the convex side toward the wall (this helps to keep the corners out of the mud). I use a very light touch when doing the knock-down but in this case it looks as though they did a very coarse job of it anyway so it should be easy to match. The tricky part when doing a repair in the middle of texture like that is to make a good seam where the old and new texture join. That will be a very tricky proposition. I suggest that you use a paint brush to accomplish this. Splock the stuff on thick wth the brush in a stippling sort of motion. As the brush pulls away from the wall it will pull up lots of little stalactites from the mud surface. If these are too spiky try a very light misting of the surface with a plant mister set for very fine spray to round them over a bit. Then after about fifteen minutes or so take your taping knife and lightly knock the tops off of the higher peaks and knobs. Let it dry thoroughly before you prime coat.
DARREL510,
I can tell you exactly how this texture was created. It was done on a Friday, after heavy overtime all week. It was done in the afternoon, after a heavy liquid lunch.
The hopper guy was weaving a bit and sprayed his helper, the helper responded by hurling handfulls of thinned mud at the hopper guy, the hopper guy ran about spraying indiscriminately, attempting to hose down the helper, the helper continued throwing handfulls of mud here, there and everywhere. This went on for 15 or 20 minutes, with much laughter, at which point a nap seemed in order.
After about an hour or so of napping, (depending on air flow and relative humidity), they woke up and frantically grabbed broad knives and began maniacally attempting to smooth out the mess which is now rapidly drying on the walls. They should have scraped it off, and redone, but they had entered a darts tournament at a local pub and didn't want to be late.
Well, they weren't late for the dart tournament. But they did leave you with a wall texture that can only be described as somewhere between 'extremely heavy' and 'good Lord !'.
skipj
The texture is created by doing a "skip-trowel" coat and then a "knock-down" of that texture to flatten it out.
Pardon me - I looked closer - looks like it was applied with a dash brush and then knocked-down with a trowel.