Joint compound, also called drywall mud, is typically used to seal joints between sheets of drywall. However, it’s also the perfect consistency to make a nice texture on your ceiling. Joint compound is the most common product used to texture a ceiling. However, you can also use textured paint for a more subtle finish.
Don’t worry about spreading the joint compound smoothly. Since you’ll be texturing it in just a moment, it doesn’t matter whether or not the compound goes on smoothly.
If the layer of joint compound on the ceiling isn’t thick enough, dip your stomp brush into the bucket of joint compound to add a little more. Stomp brushes add a subtle, muted texture to the ceiling. It won’t be super noticeable, but it does a great job of covering imperfections.
A hawk isn’t totally necessary, but it will save you from lugging a heavy bucket of joint compound up a ladder with you.
The joint compound won’t spread on smoothly, and that’s okay. The goal here is to create a textured look, so there will be some bare patches within the joint compound. Skip trowels create a more dramatic textured look.
There are tons of patterned paint rollers to choose from, including stripes, leaves, bear claw, and crow’s feet.
Pressing too hard will smear the pattern, but pressing too lightly won’t make an impression at all. Take some time to experiment with your patterned roller to make sure it looks perfect.
