Best Tips for Painting with Textured Paint

Textured paints give walls a unique appearance. Painting with textured paint is a n easy way to quickly change the appearance of a plain wall. It can also be used to hide small imperfections in walls and on ceilings. It is even useful on floors because it can be used to make them non-skid.

Choosing the right textured paint is the first thing you will need to do. You would make this choice based on the desired appearance or if the paint is for a floor. If you want a sandy, glittery texture you might select granite crystals or sandstone paint.

If you want a high stipple you might want to go with "smooth texture paint" or if you want deep, contoured swirls you might want a Venetian plaster. Floor paints will be labeled as floor paints and you can either buy them textured or you can buy packets of "grit" to add to them.

The tools you will need to apply textured paint vary according t the particular type of paint you select. The basic tools you will need, however, are a trowel, a stiff brush, or textured roller. Check the manufacturers information on the can label for extra pointers.

Smooth texture paint can be a difficult textured paint to apply but the finished appearance makes it worthwhile. The walls need to be carefully prepared before you can begin painting. Take the time to read the manufacturers directions before you start. It will save you work and headaches later.

Intermix all of your containers that hold the same color so you won't have smears of varying color shades.

Practice the pattern you plan to create on a board or piece of cardboard so you won't have to fumble with it while you are rushing to get the paint on the wall before it becomes hard to control and shape.

The paint dries rather quickly to a point that is hard to manipulate - so work in small sections to make sure you get the design you want before the paint dries. Take the time to blend each new section with the old so it has a uniform appearance when you are done.

If you are painting a high traffic area that will need frequent washing add a topcoat of latex satin or semi-gloss paint. Clean-up will be much easier later if you finish the wall properly for the use it will receive.

Venetian Plaster and Venetian Plaster topcoat textured paint is very pretty when finished - with a marble-like appearance. It is also a time consuming process. You need to carefully clean and prime the wall - even if the wall was primed before.

You need to apply a minimum of three coats of Venetian Plaster to get a smooth, attractive finish. When you apply the final coat, it needs to be polished before it dries completely.

High traffic, high moisture areas that require frequent cleaning need to be protected with a protective finish. It will make it much easier to wash without damaging the textured surface.

The drawbacks to using textured paint come when or if the time comes to remove it or repaint it. If you need to repaint a textured wall it will take about 25% more paint than an un-textured wall would take. It is also very hard to remove.

Sources

http://www.calfinder.com/library/drywall/Drywall-Paint/textured-drywall-paint

http://valsparatlowes.com/products/product/Faux_Finish_Venetian_Plaster.html

http://valsparatlowes.com/products/product/Smooth_Texture_Paint.html