Classy wall veneers that anyone can do

18.09.2008 04:00 Home - Source: Home Envy

One thing I've always liked about human nature is that when you have a problem, you can pretty much guarantee you're not alone. One of the billions of other humans on this planet has already had your problem and figured out a way to solve it.

So all you need to do is find that person and ask them how they did it. That person could be right next to you on the bus, or down the hall at the office. So it's important to complain about your problem to everyone you see, all day long. This increases your chances of finding the solution to your problem, while simultaneously decreasing the number of people who want to sit near you, so you'll always have plenty of leg room.

As a case in point, I had a pesky problem in my basement. Drywall had been installed on one wall, but not taped or mudded. Now, there must be at least one other person whose garage, cabin or basement walls have been drywalled in that wacky style known as 'Shabby Shirk' by a contractor who worked on it for one morning, then had a better idea and headed for the local pub.

When we first moved in, I painted our unfinished wall. But I knew I was just putting off the unavoidable. Taping and mudding drywall is a tedious process. It takes a huge effort to get the wall really smooth. The prospect of mixing up a batch of drywall compound, applying, fussing, feathering, cleaning equipment, washing clothing, scrubbing self, waiting for the mud to dry, scraping, sanding, re-mixing, reapplying, letting dry again, sanding, vacuuming, repeating, and finally painting are - call me lazy - a bit daunting. No wonder the contractor went pubbing.

If you've got unfinished or hacked up walls somewhere in your home, cabin or garage, or they're wildly uneven or full of dings and scrapes, you need a quick solution that covers easily, won't cost a mint and doesn't require hiring anyone.

So here's what I did. This technique doesn't demand patience or experience. It's cheap, fun and easy, plus I didn't even have to paint afterwards.

First, I bought a big tub of drywall compound (you can also use LePage Poly Stipple, a thick, slightly sandy-textured wall finish). I mixed some latex paint into the drywall compound until I had a creamy (but not runny) texture that was colour-coordinated with the rest of the room. You can also mix earth pigment powders or tinting concentrates into the compound if you want more intense colours.

I started slapping the tinted compound onto the walls using a six-inch drywall knife. I scooped the compound onto my knife and splodged it onto the wall surface as fast as I could, making lots of random passes and 'knocking down' the high spots, dragging the trowel in various directions and letting it skip over the surface so the final effect was textural and slightly bodacious.

After the compound had set for a couple of hours and was starting to get hard, I went over it with a damp rag, smoothing and softening it. This created a velvety finish that covers the fact that the drywall joints weren't flush and the screwheads were protruding.

Fun with Mud

You can accomplish lots of spirited finishes with drywall mud or Poly Stipple. Try dragging a whisk or broom through the freshly applied compound, or swirling it with a damp sponge. For a classic California finish (I only know this because I lived there and I never see people use this wall texture here), dab compound onto the wall using a stiff-bristled stucco brush, and then flatten the high points with a big drywall knife for a kind of squashed-blob effect.

If, at the start of your venture, you added tint or latex paint to the compound, the finish is now done. If you don't like the colour you got, you can just paint over it or rub glaze into it.

TIP: If your textured walls are in a high-traffic, spatter-prone area, wait until the finish is completely cured and then give it a coat or two of water-based urethane. That'll make it washable.

Humble drywall mud gives you a chance to play with different kinds of strokes and patterns. It's an utterly romantic and forgiving medium. You can also mix several shades of tinted mud and layer them to achieve a three-dimensional effect. Or, if you're still single, squeeze some metallic paint into the mud for a nightclub finish.

The great advantage of these "skip-trowel" and "knockdown" techniques is that they're economical, good-looking, uncomplicated and fast. Plus they hide all kinds of imperfections. The final effect of this organic-looking finish will make you feel like a princess, unless you're a guy, in which case you're on your own but probably still fairly pleased with yourself.

Is that fun or what? I'm betting I don't need to sit beside you on the bus to know how you're going to solve your pesky wall problems this weekend.

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