Drywall Ceiling Texture Types

Skim

• Drywall skim-coat ceilings appear smooth like plaster but are unfortunately a difficult technique for do-it-yourselfers. To achieve the smooth-coat look, a do-it-yourselfer has to apply an initial drywall-mud coat, wait 24 hours for drying, sand it and repeat the process.

Swirl

• The swirl ceiling texture -- also called mud swirl -- has the appearance of overlapping scallop-like half circles, creating an almost three-dimensional texture. Extremely thin drywall mud is necessary for this texture and applied to the ceiling with a heavy-nap paint roller. Use a back-and-forth motion with a medium-bristle brush to achieve the swirl pattern. Practice and patience (and perhaps professional assistance) is required for this drywall ceiling texture type.

Skip Trowel

• Create the skip-trowel look with a special curved 18-inch drywall knife. Apply a thin coat of drywall mud to the ceiling. Cut it back with the special knife. The drywall knife's shape causes the application tool to skip along the drywall surface, giving the texture the name skip trowel.

Popcorn

• The popcorn-like texture dampens sound in a room but is considered outdated by 2011 design standards. A special machine sprays the popcorn texture on to the ceiling. Premixed, popcorn-ceiling solutions are available in spray-can form at home-improvement stores for patching popcorn ceilings.

Knockdown

• The knockdown drywall ceiling texture is extremely DIY-friendly. First, spray the ceiling with an acoustical drywall to apply small clumps across the ceiling surface. Use a wide-joint knife to knock down the drywall clumps and finish things up.

Raised Stencils

• Raised stencil drywall textures are premade relief images, including lighting borders, patterns, medallions and flowers. Finish the drywall mud ceiling work and allow time to dry. Tape a stencil to the ceiling. Cover the stencil with drywall mud. Allow time for the mud to stiffen. Remove the stencil, exposing the raised stencil relief image. Paint the image or even add glazing for greater effect.