Making Swirls in Drywall Finish

When you finish drywall, the whole idea is to get it nice and flat, but sometimes you're going for different look. For wall that's more interesting, consider texturizing it with swirls in the plaster, which gives depth and character to the surface. See your local home improvement store for the right kind of plaster to use for this project, and don't try and paint it afterward with a brush, as this could alter the texture that you've just made. A paint sprayer gun can cover the new swirls without altering them.

Tarps
Wide drywall knife
Drywall joint compound (plaster)
Rubber grout float
Primer
Paint sprayer
Wall paint

Instructions

- 1
  Take the furniture out of the room. Spread tarps over the floor.
- 2
  Spread drywall joint compound over the over a section of the wall of about 2 by 2 feet, using your drywall knife. The compound should be about 1/4 inch thick throughout.
- 3
  Press the flat surface of your rubber grout float into the compound. Turn it in a circle, creating a swirl pattern. Pull the trowel off the plaster as you swirl it.
- 4
  Place the trowel back to the compound surface, next to swirl you just made, and swirl it again. Repeat, putting swirl patterns over the whole area of compound.
- 5
  Spread more compound over the next section of the wall. Repeat the swirling process. Continue spreading and swirling over the whole wall.
- 6
  Let the compound set for 24 hours.
- 7
  Load your paint sprayer with primer and spray the newly swirled wall in a light coat of it. Let it dry for 12 hours. Re-load the paint sprayer with wall paint. Coat the wall with it, again keeping the coat light. Let it dry 12 hours. Add a second coat, and third if necessary. Let the final coat set 24 hours before moving the furniture back in.

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