Glazed Drywall Techniques

Sponging

• Sponging glaze gives drywall a mottled look, and that hint of color variation enriches the look of the wall. Use a sea sponge for a more natural effect, but synthetic sponges work, too. To achieve the look, select a glaze that is in the same color family but several shades darker or lighter than the base wall color. For an extra-rich look, sponge with a darker glaze, let it dry, then sponge with a lighter glaze.

  There are two ways to approach sponging. Pour tinted glaze into a tray and dab a damp sponge into it, blot and pat the glaze on the wall randomly. Leave blank areas and overlap others. The other application method is to roll a thin layer of glaze on a section of the wall, then use a damp sponge to sop off excess wet glaze.

Rag Rolling

• For a more pronounced illusion of texture, roll tinted glaze onto a wall with a rolled-up damp rag. Roll the glaze onto the wall with a rolled-up rag, or apply the glaze and sop it off the wall with a rolled-up rag. Roll the rag so it is long, like a rolling pin, and somewhat wrinkled and textured. Use rubber bands to secure it and roll it in random directions along the wall like a rolling pin. Alternatively, roll the rag around a paint roller's nap, band it and use the tool to roll the rag over the wall. For a very pronounced look, use a different color glaze than base wall color. Choose a glaze color that complements the wall paint.

Dragging

• There are several different looks that glaze dragging can give you on your wall, depending upon the directions you drag and what you are dragging. To drag glazed drywall, apply the tinted glaze over the base color on a 3-foot section of the wall. While the glaze is still very wet, drag something through the glaze to leave textures behind. One option is a comb. Drag it straight down or in a wavy line. If you don't like the look you created, roll over the glaze and start again. Drag a dry wallpaper brush, first vertically, then lightly in a horizontal direction, for a cross-hatch style that leaves your walls looking like linen fabric. Be creative -- drag a wood graining tool, hairbrush or nail scrubbing brush through the glaze to see the different textures that result.

Marbling

• Make your home look like a palace by doing a faux paint marble wall treatment using glaze. After you apply a base coat, sponge two shades of glaze on the wall sporadically. Choose one glaze a shade or two darker and one a shade or two lighter. For example, if you want a medium gray marble, use a medium gray wall paint and apply dark gray and light gray glaze over it. Cover only about 50 percent of the wall in glaze, sometimes overlapping them, to create a dappled effect. After you complete a section, press a piece of newspaper to the glaze, then peel it off. This gives the surface a muted look like marble. Dip the tip of a feather into white paint and brush it onto the wall in long, skinny, squiggly lines to create the look of natural veins found in marble. Apply polyurethane or acrylic glossy sealer after it dries to give it the shine of polished marble.