How to Frost the Ceiling of an Attic After Insulation

Preparation

• 1

  Spread your drop cloth across the floor of your attic. This cloth protects your attic floor from dripping joint compound.

• 2

  Cover the tops of your walls and all wall moldings with masking tape to avoid getting joint compound on them. For additional protection, tape plastic sheeting over these areas.

• 3

  Open your drywall joint compound and pour it into your bucket.

• 4

  Add the amount of water and/or any paint recommended by the joint compound packaging. Mix the water and joint compound together with a painter stirrer or other wooden implement.

• 5

  Set up your ladder for easy access to your attic ceiling.

• 6

  Put on your dust mask, painter's cap and safety glasses.

Machine Texturing

• 7

  Set up your hopper. A hopper is a machine that uses air pressure to blast joint compound onto surfaces in a frosted pattern. Follow hopper instruction manuals for set up. A rented hopper should come set up and require little more than a power source.

• 8

  Load the drywall joint compound to the container in the hopper. Remove the top of the container and pour the compound in.

• 9

  Orient the nozzle on the hopper away from yourself and turn the device on by pulling a trigger or hitting a switch.

• 10

  Move the machine back and forth, covering all exposed areas with textured, frosted drywall joint compound until satisfied with the look of your ceiling.

• 11

  Leave the drop cloth in place while the compound dries. This process may take as long as a full day.

Paint Brush

• 12

  Bring your drywall joint compound in its bucket to the top of your ladder, along with your paint brush. Dip the brush in the drywall mud.

• 13

  Starting at the edge of a surfaces, such as the juncture of a ceiling and a wall, apply drywall compound to the ceiling in a semi-circular, swirling motion.

• 14

  Continue applying joint compound in a swirling motion until you cover the entire ceiling. This process gives your ceiling a swirling, frosted texture.

• 15

  Leave the drop cloth in place while the compound dries. This process may take as long as a full day.

Textured Brush

• 16

  Bring your drywall joint compound in its bucket to the top of your ladder, along with your your textured brush. A textured brush is essentially a rolling paint brush with a textured surface that leaves patterns in material.

• 17

  Cover your ceiling in joint compound, using the rolling brush. Create even layers for a uniform look when finished. The texturing of the brush gives the mud a frosted look, though you can add personal flourishes by moving the brush in different directions while applying mud.

• 18

  Leave the drop cloth in place while the compound dries. This process may take as long as a full day.

Sponge

• 19

  Bring your drywall joint compound in its bucket to the top of your ladder, along with a sponge. You can use any type of sponge for this operation, though bear in mind that the finished ceiling will exhibit the pattern of the sponge's surface – choose a pattern you can live with.

• 20

  Spread the drywall compound across the ceiling. You can use a sponge to create textured swirls similar to those created by the paint brush method, or to create other patterns.

• 21

  Continue this process until you cover your entire ceiling and are satisfied with its appearance.

• 22

  Leave the drop cloth in place while the compound dries. This process may take as long as a full day.

Drywall Knife

• 23

  Apply drywall compound to your ceiling using any methods described.

• 24

  Use a drywall knife to texture and smooth out the compound, creating a flat, smooth, even finish.

• 25

  Use the drywall knife to create furrows or ridges in the drywall compound if you want a jagged, sharp pattern.