How to Make Wall Wash With Latex Paint

There are several ways to apply a creative paint finish to the walls in a room. One of them, a wall wash, involves thinning down the paint by combining it with a latex glaze and water. This allows you to cover the walls with a thin layer of a muted color that can be built up and darkened in various sections to create a sandstone or marbled effect. Applying the paint with a sponge allows for more control over the layers and keeps a hard edge from forming where the layers overlap.

Drop cloth
Step ladder
Indoor latex wall primer
Paint pan
Paint Rollers
Indoor latex wall paint
Latex glaze
Measuring cup
Stir stick
Bucket
Sponge
Cheesecloth

Instructions

- 1
  Clear the room of all furniture and other items. Spread out a drop cloth so that it covers the entire floor, protecting it from paint splotches. Set up a step ladder in one corner so it can be accessed as needed.
- 2
  Pour latex wall primer into a paint pan so that it is three inches deep. Dip a paint roller into the primer, clearing off the excess on the ridged section of the pan. Coat the walls with a thin layer of primer, adding more paint to the pan as needed. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Wash the paint pan and rollers; let them air dry overnight.
- 3
  Combine two cups of water, two cups of interior latex wall paint and 10 cups of latex glaze in a bucket to create the wall wash. Stir well with a paint stirring stick.
- 4
  Pour glaze mixture into the paint pan to a depth of four inches. Dip a sponge into the paint and lightly press it onto the top of the wall with the paint side facing the wall. Sponge the paint over the entire wall, going back over the lower sections of the wall two to three times so that more paint builds up in those areas. Allow to air dry overnight.
- 5
  Apply additional paint wash to the wall the next day, using the sponge until the desired effect is achieved.

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