How to Give a Basement Wall a Textured Look

Drywall Mud Application

• 1

  Lay a painter's drop cloth on the floor to catch any sanded material or mud splatters. Sand the drywall seams smooth with a sanding pad mounted on an extension pole. Wipe down the area with a clean cloth.

• 2

  Place a strip of wide tape on the basement ceiling where it joins the wall. This will protect the ceiling when the joint compound is applied with a brush.

• 3

  Add water to the joint compound, or mud, in a bucket. Use an electric drill equipped with a mixing paddle attachment to mix the water with the mud. Mix the mud to a thin consistency, approximately the same as pancake batter.

• 4

  Choose an area on the wall to begin with that is about 8-by-4 feet and located in one corner of the room. The edges of the section must not be allowed to dry out before the next section adjacent to it is begun.

• 5

  Place a 3/4-inch nap roller skin on a paint roller. Dip the roller into the mud, pull it out and shake it several times over the bucket. Slide the roller firmly across the edge of the bucket to remove any excess mud.

• 6

  Position the roller at the top of the wall and pull the roller down until it runs out of mud. Brush mud as closely as possible to the floor without touching it.

• 7

  Apply mud to the roller and this time begin at the bottom of the wall and push the roller up alongside the first brushstroke. Continue to brush on the mud and alternate the direction of application each time.

• 8

  Pull the roller across the direction of the previous brushstrokes to smooth them out but do not dip the brush into the mud while doing so.

• 9

  Begin applying mud to another section of the wall immediately next to the first section. Repeat the process of brushing the mud and smoothing it out until the walls are finished. Check the bucket of mud occasionally to ensure it is the right consistency. Mix in more water as needed.

Slapbrush Knockdown Process

• 10

  Coat the face of both slapbrushes liberally with mud. You only need to coat the slapbrushes once.

• 11

  Put a slapbrush onto each hand and start at the edges of the first section. Slap the wall with the brushes on each palm face-out and extended approximately 8 inches from the wall. Use both hands at once or alternate each hand in rhythm to slap the wall with a reasonable amount of force. The force of the slap should be about the same as when giving someone a hearty “high five.”

• 12

  Rotate the slapbrush at a 45-degree angle left and right after each slap while the brush is in the air. This keeps the patterns on the wall random.

• 13

  Wipe the wall with a drywall taping knife by starting at the first section of wall where you applied mud. Place the knife at the top of the wall and pull it halfway down with very gentle pressure. Wipe the knife with a cloth, place it at the bottom of the wall and pull it up to meet the spot where the first brushstroke stopped. Continue this process until the wall is finished. The wall is now ready for primer and paint or can be left as is.