How to Add Texture to a Smooth Ceiling

A smooth, flat ceiling of drywall or plaster may be perfectly fine for your home, but it's not something that will look interesting. If the drywall has bulges at the seams or the plaster is cracked and wavy, then the ceiling looks worse than plain. One solution is to texture-paint the surface, giving it a rocky, stucco-like appearance that adds depth and hides imperfections. Textured paint has sand or other solids in it that allow you to work the paint like a very thin plaster.

Tarps
Stepladder
Paint scraper
Primer
Paint rollers
Textured paint
Trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Take all furniture out of the room to avoid getting paint on it. Lay tarps over the floor.
- 2
  Use your paint scraper to remove any peeling paint and loose material from the surface.
- 3
  Roll primer over the ceiling surface with a paint roller, covering it completely in a flat and smooth coat. Let it dry overnight.
- 4
  Spread textured paint over about a three-by-three-foot area of the ceiling in one corner, using your roller. Lay it on as thickly as you can get it to stay.
- 5
  Set the flat side of your trowel into the textured paint, pulling it straight down to create ridges and peaks where the trowel was. Move the trowel over a few inches and "pull" the paint again, making the second textured area adjacent to the first.
- 6
  Repeat and continue pulling the paint into peaks and ridges over the next section. Work your way across the whole ceiling section by section, stopping after each section to visually assess and ensure the texture is consistent.
- 7
  Allow the paint to set for 24 hours before moving the furniture back in.

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