Apply decorative spackle to add texture and color to your walls
In use since the 1920s, spackle is any compound used to repair drywall. The difference between spackle and drywall compound is that spackle cannot be rewetted and does not dissolve. Spackle is used to patch minor holes, but some formulas can be mixed to create decorative walls. You can purchase it premixed or as a powder that you mix yourself. Spackle does not shrink back, and holds tight to the wall, drying quickly. Although primer is necessary before applying spackle, you can paint directly on it, eliminating a second primer.
Instructions
1. Clean your wall surface. Remove all dirt, dust, oil or other loose materials. Rinse with clean water to remove all cleaning product residue. Fill all holes and cracks and allow to dry before applying spackling.
2. Apply a tinted primer to the surface of your wall and let it dry completely.
3. Apply the spackle with a spackle knife or trowel. Keep the trowel flat to the surface of the wall and apply light pressure. Apply one-sixteenth inch of spackle smoothly. Remove all remaining ridges or scratches. Clean your knife or trowel between passes to eliminate the introduction of dry grit onto the new wall surface that will cause bumps or scratches.
4. Apply the spackle in an S-shaped pattern for a Venetian plaster look. Alternate colors, if you wish to have more than one color on your wall. Apply five to 10 S-shaped arcs and then move to the other color. Overlap the colors to create depth. Choose a random pattern and cover 90 percent of the primer.
5. Allow the first coat to dry, about four hours, but check the label on your product. Be sure the first coat is completely dry.
6. Apply the second coat using the same "S" pattern with each of your tinted spackles, but hold the trowel at an 80 percent angle from the wall. Use more pressure to make the second coat thinner than the first. Cover all primer and bare areas, and overlap onto the first coat.
7. Add decorative bumps and textures using hand tools or plaster decoration tools. Allow the spackle to at least dry overnight.
8. Sand any areas that do not have the texture you are looking for using fine-grade sandpaper. Apply a clear coat after the spackle is completely dry or paint the spackle to the color of your choice.
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