Crow's foot or slap brush texture is applied to walls and ceilings with thinned-down plaster or joint compound using a texture brush called a crow's foot, slap or stipple brush. The brush leaves an imprint that looks somewhat like crows' feet. This texture can be applied to newly installed ceilings or to existing ceilings, even if they have already been painted. Whether you are applying the texture to a new ceiling or have repaired damage and need to match a crow's foot texture, you'll need to buy a brush. They're available at most home improvement stores.
Instructions
1. Protect the floor with drop cloths and have a bucket of water and a rag handy to wipe drips from the walls. This is a messy job. If the walls are already painted or wallpapered, apply a band of 2-inch blue painters tape around the top of the wall.
2. Prime the ceiling with water-based, latex primer, whether it is new drywall or previously painted. Priming helps the texture adhere better.
3. Mix drywall mud or plaster with enough water in a 5 gallon bucket to make into a pudding-like texture. Use a mixer attachment on a drill for the fastest way to break up lumps and get a smooth consistency.
4. Put a roller grid into the bucket. Using a roller with at least a 1/2-inch nap, roll about a 6-foot square section of the ceiling with an even coat of the plaster.
5. Wet the crow's foot brush in a separate bucket of clean water and shake out excess water. Working either from a stepladder, or with the brush threaded onto an extension pole, slap the brush into the wet plaster and lift it away. Each time you slap, you'll create the crow's foot imprint. Rinse out the brush periodically in the bucket when it gets clogged with wet plaster.
6. Repeat the procedure, working in sections so the plaster doesn't start drying before you can do the texture.
7. Allow the texture to dry completely. It will turn from gray to white as it dries; this usually takes about 8 hours. Prime it again before painting.
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