Spackle is a form of light, easy-to-apply plaster that's made for minor repairs on plaster walls or ceilings. However, it can also be used to add texture and depth to the ceiling. By spreading the spackle thinly and working designs into it with a putty knife or trowel, you can hide imperfections in a plain flat ceiling and create a more interesting surface. If you haven't textured plaster or spackle before, practice on scrap wood before you start.
Instructions
1. Take all the furniture out of the room in which you are going to spackle the ceiling. Spread out tarps on the floor.
2. Dull the ceiling with a vibrating sander. Use your spackle to fill any cracks or holes, pressing it in with your putty knife. Let it dry for four hours.
3. Coat the ceiling in primer, using your paint roller. Keep the layer of it smooth and flat. Let it dry for eight hours.
4. Spread a thin layer of spackle over a few square feet at one end of the ceiling using your .
5. Make your design in the spackle. One option is to use the edge of the putty knife to mark lines and ridges at random. Another is to press the flat side of the trowel into the spackle and turn or pull it to make swirls or peaks.
6. Work your way out along the rest of the ceiling in sections of a few square feet at a time, spreading on the spackle and texturing it in the same manner. Stop often to step back frequently and assess the area for consistency.
7. Coat the entire ceiling. Let it set a full day. Bring the furniture back in.
Tags: putty knife, spreading spackle, square feet, using your, your putty