Textured Ceiling Repair

Greetings,

I repaired a ceiling that was damaged by a small water leak. The damage occurred near the center of a family room ceiling and along a drywall tape joint. I pulled the bad tape off and removed any nearby loose plaster. The repair is about 18" long and little more than the width of the tape. I put new tape on and built it to the existing ceiling level. I'm having difficulty matching the existing texture on the ceiling. I used a stipple brush but it didn't come anywhere close to what is already there. I used standard joint compound out of the container and I also diluted some with water for a thinner consistency. The results with the stipple brush were nearly identical.

The stipple brush produced many small elevations while the existing texture has a pattern that's more random and more dispersed. Any suggestions on how I can duplicate what's already there?

Handy Matt

 

Hi Matt and welcome to the forums. You could try using a sponge to dab the mud randomly on the repair, let it dry, then knockdown the high spots with a drywall knife. Other option would be to use the stuff in a can. You just shake it up and spray, it's pretty pricey to be practicing with though. If we could see a picture of what you've got, might have some other advice.

 

It seems to me that some experimenting will be required. I will try to get pictures, however, and provide you with at least one picture that's worth 1000 words. Once you see the photos I'm hoping you'll have a good idea of how it was created, and more importantly, how I can duplicate it. I did see that there are instructions for downloading a photo into one of these threads. I'll have to check up on it.

Thank you.

Handy Matt.

 

It took a few weeks but I finally have the photos of the ceiling repair. Actually, I have photos of the texture I'm trying to match. I've included the link to the photos in this thread.

When I attempt to match the texture using a stipple brush I get much more relief and irregularities. I've watered down the joint compound and I've applied the compound to the brush before starting. Take a look at the photos and let me know what you think. What you see in the photos is what I'm trying to duplicate. Thank you.

http://community.webshots.com/album/281138066qrBVrz?116

Handy Matt

 

I placed the photos of the ceiling texture on WebShots (the link is in the previous posting). I haven't received any feedback to my posting of 02.23 and wanted to make sure this didn't get overlooked. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Handy Matt

 

OK. I'll try. The third photo in your series looks pretty rough. Maybe what I think are holes in the surface are shadows from your try at matching the texture. If they are indeed holes I think you should scrape some of the existing testure off, scrape the high points off the patch and add a coat or two of mud to get that patch smooth. Then as far as matching that texture It looks like it was done with a crows foot brush. Mix up some mud pretty thin. If it is too stiff you can always thin it a little more. Get some scraps of sheetrock and practice on them till you get the pattern to match closely. Then try it on the ceiling. If you don't get it right wipe it off before it dries and try again. Now maybe you should paint the patch first. I will defer to drywall texturers on that. I could match that texture. I just don't know if I can tell you how to do it.

Try and let us know what you do and how it goes.

 

Thank you, Tightcoat. I'll go looking for a crows foot brush and do a little experimenting. Yes, what you saw at the bottom of photo 3 was my attempt at patching the ceiling. Many, many rough spots. I appreciate the information.

Handy Matt

 

Your existing ceiling texture is a "slap" or "stomp" texture. The brush which was used appears to be about 8" round (oval crows foot brushes are the most common in my area). But the round shape tends to make me think they used a shag stipple brush such as those pictured at http://www.all-wall.com/acatalog/Texture_Brushes.php Bottom line, if its oval, go crows foot, if its round, go shag stipple.

And from the looks of the texture, they didn't thin it very much- it looks pretty thick. Also the way the edges are rounded, I'd be willing to bet they used the lightweight mud that comes in a blue bucket. It tends to give a more rounded appearance as it shrinks back and dries.

Sand off any texture you've applied, and brush some fast-dry primer on the patched area. (this will help prevent the ceiling from absorbing too much moisture when you texture.) Mix a little water in and test your stomp on a board or piece of drywall first. Practice your pattern to get it random and to get the feel (and look) of whether you need more water or not. The amount of water you add is critical to how well it blends in. It's almost better to have it too thick than too thin, because you can always add more water. Once you're happy with your practice pattern, have at it. If it's got too many peaks to it, it's usually too thick. Not enough and it's too thin. If it's too pointy, you can lightly sand it once it's good and dry.

 

It's nice to have all the assistance. Thank you, XSleeper. I did have a question about the shag stipple brush. I purchased a stipple brush that measures 4" or 5" in diameter. I noticed that if the brush remains with all the bristles standing straight, the texture is very rough. If the bristles are flattened, then it produces a more distinct pattern. Does that hold true for the shag stipple brush as well? Should that be flattened before using it? The crows foot brush is sold in that fashion. I'll be doing some experimenting this weekend.

Handy Matt

 

Yeah, you need to buy one that is already flattened... like the 8" or 11" ones pictured on that website I linked to. Your straight stipple brush won't produce the same texture at all.

You should be able to look at your ceiling and find a few "perfect" slaps where you will see the exact shape of the texturing brush... From that you can tell the size and shape of flattened brush to buy.

 

Now the fun begins. I'll do some experimenting soon (I was hoping this weekend, but that may not be the case) and let you know what the results are. I'll think postively and hope for the rather than the . Thank you for your help.

Handy Matt

 

It's finally done. It took longer than I had expected, but the results are in. And I improvised to get the texture I was looking for. You can go to the link below for the latest pictures:

http://community.webshots.com/album/281138066qrBVrz?116

I had all along been thinking of how to get the texture to match what was already on the ceiling, and I thought too much about how the texture was originally created. I didn't have success with getting a close match the 'normal' way. What came to mind was trying to think small, not big. Since the repair was relatively small, I decided to achieve the look I needed in a small way. I used a black rubber hose cut to a length of about 2". I used the hose to create one ridge at a time, and could make those ridges go in any direction and location I needed. I could even extend an existing ridge to help blend the new and old areas together. Though time consuming, it could work for a large area, but is ideal for a small area. The pictures were taken immediately after I finished, so the area was still wet. The customer is going to take some photos once the ceiling is painted.

Let me know what you think.

Handy Matt

 

Are these plaster or drywall ceilings? What material did you use for the testure?
Thanks for posting the results. Sometimes people forget to do that.

 

This was a drywall ceiling. I used lightweight joint compound and added water. I applied a thin layer to the ceiling and then used the small piece of rubber hose to leave my ridges. On occasion I had to dip the hose into my compound and add some material to the ceiling to get the right result. It probably took me less than a half hour to complete this section.

Handy Matt

 

Nice job Matt, congrats!

And thanks for checkin back, like TC says, it's nice to hear & see how things turned out.

 

The best way to match a texture is to use a 3 inch paint brush dab the tip into the mud and put it on the ceiling make the design you want just relax and do not over do it you can always add to it.for bigger repairs use a texture brush .then use the paint brush on the edges to match it in

 

I simply mixed white ceiling paint with joint compound to get the correct texture, then dabbed it onto the ceiling using a balled up plastic grocery sack. It looks perfect and took me a total of about 20 minutes from start to finish. You can't tell where the repairs were at all.

I tested the concoction on a scrap piece of drywall a couple of times and kept adding more paint until it looked right, then away I went!

Easy stuff. I just wanted to share my quick success story!

Cheers.

 

I had a complete remodel done in a bedroom in my home. The ceiling was all replaced, and then finished with texture. It's been 3 years, and the ceiling is cracking and sagging. APPARENTLY, the contractor did not tape in between the drywall sheets when he hung them, just painted and textured. Is there an easy way to make these repairs myself?
I did try to contact the contractor. He is no longer in business.............can't imagine why!!! lol.
Thanks for any suggestions or help.

 

Welcome to the forums jaylin!

Could you supply us with a pic or two? http://forum.doityourself.com/electr...your-post.html

I find it hard to believe that he didn't do any taping, it would be hard for texture to hide that much. What type of texture do you have?

Basically the the joints would need to be exposed with the texture removed 4-5" on each side of the joint. You would then tape and finish the joint. Retexture when done.