Around 1963 my aunt moved into an average priced new house in the Midwest . The brick was kind of orange-y colored and all the windows were the crank type jalousie windows. I hated the whole house. But what I do recall that fascinated me no end was the texturing on the drywall.

It was kind of scalloped or arched, each scallop/arch being about 6 inches wide (inner to outer radius) and the arch about 120 degrees. The texturing also contained some sand. This was on every wall, even in the bathrooms. The overlapping scallops, though regular in size, weren’t exactly identical in placement. It may have been on the ceilings as well, but I do not recall that one way or the other.

Even then (being about 6) I could see it was applied starting at the ceiling and going down to the baseboard. You could see it best from an angle...straight on viewing made it harder to see. The effect was gorgeous.

Someone told me that what was in my aunt’s house was Venetian plaster. Excuse me, but I don’t think so. My aunt could never have afforded Venetian plaster. Maybe in the bathrooms but certainly not on every wall in the house. Besides, all the homes in the tract had it.

I am remodeling and I want this type of texturing on my walls. All that anyone seems to do here in the Phoenix area is orange peel, and knockdown. So what is that type of texturing called, how is the effect gotten, and does anyone do it anymore, especially out here in the land of orange-peel and knock-down. (Blech on both!)

Thanks for any help and information.

 

Is the texture one of these?

TSIB / Technical Services and Information Bureau | Plaster Textures

 

No, but the Trowel Sweep seems a distant cousin. The arch / scallop size was about the right size. But the "rows" of scallops alternated. More importantly, the texture pattern (with sand) was no thicker than paint normally is with sand in it. There were no thick edges or areas. One thing I forget to mention might help...it looked like, even then to my young eyes, like it was done with maybe 6 inch wide whisk type hand brush or broom. You could feel more than see the slight lines left by the brush bristles. It was like someone had painted a wall and then took a brush and, beginning at the top, just started making arches/scallops with a twist of their wrist in the wet paint. Making a row and then dropping down to make the next row, but putting the high part of second row arches under the "valleys of the row above. Wish I had a picture or drawing to show you.

 

Hello Tightcoat...I found a picture. Apparently it is called mudswirl.

Drywallschool.com "How To Do A Mud Swirl Yexture"

PICTURES OF VARIOUS DRYWALL TEXTURES

The second one shows the texture off better.

But I saw this on walls too. I was lead to this website from a post (not diy forum) by a man who had the same experience I did...He saw it in a house when he was growing up. So does anyone do this anymore?

 

There are a few ways to achieve this depending on how coarse you want the lines to be. the technique is petty much the same. It might help if you have another person to help you. Don't try to do a ceiling like this from a ladder you just can't cover enough area quickly enough.

In general, the principle of the texture is this You apply the mud to the wall or ceiling then make the texture in the wet mud.

First get some pieces of drywall to experiment on.

You want the walls and ceilings perfect and primed. This kind of texture will hide no imperfections.

The secret to the texture is to get the mud applied evenly and to a correct thickness. That is why you experiment.
You might try rolling on the mud with a long knap roller. Personally I don't think that is enough mud. I'd rather see you put it on with a hawk and trowel. I think you want the mud about 1/8" thick maybe 3/32".

You must work quickly because you can't let the mud dry before you get the texture in it.

Now to texture it you need the tool that will give you the coarseness of lines you desire and the radius of swirls you desire.

I use a fairly new red sponge float. Start in one corner and make a swirl then move over and make another one overlapping the first and so on. Then start a new row and make the new row overlap the first and so on. Have your partner spread the mud ahead of you and have him or her move at the same pace you do. It is most important to keep your edges wet or you will have a line that shows where it dried out.

Now those sponge floats come in different densities Some are coarser than others.

A variation is to use a wall paper smoothing brush. This can be cut shorter of the radius to too large. The procedure is the same.

Other colors of floats or brushes can be substituted to obtain the desired radius and coarseness.

You can add some sand to your mixture if you like the look of that better than no sand.

It is a temptation to go back and try to fix something. You can imagine what will happen if you do that.

If you use regular joint compound with sand in it you should add some latex or acrylic paint to the mixture. If you don't you will dilute the glue in the mud with your sand and it will be softer and not as workable.

Remember prime first then texture. This will let the material dry at the same rate (hopefully not too quickly)

For ten bucks it might be worth it to watch this video. I have not but I have done this texture and an even prettier variation of it I just don't have any pictures of it.

Please take some pictures of what you do and how it turns out.

 

My mom did this (mudswirl) on our ceilings growing up. Some ceilings she did the arch and some she did circles. She used a wisk broom and it looked just like this. I always assumed she just rolled on the joint compound although I don't remember for sure.