texturing with joint compound

I tried and I tried to figure out how to google this question, but just could not figure out a way to shorten it enough to get any hits OR there are no answers to my question on the internet! LOL

I need to texture my ceiling. I don't think it matters but it's plaster ceiling. I patched and primed. Now I'm trying to decide how I want to texture, but my question is do I have to texture the whole ceiling at one time? Or if I pick the right kind of texture can I just do a section at a time? I guess I'm afraid that wet "mud" won't stick well to the dried mud or will crack at those areas if I don't do the whole ceiling at the same time.

If I'm correct, what if I prime where the edge of the dried mud is before I started new mud? Would it stick well enough then? Just a thought.

I just need to plan how much time I'll have to dedicate. Plus, that's a LOT of pain in the neck ceiling work! LOL

Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

Got to be done all at one time if you expect it all to match.
Why does it need to be textured?
Texture is a real dust collector, near impossible to patch it and have it match if there's ever any damage. A real pain to paint.

 

Unless you are planning on knock down finish, other methods of "texturing" are so......70ish, and well outdated. Flat, smooth ceilings, or a knock down finish is as far as I'd go. With knock down, you will need specialized equipment and a compressor, so figure that in.

 

What type of texture and how were you wanting to apply it? Most textures are best sprayed on and it's always better to texture the entire ceiling at once rather than piece meal.

 

Still want to texture? Then check out "You Tube" and keyword search drywall texture.
There's hundreds of videos on texture.

 

For a uniform look, it should be done all at the same time. The problem with piece-meal is that you will have a hard time blending one session into the next. You will not have any issues with the texture sticking. As Joe mentioned, it is difficult to blend in when you are doing a repair, it would be like you would be doing a whole ceiling of repairs as you try to match the one you did the day before. You need consistency of the compound, consistency of brush stroke, consistency of thickness of application, etc, for it to look good.

 

Thanks for all the replies!

I have to texture because I was planning on it and so my crack repairs were done hastily and not "finished" since I knew I was adding texture. Also, I just got done removing 776 2" dia glue dots that were on the ceiling holding up square tiles. I did not sand them after I heated and scraped them so all those dot remnants would be visible if I don't texture. (I've already primed)

I have watched many many videos and read many many articles. I am going to do some sort of knockdown (or maybe Spanish knifing) but by hand, not using a hopper or any specialty tools. That is why I didn't want to have to do the whole ceiling at one time. That, and the fact that I only have a couple of hours after work each weeknight to do this. I'll just have to wait now until I can take a day off work to get it all done at one time.

If I had my druthers I would have knocked out the plaster and done drywall, but am not able to have that kind of mess around with a 7 year old granddaughter since it would be a mess for weeks and weeks due to my time constraints!

Again, thanks for the responses. I suspected what I wanted to do would not work.

 

You can rent a hopper and compressor - it would save you a LOT of time.
Another option would have been to laminate the plaster with drywall screwed thru the plaster into the ceiling joists but then you'd still have to tape and finish the new drywall. Texture isn't a cure all for bad finishing. The thicker the texture is, the more it will hide.

 

Just thought I'd take a moment to update. A little hot glue, some trim moulding strategically placed and I created 5 "sections" of ceiling. Five nights of texturing one section at a time and I'm done. Ceiling looks great! Now on to the walls!! Thanks to all!!

 

Glad you got it the way you wanted it to be, and thanks for the update. Pictures?

 

I do have one before and one after pic that my daughter took for me. If I can figure out how to do it, I will post them.

 

Well, not sure if this is going to work or not, but if it does above is the before and I tried to post the after but it failed so I'm not sure if a post can hold more than one pic, so if this works I'll try to post the after in a separate reply.

 

Had to do some resizing. Sorry so many posts.

 

Whoa!! jump back!! What an innovative idea. I think it really is a different room Good job.

 

Thank you Chandler! Not really what I planned from the start....and maybe a little too much for a ceiling.... but it really does look nice (in person with the whole effect) and it served it's purpose of giving me sections in which to do just a few hours work every night after work. And it's "different". I had to think outside the box and that was actually very fun, both coming up with the idea and putting it in place. (I taped it in place before gluing it to make sure I would like it once it was up - just a tip )

I am now enjoying my nights using the spanish knife technique on the walls. Love it!!!

I love this site too!! I do appreciate all you folks for what you do for people like me. I feel so amazing when I finish a project, but there are many I couldn't have finished without this site and you who contribute to it. Thank you!!

I hope too that maybe posting my pics on here will give other folks ideas for projects they may be working on.

 

That looks really good and really different. Thanks for posting the pictures and letting us all see it!