When attempting to stipple a ceiling, which is a unique form of texturing, drywall mud mixed with water is used, along with the color that is desired. It involves a combination of texturing, painting, and visual uniformity all in one process. This form of texture does not require the use of a texture gun, and it is not performed in various stages. Stippling, after the preparation has been accomplished, involves two steps before letting it dry. This form of texture is more complicated to accomplish than basic texturing tasks, but it can be accomplished without any special tools or painting knowledge.
The first step when trying to stipple a ceiling is to prepare the area that will be worked on. This means cleaning any grease or water spots that may be present, and then coating the area with a base coat of white. The reason for this is so the textured paint will not seep into the ceiling, ruining the work that was put into making the stipple texture. This base coat has to dry, preferably overnight, before the actual stippling process can begin.
The next step to stipple a ceiling is to mix the textured paint. To do this, begin with some basic drywall mud and mix with water until a consistency similar to latex paint is achieved. It is best to use a power drill with a mixing tool attached to it so that all of the mud and water are mixed together thoroughly. Slowly add the color of paint that is desired, mixing the entire batch as it is added. Once again, make sure that the mixture is completely blended before continuing.
Painting the textured paint onto the ceiling is possible now that the mixture is ready, which is the final step when wanting to stipple a ceiling. Use a basic roller and paint pan and begin coating the ceiling. When stippling a ceiling, this process must either be done quickly, or in sections. The textured paint cannot dry all the way before the final process is completed, so if the area is small, work fast, otherwise do one smaller section at a time. Once the textured paint becomes tacky, but not dry, run the roller over the ceiling one more time. Do not add more textured paint to it; just use what is left over from the previous step. The idea of this step is to bring the texture out a little, producing the stipple effect.