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Great starts lead to great finishes, and great finishes can lead to more great starts. Follow
these tips and techniques to start strong, finish strong and keep your business building.
Using a spray hopper is the easiest way to match a textured finish. However, if you don't
have a hopper, or if the patch is over a very small area, you can also use joint compound
and a brush with hard bristles.
The brush technique is basically the same, no matter what type of texture you want to
match.
Start with a light skim of joint compound, extending it 2 inches beyond the patch itself.
If you're working in an area where easy clean up or reduced airborne dust is important,
be sure to use a compound that helps control dust, such as SHEETROCK Dust Control Compound.
Its heavy dust drops to the floor for easy clean up.
Lightly sand the area to blend the compound with the wall surface.
Mix one gallon of joint compound with a quarter gallon of water.
Skim the mixture on a brush with hard bristles until all of the hairs are covered. Then shake
the excess compound from the brush.
The texture pattern is created by placing the brush firmly in one hand with the bristles
facing upward.
Position the brush roughly 10 inches from the wall. Place your other hand above and
flick the bristles while moving the brush in a forward motion.
For a Knockdown finish, flick the brush in a slow motion, allowing larger dots to form
on the wall.
As these dots begin to dry, lightly skim over the patch with a knife to flatten out the
texture.
Once completely dry, sand the edges of the patch and you're ready to paint.
To achieve a Spatter finish, use less compound and flick the brush in a faster motion for
more medium-sized dots.
Orange Peel also requires less compound and a faster motion.
However, you'll want to saturate the wall with small dots.
Even the best finishes sometimes need a fresh start.
Use these tips to make sure your walls and your reputation always remain flawless.