How to apply a skip trowel texture

Texturing a Cocoa Beach condominium ceiling

Texturing a Cocoa Beach condominium ceiling

Step 1) Remove anything you can in the room that you will be applying the skip trowel in.

Step 2) Cover and protect any flooring, furniture or anything else that you don’t want any texture on. Use a drop cloth, heavy mil plastic or rosin paper to cover the floor and light plastic to cover everything else.

Step 3) Mix all purpose joint compound with sand and water in a 5 gallon bucket. Start by mixing half a five gallon bucket of joint compound with about two to four cups of water and three or four cups of clean sand. Mix in all of this together until it reaches a pancake batter consistency of thickness. For a thicker texture, add less water. Let mix sit for 15 minutes. Remix and add water if needed to get desired consistency. Maybe practice on a scrap piece of drywall to try and achieve the desired skip trowel texture you’re looking for.

Skip Trowel Texture- Hawk and Knife

Skip Trowel Texture- Hawk and Knife

Step 4) Scoop some of the skip trowel mix out of the bucket onto either a hawk or drywall mud pan. Using a trowel or mud knife and put about an inch of your mix on the whole long working edge of the trowel or knife. Now start by finding a inconspicuous area of the wall or ceiling in the room you will be texturing (if possible). Lightly pull your trowel from the corner of the ceiling or the bottom of wall pulling towards the top, holding the trowel at a 15 degree angle and making short subtle skipping motions.

Step 5) After you have applied the texture to about a 4’x4′ area, drop back and lightly go over that area with a clean wet trowel. This will smooth out any blobs or trowel chatters that might have been left behind.

Skip Trowel Texture- New Drywall

Skip Trowel Texture- New Drywall

Step 6) Allow at least 24 hours for the skip trowel to dry completely before you prime and paint. Using a 3/4″ nap apply your favorite top grade primer and two coats of a quality paint to your masterpiece. Pick up all of drop cloths and plastic.

Step 7) Kick back and admire your beautiful new ceiling that you did all by yourself. Enjoy!

How to Skip Trowel- Tips and Tricks

Check Out my Featured Skip Trowel Texture Youtube Video Playlist!

Click Here–> Youtube/Playlist/Skip-Trowel-Texture

In this Video Playlist I have videos of how to mix skip trowel texture, applying skip trowel texturing tips and tricks and even some project videos where I’m wearing a GoPro video camera to get a very unique perspective of the skip troweling process.


Skip Trowel Texture

Skip trowel texture can add a beautiful Mediterranean or Spanish flair to any rooms ceilings or walls

Popcorn removal, ceiling repairs and skip trowel texture

Skip trowel is great texture for help hiding imperfections on a ceiling from popcorn removal, or a ceiling or wall that has a lot of cosmetic issues or a area that has been repaired and was previously textured with skip trowel.
Texture matching is a challenge that really takes years to perfect Whether you’ve had a skip trowel ceiling repair or even had a drywall repair that needs to be able to match your texture.

Checkout my: How to apply a skip trowel texture video

Through my eyes GoPro skip trowel texturing video

By: Paul Peck


If you liked this post, you might like –> What is Skip Trowel Texture?

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