This is a little bit of a challenge. Practice first on a piece of plywood.

Skim a layer of joint compound in a 3x3 foot area or 3x4 (just not too big). Don't worry about it being smooth -- lay it on like you are frosting a cake. Take a four-inch roller and get it thoroughly wet but wring out the liquid. Drag the roller across the surface, it will roll a little then should stick every now-n-then and when it sticks ... just drag it a little more, occasionally applying pressure to get it rolling again. Do the same thing in another direction or along side the streak just done.

Alternatively, after you skim a patch with joint compound ... use a wallpaper brush and drag it ... you should get a lumpy trail (or scrap) ... hesitate ... apply pressure .... then drag again. Any brush marks will minimize with paint.

Those are my best guesses. Your picture looks like your surface was NOT done purely with a putty knife or a brush or a sponge. Interesting. Something kinda of smooth/damp was dragged across stucco or joint compound. I doubt paint with any additive was used, but maybe.

You know what ... a wisk broom might have been used across stucco or joint compound (would have to be damp though) -- anyway that would work too -- Even a full size broom too (then no ladder). It will be messy/drippy but that will duplicate the texture.

Great ideas. Now on to the experiments!

A sponge mop might do the trick too -- can ya tell I've done this before! Finding the right tool is the key and getting your technique down.

You will have about 20 minutes or so to play with the texturing even if you let it harden a little bit before dragging -- just keep your tool damp (not moist). Too much water will make your compound dry with little pin holes (which you can fill with paint but try to avoid them).

Good luck -- let me know which tool worked best. Even if you get close, it will be good enough for a patched area.

I did some texturing years ago, using several tools for various effect (can't remember all the tools). Some of the texture looks like the above. I think a sea sponge does that.

I had to patch something similar and the hardware store told me to use the tool - looks like a brush that got smashed - with all its bristles radiating out into a circle. I can't remember if I thickened the paint with plaster but I do remember just pressing the dry brush up against a thick coat of paint and when you lift it, the texture is there. Overlap a little so it doesn't make obvious circles.

Well this is really interesting - I have the same texture and problem. My home was built in 1950, Minneapolis.

It is not 'slap brush' (tried that), nor is it a sponge (cause there aren't any marks from the sponge. It was definitely done with a thin compound (cause the texture can peel off).

The texture looks like 'strings'. The problem I've had with joint compound is that the peaks are too sharp.

I think it was rollered on, and then textured.

Geoffrey -- If you apply the joint compound with a putty knife across your work area then ... go over that with a damp tool you will get rid of the peaks. The tool has to be damp to not 'pick-up' the compound. You just want to move it around.

That photo Phrog posted (the longer I look at it) looks like a sponge mop head (very dense) ... dragged lightly .... then stopped. I agree it is not a brush or some decorative sea sponge or even a regular sponge.

As I recall, I used a kind of twisting motion with the sea sponge to smush and lift. Yours seems to drag too. It was not paint, it was a "stucco" type product in a can for that purpose. The one I used was sanded, however. Don't know if there were options.

Get one of those 3x3 pieces of drywall from HD to practice on.

Google textured paint and ceiling tutorials if you haven't already.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Jul 2, 13 at 7:44

google "stippling brush"