Crackle medium is a fun way to age your furniture, cabinets, a frame, even a painting!  It’s really easy to use…unless it isn’t.    A newsletter subscriber wrote in recently and was having some problems.  Here’s what he said:

Could you please advise how long you need to leave the crackle glaze on before painting on the top coat? Mine isn’t crackling right. I’m using latex paint – is that right?
Thank You

Hmmmm…now I’ve crackled a LOT of stuff and never had a problem -  BUT I have friends that have.  Of course when I do my crackle painting I’m not looking for perfection.  So if it “messes up” that just adds to my “look”. 

I have also known some people that have gotten “bad” crackle medium.  That’s no fun at all!!  The last time I bought crackle medium it was just for a small project so I got it at a craft store.  For those bigger projects (your bathroom cupboards?) you might want to get it in a LARGE container rather than those little bottles.

As for using latex…yeah… shouldn’t have any problem if you are using latex paint and follow the directions on the crackle medium you are using.   Generally speaking you want it to dry 30 to 60 minutes.  You may need a bit more drying time depending on the weather.

When the Crackle Medium is dry there should be an overall sheen to the surface. If any areas appear dull, apply another coat of Crackle Medium.  Now you apply the top coat.  This is the coat that will be actually crackling – revealing the “under coat”.

You need to load your brush – not OVER loaded but don’t wipe it all off either.  Load it generously and work in small areas.  The big thing is don’t over paint.  Too much paint or going over and over it will make you cracks disappear. Simply brush on a nice even coat and move on to the next area.  Then…let it dry 24 hours.

After crackling I sometimes will apply a stain to age what I’m working on.  Unless I’m painting in colors.  Like a red undercoat with a black overcoat. 

Hope this helps!

This article is only for those who are ready to learn how to faux paint exposed brick wall finish.

I know this can get really boring if your not looking for information about painting a faux exposed brick faux finish.  Sorry… But some are asking for more information and for those people…YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!

Check out this page ONLY if you are interested in seeing another site with faux brick breakouts and faux plaster walls.  Even a faux brick arch is pictured as well as some other great murals!!

Janet Checker, Murals at the Twisted Taco Cafe

If you have read this far…you must be interested in learning to paint faux exposed bricks and breakout plaster wall finishes.  One of the best ideas I have for you is to click on this link and save all the articles and pictures.

A file like this will help you get through those times when you are questioning your ability to paint realistic looking faux bricks.  A slew of photos and tidbits of information can often get you over the hump and on to painting those bricks fast!

Here are some excerpts from the Brick Video Debra made.  The first one shows a bit about grout and the color she demonstrates.  The second one is about adding some dimension to your brick or “aging” it so it looks older and not “new”.

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Peeling Wallpaper from TJONES Typepad

Don’t you LOVE stripping wallpaper?  No?  Not a surprise. I don’t know anyone that actually LIKES this task.  It’s why I choose faux finishes over wallpaper every time.

Everyone knows that stripping wallpaper can cause damage… boy, do I know.  Those little gouges can show up like the huge caverns when it comes time to paint.  I have this very problem in my spare bedroom right now.  /  Dogs like to put their paws in the window sill to look out and it’s scraped off the wallpaper & the gouged the drywall underneath.  It isn’t pretty.

So… how do you cover damage from stripping wallpaper?

Got an email from a newsletter subscriber related to this problem and figured it was a good one to share.  Check it out:

I am brand new to this but decided to remove wallpaper from my powder room.

The guy at Lowe’s told me what I need to do a finish called Venetian plaster.  I am priming the wall, lightly sanding some places where it was really rough and caused feathering in the drywall, then
putting on 3 coats of Valspar Venetian plaster with a $10 tool that is similar to a putty knife.

Is Venetian plaster a faux finish?  Does the procedure I was given sound right to you?

Thanks so much.
Love your website and newsletters.
Karen

Wow.  I’m wondering why the Lowe’s guy said Venetian Plaster.. ?  I’m sure that the guy was trying to be helpful… but that’s a large project for some one that is new to all this.  And unless he wants to come over when she does the project to lend a hand…he wasn’t helping!

We asked Karen if she told the man that she wanted a Venetian Plaster finish because we can’t figure out why he’d tell her that if she told him she was removing the wallpaper, had some damage to repair and wanted to paint the walls.

Venetian Plaster is considered a type of faux finish in some worlds… it’s really plaster made with marble dust and the reason it takes three layers is because of the awesome polished finish you end up with.

"Faux Fun" Venetian Plaster How to Vide

It has “special tools” you use to put the plaster on and to create that final “polished” sheen.  “Faux Fun” has a video about it for people to learn how to do this.

But doing a Venetian Plaster finish is a lot… I mean A LOT…of work and in a powder room trying to get the finish just right around a toilet and sink – (unless you pull them out first – ugh) – would just be a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Truth be told…if I wanted Venetian Plaster in a powder room I’d HIRE it done to avoid having to do it myself…it’s that much of a pain in that particular space.

And – Venetian Plaster is expensive….

Anyway..I digress.  We’re guessing that Karen wanted to give the walls a smooth finish because their was some damage when she stripped the wallpaper.

So rant over.  We shot an email back to Karen to ask her about the “damage” to the walls and “finish” she was trying to accomplish.  Did she really want to tackle a Venetian Plaster or just want to smooth out the “oops” in the walls.

We asked her exactly how much damage was done to the walls and explained that if she just wanted to smooth out the “oops” spots then she probably only needed a skim coat of regular old joint compound.  This is the easy way to fix damage to the walls after scraping off wallpaper.  Also reminded her that she’d need to sand and seal the joint compound before she started painting.  Here’s what she wrote back:

Thanks so much for the reply. The damage is that I dug in with the scraper instead of spraying more wallpaper remover on. The damage is probably 5% of the wall surface, maybe less.

I took some of the sheet rock paper off and a couple of places I dug into the sheet rock, not deep but enough to make a little stick up (1/16 of an inch?).

It makes sense that joint compound would cover it. I’ll try that. THANKS!

I changed my mind about Venetian Plaster because in the samples, I found it was smooth & shiny, supposedly like marble and what I really want is what Valspar calls Tuscan accents.

Is there an easier way to do this?

P.S. I wish you lived in Houston so I could get your paid services to help me. I really want to learn to do this because I have been in this house 15 years and I am sick of the wallpaper!

I have seen the Tuscan accents in a house and I really like it.  But if it’s tough for a beginner, I might need to scale back to something easier at this time.

P.P.S. My husband doesn’t really think I can do this. He’s always done the painting and that sort of task and I never have. Soooooooooo I have a lot to gain by proving that I can. He’s not mean, just skeptical.

Alrighty then.    So we did a little digging and wrote back to Karen.  Here’s the gist of the second response:

We checked out the Valspar site and the directions they give to do the Tuscan Accents finish, and it seems like it’s actually very simple.  Should be perfect for a newbie! 

MinWax Blending Brush

Really don’t think that there would be anything easier than applying the glaze with a large brush in a criss cross / crosshatch motion and then blending with either their tool (called a Tuscan Smoother) or any soft blending brush – like a watercolor mop brush or a small soft blending brush like this one from MinWax.

What we would suggest (always) is using a good quality glaze, as it will make a big difference in the finish.   Zinsser makes a good one, but we’re pretty fond of Behr products (not a Lowe’s product but a Home Depot product).  They seem to get high ratings in Consumer Reports more often than others.

AND, make sure you tape off the room first.  If you are unsure of your skill, do a couple samples on foam core board (it’s thick poster board) first using the paint /colors you’ll be using on the wall.  It’s a great way to practice first and see if the colors are what you really want. 

Keep in mind that corners can be difficult, so it’s a good idea to have a smaller brush (artist style) to get into those areas.

Again, we reminded Karen that after she applies the joint compound – to fix the gouges – she’ll need to sand and then SEAL IT.  If she doesn’t seal it then it’ll act like a coat of chalk and just soak up the paint in a very uneven manner.

Hope this is helpful!!!

Faux Granite?  Heck yeah!! Several newsletter subscribers have been writing in to find out about this painting technique.  It’s a pretty good one to do on all sorts of surfaces. Really anything!  And, yes, you can learn to paint faux granite… It’s easy – peasy!

Once you are comfortable with the technique of painting faux granite… you can use it to paint all sorts of things like counter tops, mantels, walls, decor items and even your floors!  You won’t learn how to do all those things here and now, but just the most simplest/basic faux granite painting technique. So Let’s Get Started!

First let’s get some supplies…. (Debra and I say the word “supplies” as if we were yelling “Surprise!” at a surprise birthday party.  So imagine walking down the aisles at a big box store and hearing two giggling gals in the next aisle talking about needing to stock up on supplies … Debra would say,”…okay, we need to stock up on our paint brush supply…” and before you know it I’m yelling “Suh-PLIES!”   But I digress from the subject at hand.  Supplies…)

Okay…so we’re assuming you have regular painting supplies…

• • drop cloth (we like the good “cloth” ones better than the “plastic” ones – I slip on the plastic)
  • tape
  • rags
  • paint containers (like plastic toss away cups and plates) etc.
  • paint tray and roller (for floors or counters)
  • paint brush if you are faux painting small objects

• Sea Sponge (at least 2) – You need to look for one with lots of open holes… and don’t get synthetic. Get a natural sponge…the softer the better. Some sponges have tiny holes and are hard as a rock when dry, you don’t want those. Look for large open holes and a softish resilience like the palm of your hand. The sponge must be damp not sopping wet before you start to paint.

• Large flat container- a “tupper” like container works great because you can seal it overnight…but you won’t be able to use it for food again.  You can use a paint tray or anything else you don’t mind keeping for paint.  Debra’s used an old square baking pan and I’ve used a big plastic container that looked like it was for storing a whole pizza in.  BIG, plastic and round…with a lid! 

• Water based glazing liquid.

• Water based sealer in high- gloss sheen.

• Three colors of paint. If you’re doing a small area…get the 2 oz. acrylic paint bottles from a craft store.  If you’re going to tackle a counter or floor then get your semi-gloss latex paint in pint or gallon containers.
  • Paint color choices are by personal choice, here are some suggestions:
    • Base Coat- Cream Granite colors Brown, Black and White (mix gray)
    • Base Coat – Gold / Green Granite colors Rust, Black and White
    • Base Coat – Brown Granite colors Black and White (and mix gray)
    • Base Coat – Black Granite colors White ( mix 2 tones of gray)

1. Roll or brush your base coat paint on and let dry.
2. Pour your 3 colors into one tray – puddles that will run together and just touch. They do get mixed together when you start using the sea sponge, but that’s okay.
3. Debra’s personal choice is to NOT mix the paint and glaze together before sponging on. (Personal choice)
   1. She likes to spread a little clear glaze onto the first area and with her slightly damp sea sponge pick up one – two – or three colors at a time. If you’re new to this try it one color at a time, as it can get muddy.
   2. I like to pre-mix my colors with glaze and use my slightly damp sea sponge to pick up colors individual or combined and gently tap them on the surface.  Pre-Mix or not is up to you.
4. You are going to be pouncing the sponge onto the surface lightly. I mean with a baby soft light touch. Don’t drag the sponge.  That just smears the colors. You are creating little dots of color…every one an irregular shaped dot. Turn your wrist as you go so you don’t create a pattern by accident.  This way, then that way.
5. Traditionally faux granite is painted one color at a time so all the colors don’t blend, and they layer on top of each other. Debra and I get a little impatient and like some of the dots to blend and make variations of color.  That’s why we sometimes pick up more than one color at a time on our sponge.  Gently applying two colors gives you both those colors and sometimes a new color color when they blend together.  BUT – Until you’re comfortable doing this and have it tested out you might want to stick to the one color at a time.  You can do some test runs on foam core boards to see how you do applying all the colors at once if you want to.  The key is step 4…soft touches…not heavy handed whacks!
6. That’s it… after the surface is covered with faux granite and dry…Seal with a few coats.

If you want some extra guidance you might want to check out Debra’s video.  She made this great video showing everyone how to paint faux granite in simple to follow steps.

Giani Granite Paint Kit

Another great thing you might want to check out is this kit for painting countertops.  If you combine the information in Debra’s video with this kit…well, I think you’d be unstoppable!    The kit takes the guess work out of what colors you need to get a specific granite look.  It comes in “green” or “red” or “sand” or…well, you get the idea.  It comes in a LOT of colors…probably one of them is one you want. 

So, check it out.  1st test out your granite painting skills on some foam core board and then…get to work on your next GREAT project!

Art on MoMA´s Floor in New York City - Image by nahkahousu via Flickr

So in the last two months I’ve had several people write in that they were painting their floors.  GREAT IDEA! Painting is easy to do and inexpensive.

You could paint your floors to look like tile, or marble (check out Debra’s faux marble/granite video if you go that route) or even WOOD!  Yeah…how about painting your concrete floor to look like wood?!  Again…you might want to check out Debra’s video on faux wood if you do that one.  And yes…those are shameless plugs for Debra’s videos because they are so awesome!  Lol! 

Anyhoo…Do you want to cover up your ugly floor?   But not with an expensive rug?  Wouldn’t you love to paint a finish on your bathroom or kitchen floor that would liven up the space?   But… you worry  it will wear off or be damaged by water?  Well, you aren’t alone.

This question was recently asked by a reader:

Hello, to start I want to say I love your site.  Now the question. I am doing a faux tile finish on a bathroom floor. Can you tell me what I put on top to keep the paints from being worn down or damaged by water. Thank you, Sheree

You know that we try to avoid recommending an exotic product.  We avoid difficult products that are “painful” to use and deal with.  So..as usually….we have an easy answer for you.  Yay!!!

First make sure you read the articles on painting floors.  Do your prep work, paint it and then allow the surface to dry completely.  I mean super, dooper dry!   Then seal with 3 coats of water based urethane clear sealer
in “gloss” finish.   Follow manufacturer’s directions when using all products.

Basic sealers from the “Big Box Stores” will work.  You’ll find them in the paint aisle.  Oil-based sealers create a deeper shine than water-based sealers, but most develop a slight amber tint over time.  They’ve reformulated them so they aren’t supposed to but…  I wouldn’t bet the farm on it…just in case.  And the water-based sealers remain completely clear, but are slightly less durable than oil-based sealers.  It’s a quandry.

Another option is that you could use floor wax, but that WILL turn amber – very quickly – and they don’t provide the best protection.  Last time I painted a floor I used a water based urethane clear sealer and it worked GREAT.

I painted the concrete floor a base color (grey – for my faux tile “grout”), after prepping it, and then cut a piece of dense foam about 18″ x 18″, glued it to a larger piece of form core board and used it like a giant stamp.  I stamped faux tile leaving an inch wide “grout” space between them.

I used a couple of shades of “terra-cotta” so it looked more authentic. Then I went back in and added some highlights and shadows to the edges to give it depth.  It was PERFECT! And easy. 

Hope this helps.  Now get out there and SPLASH some paint around!!