Double slap brush, otherwise known as crows feet is a stomped, or stippled, texture that's created using two connected oval brushes. It's like stomp brush, but the shape of the brush is different. It's called crows feet because of its idiosyncratic radial lines. It can be applied in an orderly way, or with some overlap for a more chaotic look.
Double slap brush is a stomped, or stippled, texture that's created using two connected oval brushes (a double brush). It's sort of like stomp brush, but the shape of the brush is different. The double slap brush gives the pattern an element of symmetry that slap brush lacks.
As a common texture, you will often encounter it on ceilings. Placing it on walls is less common as it often features raised lines that are not only uncomfortable to rest against, but are hard to clean.
Double slap brush can be applied in an orderly way, or with some overlap for a more chaotic look. If applied as a thick texture, it can help hide imperfections in the wall. As a light texture, which is more common today, it will add a more subtle effect to your ceiling.
Sometimes there's an added knockdown step. This step will flatten out the texture, removing the sharp raised lines created from the brush. This will make it easier to clean.
Start with a Level 3 drywall finish, use a roller to apply an even coat (as even as you can get it without doing a proper skim coat) of all purpose joint compound mixed with water to your wall. Use a double brush to stomp the pattern. Create an orderly pattern, or feel free to be chaotic.
This texture will not cover the whole surface, so the drywall needs to be a smooth surface. Make sure that your wall is at least up to a Level 3 drywall finish. This means that flat joints and interior angles have been taped and have one coat of joint compound smoothed over them. Accessories and fasteners need at least two separate smooth coats.
Note: If you plan on applying the texture thinly, you will need a Level 4 drywall finish.
There's no reason not to use "all purpose" joint compound for double slap brush texture, but other formulations will probably work fine. Mix it in a 5 gallon bucket. Mix it by slowly pouring the water in while stirring constantly by hand with a mixing paddle or with an electric drill with a mixing attachment. Keep adding water and mixing until the consistency of the mud is smooth and creamy like a thick paint or pancake batter.
Let the mud sit for a couple minutes to allow any air bubbles to escape. Give it a good stir before use if it's been sitting for a while.
Put the roller skin on the paint roller. Connect the paint roller to the pole. Dip your roller into the 5 gallon bucket full of mud. Pull it out and shake it a once or twice to get some of the excess mud off. Slide it across the top edge of the bucket. The roller should be full of mud, but it shouldn't be dripping excessively, and it shouldn't be splattering mud everywhere when it's rolling.
Put the roller on the wall and rolling up and down until there's no mud left on it, and then put more mud on the roller.
After you've completed a wall or ceiling, cross the roller (without adding more mud) over the wall horizontally to even the coating out.
Instead of rolling the mud on the wall and then using a brush to create the pattern, you can instead use a roller that is imprinted with the crows foot pattern.
After coating the roller liberally with mud, you can roll the crows foot pattern directly on the wall. If you are careful, and keep the roller in straight even lines, you can create a symmetric pattern that will approximate a double slap brush texture created with a brush.
Start with a little bit of mud on your double brush. Take the brush and slap it against the surface. Depending on how close you keep the slaps, and if you rotate the brush between slaps, you'll create different patterns. You probably want to keep the slaps slightly overlapping, and rotate the brush 1/4 to 1/2 spin each slap.
You don't want to slap too hard that you're splattering mud or deforming the drywall. But you need to slap enough that it creates the desired pattern.
Slap away any flaws, including any roller marks from the previous step.
If you want, you can knockdown the texture with a knife after letting it sit for about 15 minutes. This will flatten the texture and make it easier to clean.
To create different patterns, you can also modify the brush by cutting bristles to different lengths, or sections of bristles.
