Knockdown is a type of texturing used on ceilings and drywall that gives them a stucco-like appearance. Knockdown has a mottled texture that is less intense than popcorn or orange peel texture but more intense than a flat finish. Apply the texture to the wall or ceiling surface and once it dries, you simply use a trowel to "knock down" the texture, giving it a unique look. It adds dimension to any room. Repairing walls or ceilings that have knockdown applied to them is one of the style's drawbacks. When you apply knockdown even to a small repair area, it can be time consuming to use all the equipment to replicate the exact pattern.
Instructions
1. Prepare your room for application of the knockdown texture. Finish your walls to the desired color you want. Apply painter's tape where the walls meet the ceiling to keep from getting texture on your newly finished walls. Cover the floor with old bedsheets and the windows with plastic sheeting.
2. Prepare your texture by mixing the drywall mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stir the mixture with a large drill mixer in a 5-gallon bucket. Be sure to get the mixture thin enough to go through the opening on the spray gun but thick enough to stick to the ceiling. You don't want the texture so thin that it drips onto the old bedsheets when you apply it to the ceiling.
3. Fill the drywall sprayer hopper with the texture mixture. Make sure the 3/8-inch opening is in place on the sprayer. You must use at least a 60 psi air compressor when applying the texture through a 3/8-inch opening. Adjust the nozzle on the spray gun until you get the thickness you desire.
4. Apply the texture to your ceiling through the sprayer. Pretend your wall is divided into sections and spray only a 2-foot square section at a time or only as much as you can knock down in 30 minutes.You don't want the texture to dry completely before you get it knocked down. Spray the texture evenly over the section of the ceiling.
5. Allow the texture to dry on the ceiling for between 15 to 20 minutes. If you knock it down too early, you will only smear the texture.
6. Knock down the texture with a taping knife. Hold the knife at a low angle and move it in different angles to give the texture a unique look all over. Make sure to be consistent in your technique over the entire area.
Tags: 8-inch opening, Apply texture, down texture, intense than, knock down