How to Apply Knock-Down Texture to a Wall
First make sure you have all the supplies you'll need to complete the job. These include painting tray, paint roller, textured roller, trowel, damp towel and all purpose pre-mixed joint compound. Ensure the surface you plan to texture is clean and dry. Fill and sand any holes prior to texturing.
Fill your tray with joint compound, spreading it evenly in the bottom of tray. With your texture roller, roll enough compound from tray to cover the entire roller completely. Apply to wall spreading consistently over the entire surface. Be sure to not have large gobs of it left on wall surface, as it will become too messy and hard to spread later on. Start off by doing about a six to eight foot area at a time; this is to be sure it does not dry before you can knock it down. Or apply to the area and wait 15 to 30 minutes until it becomes tacky to the touch. The time it will take to dry depends on air temperature and humidity at the time of application.
Once you have done your area, set your roller and compound aside. Take you trowel and run over the peaks at a 45 degree angle. Do not smear; run in vertical strokes from ceiling to the floor and the floor to the ceiling. Wipe the blade off with a damp towel to keep from clumping up. Once you have finished, you can go back and fix any areas that may have been missed.
Before applying primer to the walls, let the drywall compound completely dry at least a minimum of 24 hours. After you prime the walls you are free to paint as you would any other wall.
If you so choose, you may rent a dry wall spray rig with a small compressor to apply your compound. Be sure you use ready mixed spray compound if using this method to apply your texture. Make sure the consistency is that like pancake batter. Using a sprayer can be messier but is great for doing jobs that are large. Be sure you have drop cloths handy as they will need to be used if using these tools to get the job done.
Published by Rebecca Smith
Hello, my name is Becca. I am a 31 year old married mother of four. I was born in the United States and raised in BC Canada. Currently I reside in southern Oklahoma. My children are ages 2 to 14. The wi... View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentHaha! The response on 11/30/2008 was great. John L - You made yourself seem pretty sexist...
And women can even vote now too, did you know that John L?
This is a great way to describe how to do it. I am shocked that a woman can put this in words and actually want to write about it. Great job telling it. I can tell you have done this plenty of times.