Knockdown

[damonrpayne]

One of my confederates got some kind of texture hopper apparatus to go on his air compressor or whatever. Here is an example of the type of finish this does:

I'm thinking I should go ahead and do this, it will look cool and hide any imperfections better than sand texture.

[Tom Adams]

All of the ceilings in my house Damon are done in this fashion and I would chose this again for it does indeed hide imperfections.

Tom

[damonrpayne]

I think we are looking at doing the walls this way too.

[jacksonbart]

if you have little kids I would think twice about walls like that, those little nooks and crannies will be great for crayons, dirt and etc.

[damonrpayne]

Kids will NOT be playing unsupervised in this room. This room is the only area of the house I can keep however I want it.

[dtel's wife]

if you have little kids I would think twice about walls like that, those little nooks and crannies will be great for crayons, dirt and etc.

Those little nooks and crannies will show dust, in a real bad way. It will be almost impossible to ever clean the dust from the nooks and crannies. Maybe use a wall color that won't show the dust quite so bad. Just something to think about.

I do like the appearance, it is real nice.

[colterphoto1]

One of my confederates got some kind of texture hopper apparatus to go on his air compressor or whatever. Here is an example of the type of finish this does:

I'm thinking I should go ahead and do this, it will look cool and hide any imperfections better than sand texture.

I wouldn't count on any texture finish 'hiding' drywall finishing imperfections. Bubbles in tape, bulges in non-tapered seams will all transmit right through. Best do a proper job of finishing in the first place. I estimate that for the beginner, it'll probably take 5 coats to get it right. Most pros take 3.

But if you have to use a texture, the one demonstrated by dtel uses the most mud and will conceal much better than sand (yuch) or the one just shown.

Hints-

get a proper square-cage type mixer and 1/2" chuck drill to properly mix mud before use

add 1/2 to 1 tray of water depending on the mixture of the mud

use 3 in 1 type mud,

buy ALL the trowel sizes and use the appropriate on for the job. You should finish seams with a 12"er

purchase a corner smoothing tool for inside corners.

purchase a bead-setting tool for getting the corner bead properly positioned

allow previous coats to dry thoroughly before dragging knife through them

cut out any tape bubbles

use quick set mud to fill any problem areas

hope these help. it is frustrating work. take your time.

[damonrpayne]

Oh, I know its going to suck. But I'll be working on it just about every night.

If any spot turns our poorly, I will probably mathematically calculate that to be an excellent spot for a sound treatment []

[Tom Adams]

Damon -

Ignore the naysayers. I know of a home WITH KIDS that is over 5 years old that has their walls done in the manner you're considering. The walls look as good as the day they were painted.

And despite what Mr. C says, that technique does indeed hide some imperfections. Will it hide major goofs - no. But if you're going to do a dark wall color, any kind of texture will hide blemishes much better than trying to obtain an absolutely perfect wall surface. And it WILL have to be absolutely perfect with a dark color for dark colors tend to high-light imperfections. And let's not EVEN talk about what happens if you wash the wall in soft light. Yikes!!

Tom

[damonrpayne]

The walls are going to be a reddish/purplish color, somewhat dark indeed.

Live and learn!

[tidmack]

Kind of a general question. . .I too am thinking of going with knockdown in my rec-room. But do you think it will someday look dated or go out of style like the popular "popcorn" finish of the '80s? Regular ol sand walls never seem to look dated. . .does anyone with interior finishing experience have an opinion on this?

Jeff

[dtel's wife]

...see next post

[dtel's wife]

We chose our texture because it has proven to be a timeless classic. It is relatively easy to achieve an "even" look, although it is a labor intense application.

As far as interior finishes go, popcorn is no longer popular because it is a nightmare to maintain. Even painting "popcorn" can cause damage to the finish and create a "mess". IMO, "popcorn" will not reemerge as a popular texture.

I am not familiar with the finish damon has chosen, but believe it is a spray texture. I like the look, especially with the colors he has chosen, however I would be concerned about dust accumulation. I guess you could "vacuum" the walls.[]

The finish we applied is excellent at concealing imperfections (not large tape bubbles) I painted our master bath eggplant purple and had no problems with imperfections.

A hand applied finish is generally considered "timeless" because of the labor involved. Most paint contractors do not offer the finish we used because it is so labor intense. There are one or two specialty paint contractors within a 100 miles radius offering the hand applied texture we used, however the cost is extremely high and the waiting list is six to eight months. Kind of like the "swirls" on the ceilings. That treatment has reemerged in high end homes recently because it is "hand applied", another "timeless classic". It is even being applied in "two-tone" on ceilings. Light blue and white to represent clouds???

I only comment on your question, because dtel and I have the opportunity to see a lot of custom built homes in our profession. Most of our client's homes are in the $750,000.00 and up price range. I usually tour the interior of the home in an attempt to gain a glimpse of their exterior views(from inside the home) before landscaping. So, I see virtually every room in the house from the master bath to the library.

BTW stained cement floors are another up and coming treatment. I have seen this floor treatment in 3,000,000.00 homes. This treatment is beautiful when properly applied.

[PhilMays]

I am in the hotel business. Many hotels choose this wall finish as it does hide imperfections better and is easier to repair in case a hole gets punched or what not.

Hotels also use this finish in high humidity areas, Mississippi, as it tends to not mildew as much. Used in bathroom applications for this reason as well.

I like this finish where these items are a concern. If thise are not concerns, I feel the heavy texture gets very dusty quickly. When cleaning walls like this the edges of the texture tend to hold dirt over time.

Your home solution will certainly not be like a hotel environment though. In a hotel, people rent a room for say $75 and think they own it. In your home you will be more careful.

[dtel's wife]

I am in the hotel business. Many hotels choose this wall finish as it does hide imperfections better and is easier to repair in case a hole gets punched or what not.

Hotels also use this finish in high humidity areas, Mississippi, as it tends to not mildew as much. Used in bathroom applications for this reason as well.

I like this finish where these items are a concern. If thise are not concerns, I feel the heavy texture gets very dusty quickly. When cleaning walls like this the edges of the texture tend to hold dirt over time.

Your home solution will certainly not be like a hotel environment though. In a hotel, people rent a room for say $75 and think they own it. In your home you will be more careful.

Phil, are you referring to the "knockdown texture" or the hand applied texture?

[PhilMays]

Knockdown

[dtel's wife]

I feel the heavy texture gets very dusty quickly. When cleaning walls like this the edges of the texture tend to hold dirt over time.

I thought you were referring to the knockdown, but I wasn't sure.

I had not seen knockdown before damon's post. Looking at the photograph he posted I immediately thought, "How in the world do you keep those crevices from holding dust?" The only solution I could come up with was to vacuum the walls.

Even with regular vacuuming I would think dirt would still accumulate, over time.

A darker paint such as damon is using will help conceal the dirt, but it will still be there.[]

[PhilMays]

In a very dusty environment it will become a problem. However a lighter texture coating may be the ticket.

Don't get me wrong though, I have seen some very nice applications. However, I have always felt knockdown was used when one had to face a particular problem. Again, high traffic areas that are exposed to damages or moisture and lower long term cost.

I apologize for giving my comments though, it is your theater and I know it will be lovely. The good thing about knockdown is that after several years if the problems do exhist, just paint it[]

[Fish]

The texture is called mediteranian knock down,I do this for no charge on all my houses.I've had one person decline it and go with smooth walls.It wears very well,looks great w/accent lighting and makes less than perfect walls look perfect.I spray drywall compound that's been mixed w/water from a hopper.Spray on like orange peel(keep consistant) then after a few minutes knock down with an aluminum paint shield(looks like an old blind slat with a handle)As M said however it will not hide big flaws,bubbled tape or poor joints but on a good wall it will look great.

[PhilMays]

Fish,

What is that car in your avatar.