All You Need to Know About Knockdown Texture

The knockdown drywall finish, which replaced popcorn and orange peel textures in the early 1990s, has remained popular among homeowners because to its attractive look and functionality. Spraying, troweling, or rolling drywall joint compound onto walls or ceilings to create stalactite-like peaks, then flattening the peaks with a knockdown knife, creates the effect. The resultant uneven, organic texture provides dimension while also concealing any surface defects.

Another point of interest? With basic drywall skills and some inexpensive tools and supplies, you can easily achieve the effect! Continue reading for an explanation of the knockdown texture technique.

Three Texture Types:

Splatter, stomp, and mud trowel are the three basic varieties of knockdown texture, each having its own aesthetic and needing different tools and procedures.

• Splatter: Splatter is the most popular knockdown texture, with the traditional look of Spanish lace stucco—an elaborate pattern of splotches inspired by lace veils. This is accomplished by first spraying the surface with a drywall hopper gun. When spraying a ceiling, the application might be a little sloppy (due to downward splashback). Because a drywall hopper gun is necessary, this approach takes longer to set up than a stomp and mud trowel, but once you're up and running, the application will be swift, consistent, and less tiresome. You can spatter a small area in less than an hour or a bigger area in roughly a day.
  

• Stomp: Stomp is the most visibly textured of the three, with a higher elevation off the surface than spatter or mud trowel. It is made by diluting pre-mixed or ready-to-mix drywall mud with water and then applying it with a paint roller to a wall or ceiling. The mud is next crushed with a stiff-bristled crows-foot brush before being flattened with a normal knockdown knife, leaving a finger-like texture on 60% or more of the surface. Because drywall is originally placed by roller to completely cover the surface and an extra stage of stomping is necessary before knockdown, the overall process might take almost twice as long as spatter.

• Mud trowel: Also known as skip trowel, this method is flatter and more subtle than spatter or stomp. It’s achieved by applying drywall mud then skimming the mudded area with the cleaned trowel. The curved trowel actually skips the mud across the wall or ceiling, leaving a sparse pattern of spherical, quarter-sized globules on half of the surface. Hand troweling requires patience, making it more time-consuming than splatter.

Knockdown drywall finishes doesn’t have to be a hassle thanks to WG Painting. We’ll handle everything and leave nothing behind when we’re gone—just a freshly painted room or two! To learn more about your options with us and get a free estimate, contact us today.