Posted by Randy (SD) on October 20, 2003 at 09:33:43:
My only experience with ?knock down? is used by professional dry wall contractors. It is a heavy textured material similar to very wet dry wall mud (the stuff used to cover taped seams and nail holes in dry wall installation). It is applied by spraying the material on a ceiling (never saw it used on a wall) and then ?knocking down? the high spots. Hence the name ?knock down?. It is not a do-it yourself application unless you have the experience and skill. Typically used in new construction before the final trim and carpeting are installed. Check with your local paint store or building supply center for clarification.
There is also a type of wall paper that is very thick, plain white with a kind of egg shell texture that is applied just like any wall paper but it conceals blemishes in the surface. You might find it easiest to scrape the photographs and posters off, sand the area by hand and use dry wall mud to apply a skim coat over the effected area and repaint.
I heard Sharon and Dwan talk about “knockdown”–something you spray (?) on walls and you manipulate in some way that gives a textured and “expensive looking” finish.
Where do you buy this stuff, are there other brand names for the same type product? How hard is it to work with? What type of surface preparation is required? How much does it cost?
I’m estimating repairs on a junker, and I had originally thought lots of drywall had to be replaced because of large holes, and also photographs and posters glued to the wall. I didn’t think there would be a satisfactory way of removing all that stuff.
Posted by JeffGinFL on October 20, 2003 at 12:38:49:
This is a type of coating that is sprayed on walls and ceilings primarily. You can have differing degrees of thinkness on it too - orange peel is a commonly referred to style amongst the drywall guys that do this. Randy is right that this is not something you will generally do on your own without experience. This can be very messy and cumbersome if you don’t know what you are doing. Definately let a pro do it in my opinion - they are much quicker and prepared to do it right.
If you have holes in your walls and that sort of thing, you will still need to patch those/replace the drywall before you texture (spray). This stuff is applied to the finished drywall and then painted to complete the look.
It’s all over down here in FLA. I do it in nearly all of my fixers because people like it - alot. And the cost is very reasonable in my opinion.
You can get spray cans of this stuff at Home Depot/Lowes for fixing small patches where maybe this was worn off or if you are patching a small hole in a wall that is already textured.