What Is Knockdown Wall Texture?

Drywall's flat, boring lines can be dressed up with paint, wallpaper or textures. Knockdown texture is one way of transforming the look of a wall or a room into something more elegant and unusual.

Appearance

Knockdown wall texture has been compared to the look of stucco. It has wide, flat surfaces that sit atop raised areas, casting light shadows on the wall and giving an overall feeling of depth.

Material

Texturing compounds or thinned drywall mud are splattered on walls using a sprayer. These splatters are allowed to set up for about 20 before working the compound.

Process

The knockdown texturing technique involves lightly working the textured surface with a 12-inch trowel or drywall taping knife. This process "knocks down" wide areas of the splatters and creates flat areas.

Variations

Sand, other textures and paint are sometimes added to the texturing compounds to produce variations to knockdown walls. Stains can also be wiped on to produce an aged look.

Repairs

Because the wall is no longer completely flat, repairing holes or damaged areas in knockdown textured walls can present a problem. Repairs my involve a re-application of mud and knockdown texturing over a large wall area for the repair of even a small hole.

References

• Service Magic: Drywall Texturing Methods
• Handy American: Texturing Walls
• DrywallInfo.com: How to Apply a Knockdown Drywall Texture