Knockdown Texture Tools

Drill and Mixing Paddle

• In order to create a knock down pattern, the drywall joint compound, or mud, is applied in a textured pattern with one of the two tools in the next steps. But before application, the mud is thinned with a small amount of water. A 5-gallon pail of drywall mud should be thinned with no more than 8 oz. of water. After the water is added to the pail, the entire contents of the pail are mixed with a mud mixing paddle attached to a heavy duty 1/2-inch drill. The mud must be thinned in order to create the knockdown pattern.

Textured Roller

• One method for obtaining the texture needed for a knock down pattern is with a textured loop surface roller. The mud is applied to the wall with a standard 8- or 10-inch drywall knife, and then the roller is pulled through the surface to create a stippled texture. This process is slow, but effectively prepares the surface for a knock down pattern. Workers apply mud to a 2-foot-square area at a time, and then the texture is converted into the knockdown pattern before moving on to the next area.

Drywall Compound Spray Equipment

• Because this finish was designed for commercial applications where application speed is one of the builder's highest priorities, a drywall mud for a knock down pattern can also be applied with an air compressor, and a hopper gun. A large plastic hopper sets on top of a HD stainless steel spray gun. As the air blows through the gun, the mud is sucked into the air stream, and spattered onto the wallboard. Installers can cover 300 to 400 square feet per hour using these professional contractor tools.

Drywall Finishing Knives

• When the drywall mud is applied via either of the two above methods, it sets on the wall in an uneven spattered or textured look. The knock down pattern is obtained by using a large 12-inch drywall knife, and lightly dragging the knife across the surface of the mud. The knife "knocks down" the spattered pattern, and when done properly, leaves a slight texture on the wall surface that resembles rain drops running down the outside of a window pane. The knock down pattern is easy to paint and maintain.