How to Do the Knockdown or Skip Trowel Method of Texturing Sheetrock

Roller Application

• 1

  Put down drop cloths to protect floors, furniture and other areas.

• 2

  Apply knockdown texture with a roller by watering down wallboard joint compound to a consistency that adheres to the roller without excess sagging or running.

• 3

  Select a roller with a short nap, ½ inch or smaller, and dip the roller into the thinned compound.

• 4

  Roll the joint compound onto the surface being textured with smooth, even strokes. Apply the product as evenly as possible and let it dry for 10 minutes.

Sprayer Application

• 5

  Mix the joint compound or texture product with water until it is the proper consistency for spraying, about the thickness of latex paint.

• 6

  Assemble the sprayer and fill it with the thinned texture product. Sprayer operation and assembly varies significantly by brand; consult the manufacturer's instructions for the model being used.

• 7

  Practice using the sprayer on a spare piece of wood or drywall before applying texture to the wall.

• 8

  Spray the product onto the wall in smooth, even strokes. Maintain the same distance and trigger setting for the whole wall being textured to ensure the product splatters evenly.

Creating the Texture

• 9

  Let the sprayed or rolled-on product dry for approximately for 15 to 30 minutes. The texture product should be tacky and ductile rather than hard and dry.

• 10

  Select a drywall knife 12 inches wide or larger.

• 11

  Hold the knife at an angle almost flat relative to the surface being textured and draw it across the drywall surface in the same direction as the panel seams.

• 12

  Use light pressure and smooth, even motion. Pressing too heavily produces too smooth a finish, while pressing too lightly leaves a bumpy, unattractive texture. The object is to smooth out the highest peaks of the sprayed-on texture rather than flattening it to a smooth finish.

• 13

  Practice on a board or in an inconspicuous area before texturing large areas of visible wall.