How to Repair a Knockdown Texture

A knockdown for walls and ceilings is a thick, textured coating resembling spread cake frosting. This look is popular because it gives a room a more sophisticated look than the traditional flat texture and it is helpful if needing to cover an imperfect wall or ceiling. In some cases, if there is damage or a new fixture is installed, that removed some of the texture. It doesn't take a large amount of time to apply a knockdown texture, but drying time varies depending on the thickness of the coating.

Paint scraper
Fine-grit sandpaper
Drywall compound
Trowel
8-inch drywall knife
Paint
Paint roller or brush

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the damaged area of knockdown texture by scraping away any loose texture material with a paint scraper. Get the base wall material clear of any remnants of the previous covering.
- 2
  Sand approximately 3 inches around the perimeter of the cleaned area with fine-grit sandpaper. This makes it easier to hide the location of the repair and blend over any seams.
- 3
  Spread new drywall compound over the wall with a trowel to a thickness that matches the original covering. Thread the material over the existing wall to hide the transition junction. Allow the material to set for approximately 15 minutes.
- 4
  Slide an 8-inch drywall knife in twisting and circular patterns in the wet compound. When done correctly, this process looks similar to swirled cake frosting. Avoid making the same movement with the knife each time and reverse your knife direction often.
- 5
  Leave the textured repair to dry overnight, then paint the wall section with a paint color to match the rest of the existing wall.

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