# I need info on a knock down or splatter type wall finish



## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

I have a job that calls for a splatter type finish on a wall that was patched and doesn't look good. I think I should sand the area and re-spray it. But this is all new to me. I have a good pro brand Spraying mantis (lowes) type gun that I have done wonderful repair jobs with. But how do I do a knock down or spatter job? What do I need to use and which nozzle do I use? It came with 3, I use the wide open one to spray texture on the ceiling with and it works great. 
I have to patch an area and I already told the home owner it is almost imposable to match it perfectly but I will do the best I can...
Help!
P.S. I spray the ceiling texture at 40 psi, is that right? what should I spray the wall knock down at?


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## EX-BRAVE (Aug 5, 2008)

After spraying sweep texture with a regular house broom. My employees use this trick for knock down.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

spray it on with a fairly stiff mud and or let it set for 10 to 15 Min's, and then I use a wide dry wall knife to very lightly hit it, at about a 30 degree angle on the knife, and it flatten it, down.

http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60312

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vY2J9SSqQ8[/ame]
I use a wide knife like in the first URL, 

http://www.rd.com/18305/article18305.html
page 5 is good,

and when I use the hopper I spray in large circles about 3 foot around 
and then over lap some but if you use side to side or up and down I have seen many trails left, 

mix your mud, let it set for about 10 to 15 Min's and then remix, many times it takes some time for the mud to soak up the water, and if you do not wait the mud may stiffen on you and one end of the room will be fine small beads and the other end will be like hunks of guber splattered on, play on a old scrap piece of dry wall first.

I would use a large opening about a 1/4 to 3/8" on the hopper, the stiff mud will make larger beads of mud on the wall, thinner mud will not make much of a bead, so you may want to test first to get the mud consistency to match what was there.

also larger hole more or larger beads of mud smaller finer and smaller,

IN the video under the window he went in straight lines with the hopper, I would have circled and done the entire area under the window in progressive circles instead of two or three straight passes, and then with things masked off floor and ceiling if needed, or have some one hold up a large piece of card board as a shield, but spray off the edge, up to the center of the spray pattern, that way the coverage is even on the surface your spraying. not heavy in the center and light on the edges.


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

thanks for the replies, after reading them I am thinking I am looking more at an 'orange peal' type finish.
how thick or runny should I water down the sheetrock mud? if I were to pour it out how would it pour, (what consistency) like syrup, cold honey, hot oil?
what nozzle should I use, I am thinking the med or small one, what kinda pressure psi?
Thanks in advance


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

thickness about like cake batter or honey at room temps, it needs to flow, 

on most hoppers there is two adjustments, one the hole size, and one the distance from the nozzle plate (holes), 

you can use a large hole and very minimal distance or a smaller hole and greater distance and in some ways achieve about the same,

but I usually do not set the trigger pull lenth, on the hopper that way one can "work" the trigger if a lump or it stops flowing some time pumping the trigger will move it past the nozzle plate, but I am concourse of the distance in which I have the trigger pulled back usually about 3/8 to 1/2 and inch, and normally use about 3/16 to 1/4 hole in the nozzle plate, and the pressure and cubic feet to the hoppers recommendation, I have a 15 amp motor (guessing a real 1 to 1 1/2 hp) on the air compressor and I let the compressor "equalize" by letting the air run until the motor is running continuously, and let it go, that way you do not start with say 110 psi and end up at 30 or 40 psi, on the other end of the wall (I added a 1/4" ball valve on the end of the hopper to turn on and off the air of the hopper with disconnecting the hose, unless you have a really good compressor or a very small orifice in the "air" nozzle, most nail er or home compressors are a little light in keeping up with the hopper so I let it equalize to the compressor, and use the air that the compressor can pump, not what is stored in the tank,

if your compressors is such it can keep up and cycle, then I would set the pressure to about 40 to 60 psi, lower psi will make larger beads and higher smaller beads of mud,

IF your compressor jsut can not keep up, at all, you could set the regulator for say 40 psi, and put a ball valve on the hopper and have some one watch the compressor and when it drops below the desired pressure cut the air to the hopper let it build and then start in again until it falls (but use a regulator to keep the flow to the hopper the same on the higher psi). it may be 30 seconds of spray and wait a min for the compressor to build and spray for another 30 seconds,


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

the problem to tell you to do this or this is that you have a number of overlapping factors,

about the only factor that is fairly consistent is the thickness of the mud, and that is more if it is to thin, 

there is not much you can do to change the look, if it it to thin,

but you have the Nozzle plate orifices, you have the distance of the Air nozzle from the orifice plate and you have the air pressure, 

bigger orifice more mud larger and heaver beads of mud,(splatter)
to a point further back on the air nozzle (trigger) the larger splatter,
the air pressure the lower pressure normally creates larger splatter and higher smaller, 

so you have overlapping conditions that make it kinda of hard on how to set the machine, much is by feel and experience, 

I have been using this tool for many repairs, http://www.homaxproducts.com/products/texture/16/instructions.html
at one time instead of the "canned" textures, they made a mini spray unit about 6" long and held about a 1/2 cup of mud, I have one of them and for a small patch it is great, http://www.acehardware.com/sm-homax-spray-texture-touch-up-4105--pi-1276267.html or http://www.acehardware.com/sm-homax...max-acoustic-ceiling-texture--pi-1276266.html
on mine there the same except for the non acoustical ceiling unit has a plug with a smaller hole that makes the nozzle size smaller, and you can find them cheaper by other places, the small ones are good up to about 2 square foot patch, the large unit are good for up to a wall or small remodel project,

you control the air by how hard you pump it, and it works amazing well, and the best part is you do not need to haul around a compressor and hoses and the hoppers or some of them have screw lids, so they they do not need to be cleaned up on site and you can get home to clean up with out it getting hard.

about the best is to set up and take a scrap of dry wall, or card board and spray a test and see if it is what you want, if you mix up a batch measure out the water added, and the amount of mud used, as if you need to mix up more, a change of consistency will effect the spray a lot, and if you have to make a change do it in the corner not the center of the wall, 

one other tip get a spatula like used in the kitchen to help in cleaning up the hopper and the last of the mud out of the bucket, (your hand works well too) but the spatula is nice.

In our area it is hard to find "texture" mud, and we jsut water down the joint compound, as that is all that is normal carried by the local building yards,


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

thank you very much 'farminghandyman'
I went out today before reading your last tips you posted. Lastnight I found a web site that backs up everything you said and I tried it out. I took an old piece of sheet rock and laid it up by a tree, got everything ready, mid size nozzle, 40 and 60 PSI, mixed some old mud (had been frozen) to a thick paint like consistency loaded the spraying mantis (Lowes brand). Great results at both PSI, between coats I took a 4" knife and cleaned the test S/rock. Thank you all for the help! I am business now.
I will have to do a 'practice wall with a knock down texture next!


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