I recently bought a house, and would like to add a bit of character to the home. I really like the look of knock down texture. I have absolutely no experience in home repair as this is my first home of my own. Everything I have seen since starting to research how to do this, shows or talks about doing this with an unfinished wall. My questions is are there any other steps or things to consider other then the obvious covering the carpet and getting furniture out of the room when wanting to do a large project in a finished House. All the walls are just painted and for the most point my walls are in great shape but have found a few places where looks like where two pieces come together there is a gap, can that be fixed by sanding, taping, then mud and sanding. like how it would be done when being installed? And one last thing my bathroom does have a light texture to the walls looks like it may be sand texture, any thing there need done to prep that wall to knock down?

I know there is a lot there but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

 

Welcome to the forums!

You can texture over painted walls. it's always a good idea to lightly sand them first although any walls with a sheen should have a heavier sanding. Obvioulsy you need to make any/all repairs prior to texturing.

You shouldn't have any problems with knockdown over an orange peel texture but a sand texture would need to be removed for the most part. I's use a broad knife and scrape what I could off and then sand it.

 

Assume you'll be using a hopper gun/compressor to apply your texturing. Be aware it makes a big mess everywhere! Cover the carpet thoroughly and make sure the edges are protected. Shooting walls/ceilings isn't hard, but does take some practice - do some preliminary work on a scrap piece of drywall until you're sure you've got the finish you desire. After texturing the walls/ceiling, you'll want to take a sanding block and lightly smooth the finish so it's not rough to the touch.... and that dust gets "everywhere" - so be sure to turn off your A/C system while sanding. Change the filter a couple of times during the following two weeks...

 

First sand and prepare the walls. open cracks and paper tape to smooth. Fix nail pops with drywall screws. get the walls in slick condition. Sherwin Williams sells a "Texturing Paint" that is great for a knock down look. You can use a 14" drywall knife or better is a larger knife I just saw at Home Depot next to the drywall knifes specifically for knock down (even larger). This is a clean and neat method and is easy.

 

My walls are a mess. Scrapes, bubbling tape, visible nail bumps, un-sanded putty marks...you name it! Even worse, the previous contractor just painted over everything with a glossy white paint!!!!! So I want a sensible fix (besides burning down the house). I'm thinking knock down will do the trick. However, I am concerned that these bubbles and nails will still show. Any suggestions?

 

Welcome to the forums energyemily!

You need to fix the defects in the drywall finishing first! Texture can hide some but it isn't a cure all. The loose tape should be cut out and replaced. sometimes you can get by with cutting a slit in the bubbled tape and re'gluing' it with joint compound. The nails should be knocked back in [or replaced with screws] and remudded. The gloss needs a little sanding before texture. Using a satin/eggshell enamel will also help the wall to look better.