There is a large ceiling with a knockdown drywall texture. It is very uneven in the size of the high spots, the scene of the paint, the amount of relief, just about everything that could be wrong with a knockdown. The owner wants it corrected. The only way I know to fix this is to skim the whole lid to flat then retexture. This will be expensive and hard n my shoulder. Has anyone had success re spraying and knockdown over previously textured and painted knockdown without making it smooth again?
This will be a paying job and I want it to turn out right.

 

I'm a little confused by your description of the problem.

The last time I ran into a ceiling like I think you're working on I rerocked it with 3/8" sheetrock.

 

This is a remodel done about three years ago. The owners are unhappy, rightly so, with the look of the knockdown. I did a different ceiling for them after they removed the popcorn. Now they want me to fix this one. I can skim this out and mAke it smooth then texture it again. WhAt I want to know is if there is a faster cheaper way. What would happen if I just retextured the ceiling again over the existing without making it smooth first?
The hanging job was good, the taping pretty good. There does seem to be some difference in the texture overhe joints vs. in the field of the sheet. Part of this is new wall board and part of it is old rock that had been stripped of its popcorn.

 

I've re textured over bad texture and made it look better but you know the only way to get it right is to skim coat first

 

Does the situation lend itself to sanding first with something like the Porter Cable rotary drywall sander with HEPA vac? Seal off the room, rent a negative air machine to minimize the dust movement then maybe a light skim and texture.

I know texture is very popular in certain areas but I really have never been happy with the look except for a very, very few plaster textures that I have seen. They always seem to date a house to me and they are always an issue for repairs.

I'm not trying to take away from the skill level of guys doing them, I've seen jobs that showed a real skill level and method of work. I just hate getting the calls to fix them because I always end up doing what I described, sand, skim and then I try talking the people into stopping at that point. If they insist on texture, it gets done.

 

Lid is painted probably with latex. I think I would work less hard skimming it than sanding it. In your all experience what joint compound is easiest to spread? My shoulder will not like this.

 

I agree skim coating would be easier than sanding, especially latex as it will heat up, melt and plug the sandpaper. My drywall experience is primarily doing repairs to help out my painting customer or family and friends - I've never noticed any difference in applying the different types of mud other than thinning slightly really helps.

Any chance of hiring an apprentice to help out?

 

marksr
This is California, I have avoided having employees and the costs and regulations that go with that. This one is either me or another contractor. The owners are great people and I have done other work for them. It is hard to tell them no. Besides, I know I can do a better job. Had they known of me when this job was done I would not be having this conversation now. Maybe they will like this top better when they hear what it will cost to redo it. I actually looked at it before it was painted and saw problems. Painting did not solve the problems. It seldom does. One thing that might have helped in this case is if the original contractor had primed before he sprayed. This would have evened out the suction and maybe, just maybe given him a more even texture.

 

I always preferred working alone and made more money when it was just me but there comes a point when your body starts to protest. Funny thing is when you do good work more folks want to hire you and you can only do so much without help. I don't have a lot of fond memories related to dealing with hired help's problems and all the paper work/expense that goes with having employees

 

Hey tight, do you have a picture of the current texture so we can gauge how much of a pickle you are in? Ceiling work is always tough, but power tools can ease the pain. Can't suggest without a visual though.

 

No, I don't have a picture. I can probably get some when I officially look at and Bid the job but by then I had better know what I intend to do. For imagination's sake just imagine redoing a typical California knockdown with a new knockdown. The condition of the existing does not matter much to the redo. Unless someone who has experience with respraying and knocking down over an existing knockdown wants to chime in. When I did another room after they took off the popcorn I skimmed it and they liked the smooth ceiling. It was not quite good enough to leave smooth but I could have made it so, I guess. They just wanted it textured. They like my knockdown well enough to want to redo the big living room. To give you a little more description of the existing, imagine a lid with a very large variance in the size of the flattened high spots from nickels and quarters to pancakes, also some of the spots are raised more than others, maybe the difference between the high and low spots on some is the thickness of a playing card and some thicker than a dime.

 

If you google typical California knockdown, and go to images, there are literally a ton of pictures of various textures. See if you can pick one that is a close representation that we can use for reference.

https://www.google.com/search?q=typi...w=1024&bih=635

 

I think what TC is saying is the current texture is uneven with both large knockdown splatters and fine ones.