Matching Knockdown texture on a ceiling

[Chuckanut]

OK, I have fixed the leaky shower on the 2nd floor. Now, I have a hole in my 1st floor ceiling that was made to get to the leaking drain pipe.

The hole has been patched with drywall, tape and mud. I will sand it today.

What scares me is how to match the knockdown texture. And having to do it on the ceiling seems tougher than doing it on a wall.

It doesn't have to be an exact match. (I had friends use that bathroom many times who never even noticed the hole!). I think if I come reasonably close most people will never notice it has been patched.

One place offers a knockdown sponge kit for $16. Another guy recommends a spray can of texture.

I would appreciate any suggestions or tips.

 

[COcheesehead]

I have used the spray method on a wall, but in reality unless you do the whole ceiling, it will never really match.
When we built our house, there was an issue on the ceiling and it was repaired by the original contractor and even then, I could always tell where the repair was.

 

[Cobra9777]

I've never done knockdown before. I have used a spray can for orange peel patches and it worked great. I have a ceiling with crows foot texture. I bought the proper brush and practiced on some scrap drywall, but the patch turned out terrible. I'm probably the only one who notices it though.

 

[grasshopper]

That is why MsG has the whole house ceiling done in pickled pine tongue & groove.

 

[Happyrick]

I've used the spray stuff (they make one specific for knock down) and got good results after a couple of practice trys, the key is the paint IMO. Matching the paint to ceilings that were last painted a couple of years ago is a challenge as the new paint never looks the same.

 

[ncbill]

This is why I actually like my popcorn ceilings...

 

[FrankiesGirl]

I just had to do this in a bathroom with a roof leak that finally was noticeable enough to patch.



We have popcorn ceilings and walls. And they are from the 80s so they look real lumpy bumpy and impossible to get exact match to now. Yuck. But I went and bought the small pint of premixed "popcorn ceiling texture" and a small 3-4 inch roller. Scraped of anything loose as far out as I could (hoped to scrape the whole ceiling but it was adheared on REALLY well after about a foot square from the damage).



Then sanded the edges of the stuff that wasn't going anywhere, and took a paper plate and glopped some of the popcorn mix onto it, used a paint scraper to get the glop spread loosely on the ceiling in small sections, then ran the roller gently over to spread it out/knock it down a bit. Rolled in a few different directions to blend. Carried the texture over into the old texture part and rolled it at least 3 feet in all directions to blend.



Left to dry for 48 hours.



Then I used a super duper high cover primer over the entire ceiling. Let that dry 24 hours.



Came back and painted eggshell/semigloss paint over entire ceiling.



Part of me wishes I'd just done the whole ceiling in the glop/spread/roller blend... but no one else has said a peep. You have to really stand there right under the section and stare at it to notice the difference.



But if I did it over again and the ceiling itself wasn't enormous I would roller blend the whole thing, prime and paint.

 

[Choices]

Used the spray on stuff, worked fine. I would go with that as long as rest of ceiling is good; otherwise, wet it down and scrape the whole thing, then prime and paint.

 

[Bamaman]

Try the spray on texture. If the result is not acceptable, get a 2 gallon pump sprayer and put a mixture of water and water softener. Spray it on, let it.soak and scrape off all the mud. Or, tear out the whole ceiling and replace with new drywall and improved lighting. Hanging drywall ceilings is no big deal to a professional sheet rocker.

 

[zinger1457]

I've used the spray can texture (Homax) and have gotten good results. Just used it this weekend on a bathroom remodel and after repainting the room it blends in nicely. Definitely want to practice beforehand, old cardboard boxes work well. The instructions on the can state to wait 1-2 minutes after spraying before knocking down, in my experience it takes a lot more time then that, maybe 7 minutes. If I wait 1-2 minutes it's just too soft and flattens out. Also need to constantly shake the can during use.

 

[samclem]

I've used the spray can texture (Homax) and have gotten good results. Just used it this weekend on a bathroom remodel and after repainting the room it blends in nicely. Definitely want to practice beforehand, old cardboard boxes work well. The instructions on the can state to wait 1-2 minutes after spraying before knocking down, in my experience it takes a lot more time then that, maybe 7 minutes. If I wait 1-2 minutes it's just too soft and flattens out. Also need to constantly shake the can during use.

+1.

Start by:

1) Repeating 10 times to yourself what you said in the OP: It doesn't have to be perfect. You just want it to be better, something you won't be mad about every time you see it.
2) Figure out what it would cost to have somebody else come in--and still not get it right. $150? Okay, remember that.


When you buy the Homax stuff, buy 2 or 3 cans. Sure, it ain't cheap, but remember the $150 you aren't spending on a pro. And you can return anything you don't use. Try different timing and techniques on the cardboard until you are comfortable, then give it a shot on your ceiling. Remember, you can take it off if you aren't happy, you've got plenty of the stuff to try again and again.

I got pretty good results in a repair I did at my MIL's house (bathroom wall, near ceiling). Small tip: Don't touch it with your hands/fingers. It will be tempting to just dab it here or move something there, but use your trowel only. Somehow, your eye/brain can spot a place that was worked with a different tool.

 

[skipro33]

I used spray-on and a really wide blade for striking off and it turned out great. Paint the whole ceiling after applying a good primer and no one but you will ever know.



Another trick would be to install ship lap on the ceiling. Bead board looks good for example. Add a bead board wainscot and viola! Remodeled the whole bathroom for a couple bills.

 

[wmc1000]

I fixed one of my DD's entryway ceiling a few years ago with the spray on texture and it was good enough to pass inspection without anyone noticing.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

The last time I did this repair (years ago), there was a premix product that came in ~ 1/2 gal jugs and a matching screw on consumer grade spray gun.
I bought the mix and sprayed it on with a modified undercoat spray gun that I had on hand. The mix was much thicker than what could come out of a can (like the original finish). With a little practice I achieved a near perfect match.
The key variables are - air pressure, mix viscosity, gun orifice size, distance to surface, and wait time before knockdown as noted above.

 

[Chuckanut]

Thanks for the tips.

After some thought I realized that the majority of people who in the past six months have used the bathroom, never noticed the hole. With that comforting though in mind, I have attempted to texturize the repair myself using some drywall mud and a sponge.

It was a modest success. One can tell patching took place but it sure looks better than a hole in the ceiling or just having a smooth patch. I am sure a professional could do it much better, but at something like 30x the cost of doing it myself.

At some future time I will redo the kitchen and that will probably require a texture guy to do some work. If the bathroom ceiling really bothers me, I will add that to the list at that time.

 

[StephieJean]

DW and I have used the spray orange peel and it has worked great. Practice on a cardboard outside until you have what LOOKs like the right size peel. Get the big can that has the multiple choices of peel. good luck.