# When is it dry enough ?



## Willie T

15 - 20 minutes, or until it begins to lose the sheen.

Don't get on it too soon, or it will flatten out way too much.

Getting on it a little late is no big deal. It will just require a lot more pressure to get the 'knockdown' look, and the texture will dry with a tendency to sluff off hundreds of tiny bits of dried edge when you rub your hand over it. This can be quickly fixed by wiping down the dried wall with a clean rag or just dragging a push broom over it.

It doesn't look as good when you let it dry too much before knocking it down, but it is still livable.


----------



## stoner529

JEDI RAIN said:


> After texturing a wall how long should I wait before doing knockdown ?
> 
> JEDI RAIN



It all depends on what you textured over? fresh drywall varies. Sheen is not an issue. It all depends on the look you want. If you want a more slicked out look, then you can knock it down rather fast. If you want the texture to stand off the wall more with some thickness, you have to wait longer. Typically you can look at fresh drywall and you will see a water ring around each glob of mud. the larger that ring gets the more it is ready to be flattened out. If the wall is painted, it could take quite a while. so to say 15- 20 min, that is technically incorrect. it is a look and an art. so you have to know by looking at it and what you want to achieve when it is ready.


----------



## Sir MixAlot

JEDI RAIN said:


> After texturing a wall how long should I wait before doing knockdown ?
> 
> JEDI RAIN


Also, keep the room sealed during and after texturing so the mud doesn't start drying on top.
Because that could drag chunks through the texture when your knocking it down.

-Paul


----------



## stoner529

Sir MixAlot said:


> Also, keep the room sealed during and after texturing so the mud doesn't start drying on top.
> Because that could drag chunks through the texture when your knocking it down.
> 
> -Paul


What paul means is although open air sometimes can be good for knockdown, it is best to not let wind into a room or huge amounts of heat. when the mud dries on top and you pull the knife over it, the dry mud will form little balls, that in my company we call chiggers for some strange reason since that is what i was taught. If this does happen, its best to go back over the knockdown with wet knife (litteraly pour some water on the knife so it is wet" and pull in the opposite direction. Or let it dry like that and sand it down.


----------



## MnDrywallRanger

Sir MixAlot said:


> Also, keep the room sealed during and after texturing so the mud doesn't start drying on top.
> Because that could drag chunks through the texture when your knocking it down.
> 
> -Paul


Excellent point...make sure the heat vents are closed a little while before texturing to prevent uneven setting up before knocking it down. 

I too wait until the sheen is gone or the soaking in ring begins to form around the texture chunks before knocking it down on new drywall....usually 15-20 minutes like what was said.

And yes any prepainted areas may take a much longer time to set up to properly match the rest of the knockdown....seems the higher the gloss the longer the setup time to trowel...:thumbsup:


----------

