# drywall texture without gun/hopper?



## LS1GUY (Oct 31, 2006)

El Buey said:


> Is there any realistic (and fairly easy) ways to texture new drywall if I have to do it without the help of a hopper gun? Ceilings and/or walls. Thanks for any help. El Buey


Yes, depending on the texture your looking for you can roll on with a paint roller. Different nap sizes will net different textures as will the thickness of the mixture. You could roll on a orange peel type, or the most popular now seem to be knockdown or stomp.

Knockdown would be achieved by roling the texture, "stomping" with a double sided texture brush, then "knocking down" with a knockdown blade or large drywall knife.

Stomp brush would be to roll, then stomp randomly with the brush. 

For best results use actual texture mix that comes in a bag or box as oppesed to watering down joint compound. Follow the instructions on the pkg for mixing water, measure water to box ratio so you can keep it consistant, and last practice on some cheap drywall to get the hang of it. 

The texture, rollers, knifes, and stomp brush can normally be found in the box stores all in the same area


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## El Buey (Jul 31, 2007)

Gracias for the info Andyhd. There are lots of large pieces of drywall I can practice with. I have a choice of 2 types of joint compound. The first comes in a bag and is labled "45"- it's supposed to dry in 45 minutes. The 2nd is premixed, ready to use and comes in a bucket. It seems way too thick for a roller. I live in Central America and options here are sometimes limited. Sounds like mixing my own is the way to go. What type of brush could I substitute for a "stomp" brush, cause I ain't gonna find one here. And what exactly is "stomping"?


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## LS1GUY (Oct 31, 2006)

El Buey said:


> Gracias for the info Andyhd. There are lots of large pieces of drywall I can practice with. I have a choice of 2 types of joint compound. The first comes in a bag and is labled "45"- it's supposed to dry in 45 minutes. The 2nd is premixed, ready to use and comes in a bucket. It seems way too thick for a roller. I live in Central America and options here are sometimes limited. Sounds like mixing my own is the way to go. What type of brush could I substitute for a "stomp" brush, cause I ain't gonna find one here. And what exactly is "stomping"?


You cansee what the different brushes look like here http://www.fantastictools.com/old_site/pages/texture_brushes_rollers.htm

As for stomping, it is the act up "stomping or slapping" the brush in and out or the recently applied compound. Doing that "raises the texture to the shape of the brush allowing you to pattern it or hit it with a knockdown knife. some say stomp some say slap others say brush

I recommend trying to find a bag of texture but I kave used watered down compound with great success before. Use general purpose not 45 or 90 minute, the normal stuff premixed in the bucket will do. Just try to find a way to measure the material maybe by weighing it so you can get the mixture consistant each time. 

You can see some different textures here most if not all can be done by rolling the mixture on

http://www.drywallschool.com/megapack.htm

Good Luck


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## El Buey (Jul 31, 2007)

*Hopper or texture sprayer?*

Thanks again. You have provided me with important essentials to make a go of it. On another note however, can you tell me the difference between a hopper gun and texture sprayer? How difficult is it to master either one. I'm thinking it might be a good investment to buy one next time I'm in the States, bring it down here and either rent it out, or do the job myself. Are they reliable, or do they tend to need parts/repairs? Thanks for any info you can give me. El Buey


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## LS1GUY (Oct 31, 2006)

El Buey said:


> Thanks again. You have provided me with important essentials to make a go of it. On another note however, can you tell me the difference between a hopper gun and texture sprayer? How difficult is it to master either one. I'm thinking it might be a good investment to buy one next time I'm in the States, bring it down here and either rent it out, or do the job myself. Are they reliable, or do they tend to need parts/repairs? Thanks for any info you can give me. El Buey


Not much difference hopper gun has the hopper or tank on top and can get a little heavy. They can be had cheap and are easy to use and very reliable if you keep them clean, there is not much to wear out. I bought one for about $60 and it works great.

a texture setup can run hundreds or thousands or dollars and is really designed to do the same thing at a production level. That would require much more cleaning and would generate a lot of waste. They usually require a large compressor or pump


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## troubleseeker (Sep 25, 2006)

I think it is a lot easier for a beginner to get a decent finish with a hopper gun than with either a roller texture or any of the stomped patterns. There is an awful lot of "experience finese" in these finishes to get them consistent and evenly distributed; not as easy as it looks when you watch a pro doing it.

'orange peel" texture is sprayed, not rolled on.

The important things for even spray application are to be consistant with the mix of every batch, and to move the gun like you do a paint sprayer, staying parallel with the surface, not fanning it with a wide arc of your arm, as this will result in "long" splatters of texture as the angle of the gun flattens out in relation to the ceiling or wall.


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## Handyman50 (Sep 28, 2007)

I have done texturing with a roller. The main thing to remember is that drywall mud does not penetrate the drywall like paint. Therefore, you have to take extra care not to get streaks.

Also, you can purchase aerosol cans of texture. I have used it for patching. However, I know folks who have used it to texture an entire bathroom. It is certainly less messy than a hopper, though somewhat more expensive.


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## El Buey (Jul 31, 2007)

You guys are great! Thanks mucho for your ideas and insight. Any of you planning on visiting Costa Rica in the next month or so? I have this job.... El Buey:wink:


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## Handyman50 (Sep 28, 2007)

De nada, amigo. Sorry I can't accept your kind offer, but I have other plans.

Good luck!


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