# Knockdown Prime & Paint or Not



## silverstilts

What is the requirements as far as the final finish after a knockdown ceiling does it remain finished at that point or are most seeing it primed and painted after. Here where I live we have never treated it as one done in popcorn but rather always treated it like all finished drywall and made sure that it was primed and painted.


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## Capt-sheetrock

silverstilts said:


> What is the requirements as far as the final finish after a knockdown ceiling does it remain finished at that point or are most seeing it primed and painted after. Here where I live we have never treated it as one done in popcorn but rather always treated it like all finished drywall and made sure that it was primed and painted.


 In North Carolina, it depends on the price and is dissucussed prior to the job. In other words, yes it should be painted, but no-one wants to pay to get it painted, so it gets bid un-painted and left that way.:thumbsup:


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## Workaholic

I don't run into much knockdown but from what I have seen in places like in the South West it gets painted.


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## bkk

The textured sheetrock should be primed before painting just like with walls. If the paper is yellowed after say removing popcorn and retexturing, I use a stainblocking primer first before shooting the topcoat.


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## Mudslinger

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## 2buckcanuck

holy did I start something here silver :thumbup:

I think it will come down to more of a regional thing, In Canada I can tell most guys work for a large dry wall company by their post, It tends to be the norm up here. Even some of the trades guys in the states appear to do the same thing. I'm assuming here, but in general, the higher the population density, the odds increase that there's a few large companies in town. So how ever those large companies operate, will tend to set the trend in that area.

With popcorn for example, (going back 15 years ago) in Toronto , Canada's largest city, Their a very union town. The spray guy would spray the ceilings, then the painter would paint it. Your not suppose to steal the painters work, so that's the main reason they did things that way.

Well here in London, it was a non union town, some would spray then paint, or do the opposite, either way there was no painter involved. Just trying to say that some how, or some way someone sets the trend in a area .Just like some guys say their area is a P&K area, or others say it's a H&T area.

Plus Ive seen guys on DWT say they never see KN done in their area, it' all stomp or something. We never see orange peel in are area, and never would you see any form of texture on the walls, their smooth obsessed around here.

I will ask our spray guy some of the reasons why we paint and then KN around here, I'm sure I answered some of the reasons why. Knowing Jose he will just say it was the way he was taught

Also, our prep for KN maybe different than yours too Silver, were basically a level 3 on the ceilings. We do a nice 10" (though some do 12") one coat on the screws with straight stiff, and the average butt is 24" wide.

I will half to take some pic's of our spray guys work one day, his is nice, plus he's got a good machine too:whistling2:, To be honest, mine and 2buckjr's looks like [email protected] compared to his. But we still get paid for it, that's all that counts:thumbup:


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## chris

*Setting the Trend*

I would think $$ has something to do with the trend also.Just 70 miles away from here you NEVER see any spray (op or kd) but 150 miles you see all sorts of spray.Nobody sprays popcorn anymore right?? Also think Kd is dying off too. Level 5 and smooth hand tex or very light OP ...clean and crisp:thumbsup:


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## Mudslinger

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## chris

Just remodeled a house where Home owners scraped popcorn off didnt do to bad of a job the 2nd time:yesof scraping turned out nice,. Cant believe they still make that stuff:blink:.The stuff does have an acoustical value


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## Workaholic

chris said:


> Just remodeled a house where Home owners scraped popcorn off didnt do to bad of a job the 2nd time:yesof scraping turned out nice,. Cant believe they still make that stuff:blink:.The stuff does have an acoustical value


I blow some popcorn ceilings, I do some insurance work and the insurance companies want it to go back to what was there so scrape prime and reblow.


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## Mudslinger

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## Cratter

2buckcanuck said:


> We do a nice 10" (though some do 12") one coat on the screws with straight stiff, and the average butt is 24" wide.


So if I spray knockdown all I need to do is tape and then run it once with my 10" box (splitting my butt joints), and one coat of stiff blue on the screws and I'm good?

and Here I have been putting another coat on everything for nothing. 

Do you sand it "good"? I usually just scrape the lap marks with a knife and shoot.


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## 2buckcanuck

Cratter said:


> So if I spray knockdown all I need to do is tape and then run it once with my 10" box (splitting my butt joints), and one coat of stiff blue on the screws and I'm good?
> 
> and Here I have been putting another coat on everything for nothing.
> 
> Do you sand it "good"? I usually just scrape the lap marks with a knife and shoot.


Yes basically
were not doing a perfect level 4, put it that way....so...
One coat straight stiff on screws, we split the butts, fill middle then 12" (skim with 12") next day. We trace/ double coat with 10" well wet, so thats the main reason for no 12".

Or another example would be, I don't have a 7 or 8 inch box, but if I did. I would 7" then 10", I would not 12", that would be over kill in my opinion. Think of the KN as being the skim coat. You just got to make things level for KD.

Sanding we will just walk a pole sander along the edges, and look for lift marks, and pay special attention to where butts intersect with the flats.

But, You got to know who's spraying behind you and what their work looks like. If it's your self your all set. But if it's someones work you don't know???? then apply some common sense. We know what we can get away with so........Popcorn is a good example, one guy could use ten bags to spray a house, well another guy would use one bag for the same house .....so I'm just saying, use your own judgement


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## igorson

silverstilts said:


> What is the requirements as far as the final finish after a knockdown ceiling does it remain finished at that point or are most seeing it primed and painted after. Here where I live we have never treated it as one done in popcorn but rather always treated it like all finished drywall and made sure that it was primed and painted.


As long as it stays white and nice you do not have to paint or prime. But if you prime, paint and it is still ugly i am not sure what to do I usually buy CHB from Sherwin Williams which is prime and paint in one for knockdown ceiling:whistling2:
http://1drywall.com


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