# What is this finish Called



## schneiderdad

I found this finish on the walls in many of the homes I visited in Whitefish Montana. Can anybody tell me what this finish is called and how this finish is achieved. It looks so sharp and I want to learn how to achieve this finish. I have researched this extensively and the closest term I could find is imperfect smooth. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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## 2buckcanuck

Do you got a better pic, looks like a failed knock down to me:blink:

But Checkers and slimpickens are from Montana, they can tell you, slim talks about skip trowel a lot so........ maybe it is that ???????


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## schneiderdad

*Here is another Picture*

Here is another picture I found on the internet. Its not a knockdown??


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## 2buckcanuck

Your first pic does look Like a failed knock down to me, but not sure, I'm not the biggest expert on the ceiling stuff, there are others that are much smarter with the ceiling stuff than me on this site. You just half to be patient, give it 24 hours and someone will have a proper answer for you. It's Sunday night, so not as busy on here:thumbsup:


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## Checkers

It's flat skip trowel, imperfect smooth, Sun Valley smooth, santa fe, or mock plaster.
Looks great faux finished!
Mix your mud at angle box consistency, dip your twelve in your pan, clean back side, drag blade flat along the wall and smooth while still wet.


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## alltex

i,d say it looks like alot of work


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## SlimPickins

Like Checkers said, imperfect smooth, santa fe (although I believe santa fe has more trowel marks), tuscan, rustic (that's my name for it when I add Ultra-fill as an aggregate). Call it whatever will sell it to the client, and be prepared to do some work mo-fro...It's basically a full coverage skip trowel, with strategically placed pockets. 
I mix mine near the consistency of taping mud (little thicker so it will stay on the hawk), unload my hawk on the wall with the trowel, do it again, and then depending on the clients wish go back over it as it's taking up. I do NOT like sanding this texture, and will only do so if necessary.

If you're a good enough finisher, you can skip sanding (and some guys....not me....don't even skim the angles) before texture.


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## SlimPickins

schneiderdad said:


> Here is another picture I found on the internet. Its not a knockdown??


By the way, the guy you're advertising for here thanks you!


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## chris

Sun Valley Smooth is what I call it. That is the most popular texture we do. Mix mud real soupy (I pour it into pan) use 12" knife to apply,do about 4 sheets at a time (200') then kd or smoothe out leaving small holidays here and there. We will sand when dry. If angles are done proper you can stay out of angle when texturing (couple inches) then you dont have to do all that detail angle sanding:thumbsup:. There are some pics of it in my photos if youd like to see brfore painted


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## chris

heres one , just learnt how to copy and paste... What a way to start a Monday


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## SlimPickins

chris said:


> Sun Valley Smooth is what I call it. That is the most popular texture we do. Mix mud real soupy (I pour it into pan) use 12" knife to apply,do about 2 sheets at a time (200') then kd or smoothe out leaving small holidays here and there. We will sand when dry. If angles are done proper you can stay out of angle when texturing (couple inches) then you dont have to do all that detail angle sanding:thumbsup:. There are some pics of it in my photos if youd like to see brfore painted


Chris- have you tried going back over it with a flexy pool trowel or a nice veneer trowel (during initial set)? You can work out 95% of trowel marks and then only need a detail sand when dry.

I used to do a thorough sand, but this technique works much better. Also, the aggregate added texture can't be sanded so I've had to tune up my approach

As far as popularity of this texture class....the only time I'm doing a different texture is when I have to match something in the rest of the house. All my new construction has been this or a hybrid of it. Even the American Clay has this look.....hopefully people around here are done with things like "slap" and knockdown:thumbsup:


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