# Knockdown over knockdown?



## Stimulus21 (May 7, 2016)

Doing a floor for a customer and they threw a curveball my way. They have a ceiling they did a knockdown texture on and painted a semi gloss. Not a huge area and not exposed to much sunlight. They want it retextured and knocked down again but didn't know what to do so they primed it with zinsser 123 primer and want me to continue. It's in good shape as well they just knocked it down too wet and smeared most of it. I can do a knockdown but have never had to start from this spot. They're kinda insisting I spray over the primer but I'm almost sure a skim coat would be best. Any advice?


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Ya stick with what you know and tell them to go argue with another contractor on how it should be done.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

I'd skim it first since it's not a large area. I prefer spraying knockdown over new drywall or a skim coated ceiling. I like the way it knocks down this way. :thumbup:










Although it is perfectly fine to spray over that primer too. What I don't like about spraying knockdown texture over a primed surface is that the texture has to start setting up from the top instead of absorbing into the joint compound or drywall paper from the bottom. Resulting in "the knocked it down to wet look..." :blink:

Maybe that's what happened the first go round with the knockdown texture. :whistling


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

I guess they know what they want but I'm just curious as to why they wanted to re-knockdown something that was already knocked down.

If I ever had to fix or redo a knockdown surface, I'd probably skim coat it to even it out as best as I could without trying to make it perfectly smooth. Then I'd do it from scratch as if it was the first time.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

I would absolutely coat that first. Give yourself a new canvas and X2 on the absorption situation Paul mentioned.


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## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Sir Mixalot said:


> I'd skim it first since it's not a large area. I prefer spraying knockdown over new drywall or a skim coated ceiling. I like the way it knocks down this way. :thumbup:


When I first started trying my hand at spraying knockdown everything I read said to prime first. After doing a bunch I found that I had better luck just spraying fresh drywall, the knockdown worked a lot better. So usually skip the priming and just start spraying texture.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Heavy skim. Sand. New knockdown. 

Only one way.......The right way. :thumbsup:


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