How to Spray a Lace Texture With a Hopper Gun

Lace texture is a popular wall covering that is simply made from drywall mud. It is also referred to as Spanish lace, French lace, knockdown or orange peel. The texture is sprayed onto the wall and then smoothed over with a wide-bladed spatula. The texture helps cover the wall for an interesting visual effect. It adds a layer of protection and soundproofing for the wall as well.

• 1

  Prepare a newly drywalled area with drywall tape and mud until the seams and divots from drywall screws are filled in. Scars will still be visible under the lace texture, so prepare the wall as smoothly as possible. For an older wall that has already been painted, clean and flatten the paint so that any gloss sheen from previous paint will be gone. Rough up the wall with sandpaper or liquid sandpaper. Cleaned any grease or residue from the kitchen walls for the lace to stick.

• 2

  Add water to regular drywall mud and stir with a large paint stirrer until the mud is the consistency of thin pudding. Commercial paint stirrers are attached to an electric drill and make quick work of this messy task. Start with 1 qt. of water to a 5-gallon bucket of mud. Keep adding water until it easily falls from the drywall knife.

• 3

  Fill the hopper according to your manufacturer's instructions and attach the hopper and gun to an air compressor.

• 4

  Adjust the nozzle of the hopper gun for the texture you are applying. For a heavy "popcorn spray", open the nozzle holes wide. For a lighter "orange peel" or "Spanish lace" texture, adjust the nozzle to smaller holes.

• 5

  Adjust the pressure of the air compressor. For a heavy spray, use a lower pressure that will allow more mud to come out of the nozzle. For a lighter texture, use a higher pressure that will force the mud out of the smaller holes in nozzle faster, using less spray. Allow the mud a few minutes to set. It will actually feel warm.

• 6

  Begin the "knockdown" before the mud starts to cool. Do not allow it to get hard. Finish spraying one wall and then "knock down" the points of mud by scraping the wall with a 12-inch mud knife to create a flat, lacy finish.