Ceiling Texture Application in Calgary, AB — Knockdown, Orange Peel and Stipple That Match

Ceiling texture application in Calgary comes up in two situations. Either you have a flat ceiling and want a texture on it, or you have a textured ceiling with a repair in it that does not match. Calgary Drywall Doctor does both. We spray and hand-apply knockdown, orange peel, and stipple on new and existing ceilings across Calgary, and we match texture into repairs so the patch disappears. We have done this work since 2004 and we still make a test board before every match, because no two sprayed ceilings are the same.

Texture is not just decoration. On a ceiling finished to Level 3, which is most builder ceilings in Calgary, the texture is what hides the joints. Remove it, or patch it badly, and the ceiling shows everything. That is why a good texture match matters as much as the drywall repair underneath it. This service is part of our ceiling repair work. Call 587-417-5252 for a free written quote.

When You Need Ceiling Texture Application

• A repair patch does not match. Water-damage patches, pot-light holes, Poly-B access holes, and old fan locations. The drywall was fixed but the texture around it looks like a bald spot or a blotch. This is the most common call.
• A new ceiling in a room that has texture everywhere else. A basement development or an addition where you want the ceiling to match the rest of the house.
• You want to hide a rough ceiling. Texture covers a Level 3 finish and minor waviness that flat paint would show. It is an honest way to get a decent-looking ceiling without a full Level 5 skim.
• You are re-texturing after removal. You had popcorn taken off and want a lighter knockdown or orange peel instead of flat.
• A ceiling was textured badly. Heavy and light spots, runs, or a different pattern in one corner. We can skim and re-spray.
• New construction or garage ceilings. A sprayed texture is the standard finish on garage and new-build ceilings in Calgary.

Matching is the hard part. A ceiling sprayed 20 years ago with a different hopper, a different compound mix, and a different person on the knife will not match a fresh spray without adjustment. We do the adjusting on a test board, not on your ceiling. For walls, see our texture matching page.

Our Ceiling Texture Application Process

1. Look at the existing texture. We check the pattern size, how heavy it is, how it was knocked down, and whether it has been painted. We photograph it under raking light so we can compare.
2. Written, itemized quote. The scope lists the drywall repair, the texture, priming, and dust control as separate lines.
3. Finish the drywall first. Texture does not hide a bad patch. The repair is taped, coated, sanded, and feathered out before any texture goes on. On a new ceiling, the board is finished to Level 3 or 4 depending on the texture you chose.
4. Mask the room. Spray texture travels. Walls get plastic down to the floor, floors get covered, and fixtures are bagged. On a patch, we mask a wide area around it.
5. Prime the repair. A primed patch takes texture the same way the old painted ceiling did. Skipping this is why many matches look flat and dull in the patch area.
6. Test board. We mix the compound, set the hopper and air pressure, and spray a scrap of drywall. Then we hold it up next to the ceiling. We adjust the mix, the pressure, and the knockdown timing until it matches. Sometimes that is two tries. Sometimes it is six.
7. Apply the texture. Sprayed with a hopper gun on larger areas, or hand-applied with a brush, roller, or knife on small patches where a gun would overspray. We feather the edges into the existing texture so there is no hard line.
8. Knock down, if knockdown. After the spray sets up for a few minutes, a wide knife flattens the peaks. The timing changes the look, so we match it to the test board.
9. Dry, then prime. Fresh texture is primed before paint. On a patch, we prime the patch and recommend painting the full ceiling so the sheen is even.
10. Clean up and walk-through. Plastic down, floors vacuumed, and a look at the ceiling together under the room's normal light.

Ceiling Texture Types We Apply

Knockdown

The most common ceiling texture in Calgary homes built from the 1990s on. Compound is sprayed in splatters, left to set for a few minutes, then flattened with a wide knife so each splatter becomes a soft, flat-topped shape. The look depends on the splatter size and how long it sets before the knife. A light knockdown looks almost like a mottled plaster. A heavy one is bold. Matching knockdown means matching both the spray and the knife timing.

Orange peel

A fine, even splatter that is not knocked down. It looks like the skin of an orange. Common on walls in Calgary, and on ceilings in some builders' homes. It is sprayed finer than knockdown with higher air pressure. Orange peel hides less than knockdown, so the drywall under it needs to be closer to Level 4.

Stipple and popcorn

The older textures. Stipple is compound rolled or brushed into peaks. Popcorn is a sprayed aggregate texture. We can apply new stipple to match an older home, and we can patch popcorn, though most owners of popcorn ceilings want it removed. See popcorn ceiling removal.

Spraying versus hand application

A hopper gun gives an even pattern across a whole ceiling and is the only practical way to do a large area. On a small repair, a gun throws texture well past the patch and makes a bigger masking job. For those, we hand-apply with a brush, sponge, or knife and feather it in. The hand-applied method is slower per square foot but faster on a patch, and it blends better at the edges.

Flat instead

If you are tired of texture altogether, we can take it off and finish the ceiling flat. See knockdown ceiling removal and our drywall finishing page for the finish levels.

Ceiling Texture Application Cost in Calgary

We quote texture work after seeing the ceiling. These are the factors that set the number.

• Area. One patch, one room, or a whole floor.
• Match or new. A new texture on a fresh ceiling is straightforward. Matching into an old ceiling takes test boards and feathering.
• Texture type. Knockdown takes a second step. Fine orange peel needs a flatter base.
• Drywall repair underneath. The patch has to be properly finished before texture. Bigger repairs mean more coats.
• Masking. Spray texture needs the whole room protected. Furnished rooms take longer to set up.
• Ceiling height. Vaulted ceilings and stairwells need scaffolding.
• Painting. Priming is included. Painting the full ceiling afterward is a separate line.

Every quote is written and itemized before any masking goes up.

Why Choose Calgary Drywall Doctor

Texture matching is a skill, and it is the step most repair crews skip or rush. A sprayed patch with no test board is why so many Calgary ceilings have a visible circle around every pot light. We have been spraying and matching ceilings since 2004 and we do not touch your ceiling until the test board matches.

Calgary Drywall Doctor is licensed, WCB-covered, and insured. Every job gets a written, itemized scope before work starts and a written workmanship warranty when it is done. We finish the drywall properly under the texture, we prime before we spray, and we keep the overspray inside the plastic.

Call 587-417-5252 or email info@calgarydrywalldoctor.com for a free written quote. Ceiling texture is part of our ceiling repair service across Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, and Okotoks.