Texture hopper gun recommendations?

[Ike]

I have a few small areas on my ceiling I need to re-texture -- probably a total of 10 square feet. I have tried the Homex canned knockdown wall texture and was very disappointed with the results. Each little texture blob is actually an air bubble. Most would pop leaving a miniature moon-like crater that looks nothing like the picture on the can (not surprising). Sanding the texture after it dried did nothing to fix the craters. Neither does flattening the craters with a trowel after they have partially dried.

So, I am considering buying a texture hopper gun like this one:

But before I do, I would like to ask those who have used this type of gun for their recommendations and suggestions. Did it perform as expected? Was it easy or hard to get the desired results? I have a twin cylinder 4 hp 20 gallon belt driven compressor rated at 8.5 cfpm @ 90 psi. From what I can see, this should be enough of a compressor to do the job, right? Thanks for the help.

[Oren]

I have a WALboard brand hopper. You can get pre-mixed texture at the borg (WESTPAC Ready-Spray) in a 3.5 gallon bucket. Using a second empty bucket I thin the material down with water and mix well with a paddle mixer on the drill. The viscosity is similar to "pancake/cake batter".

For the desired results, do some practice before hand on scrap material (or a piece of plywood). Ceilings are a little more difficult due to the angle of the hopper. Also practice with the different sized tips to find the texture size you like.

Always, always clean the hopper/handle and tips well when work is finished. Ensure the o-rings are not damaged or clogged with the texture and allowed to dry.

Your compressor should be fine for this job.

Good luck.

-- Oren

"I didn?t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you."

[Ike]

Oren, thanks for the info and the tips on usage. Your Wal-Board brand seems like a pretty good pick. I like the hopper design because it looks like you can point it up at the ceiling without spilling texture. Here is another very similar brand that comes with seven tips for about the same price:

[Oren]

You will never fill the hopper completely and this also helps with spillage. You arms will get tired, though :)

Check the borg. I paid $59.00 several years ago. Prices seem to have went way up.

-- Oren

"I didn?t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you."