Everything You Wanted to Know About Ceiling Finishes

As best I can tell, the reason it’s called a “knockdown ceiling” is because calling it a “knock-off ceiling” would have been too confusing.

What gets knocked off ” er, knocked down ” is the joint compound that’s first applied to the ceiling, and allowed to partially dry.

According to Wikipedia, “the joint compound will begin to form stalactites as it dries. A trowel is then run over the surface of the drywall, knocking off the stalactites and leaving the mottled finish.”

It’s Not Popcorn . . . It’s Acoustical!”

Knockdown ceilings are distinguished from “flat” and “popcorn” ceilings, the two other most popular ceiling finishes.

At least in some circles, popcorn ceilings have a slight stigma, because they’re cheaper and easier to do than flat ceilings.

Some people (the same ones??) also consider them less aesthetic.

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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