texture mud pump free sample

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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 060/052,261 entitled “Mud Pump and Drywall Tape and Texture System,” filed Jul. 11, 1997.

Traditionally, in gypsum wallboard or “drywall” panel installation, sheets of drywall are nailed or screwed in place. Seams between the drywall sheets must be taped over, and the nail or screw heads must be coated with paper tape and mastic material to form a continuous wall surface. Tape and mastic material must also be applied to inside corners to form a complete wall system. The task of applying drywall tape and mastic drywall mud is generally laborious, tedious, and messy. Although inventions have made the task easier, improvement is still needed. One currently available drywall taping tool is the pedestrian mud pan and drywall knife.

With a mud pan and drywall knife, a workman manually applies drywall tape and mud. First, the workman removes a scoop of mud from a bulk container in a mud supply area and places it in the mud pan. This action is repeated until the pan is full. The workman then walks from the mud supply area to the seam that he wishes to tape. The workman then scoops a quantity of mud onto the knife, turns the knife blade towards the wall, and with a series of wiping motions, coats the seam with mud more or less uniformly. After precutting the seam, the workman lays paper tape over the seam and presses it into the mud to achieve tape attachment. He then glides the knife over the tape, forcing mud and air out from behind the tape, and begins to smooth the surface. A first coat of mud is applied to the drywall tape either at the time that the tape is applied or later, depending on the workman"s technique.

After a period of drying, another coat of mud is applied to the tape and dressed with a drywall knife, thus covering the seam with a wider coat of mud. The same steps of walking to the mud supply area, scooping out mud until the pan is full, and then walking back to the work area are repeated.

After a second period of drying, most inexperienced workmen sand the seams before applying a final coat of mud. The final coat of mud requires further walking between the mud supply and the work areas and further scooping and filling of the mud pan as before.

To overcome the drawbacks of manual drywall tape application and finishing tools such as the mud pan and drywall knife, a drywall taping system has been developed by Ames Tool Company (Ames), for example, that includes a manual, lever action, fluid mud pump that fills assorted mud applicator tools. A hand lever on the manual pump is pumped up and down to transfer drywall mud out of a bucket directly into a mud applicator tool. The mud is squirted into a slot in some tools and into other tools though a special fitting.

However, this system still requires walking between the mud supply and work areas, thus wasting time and energy. Only about ninety feet of tape can be applied with the Ames taper tool before a mud refilling is required, while each roll of paper tape is about 500 feet. Only about three to four vertical seams, where each seam is about eight feet long, can be filled with the Ames box tools before more mud is required. Thus, a day"s work requires hundreds of trips between the mud supply and work areas for mud refills with the Ames drywall taping system.

Additionally, each of the tools in the Ames system takes some toll upon the user"s energy. The Ames taper tool is powered by the user forcing a wheel to turn as it contacts the wall at the end of the tool. The Ames box tool requires the operator to forcefully wipe a box of mud on an extended handle. Each of the Ames tools mechanically disgorge drywall mud as the result of human labor. Many tasks in drywall taping are thus prone to repetitive stress injury.

Furthermore, Ames tools require both a reservoir that holds one shot of mud and a device to manually exude the mud on each tool. The Ames system is expensive, heavy, and manually actuated.

The stators tube pump is well known to the drywall industry. This pump has a hollow threaded internal rubber sleeve encompassing a threaded rod. As the rod is turned, fluid drywall material is forced to exit the pump. However, the stators pump requires an electric motor or gas engine to operate and is thus expensive to build. The stators pump is also very inefficient due to friction, so a large power source is required. Therefore, fluid material delivery systems using a stators pump for drywall work are expensive.

It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved drywall taping and texture system using a pump, which obviates for practical purposes, the above mentioned limitations.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a drywall taping and texture system for pumping drywall mastic material from a container filled with the drywall mastic material to a work surface includes a pump housing, an air compressor, a tool for applying the drywall mastic material to the work surface, material and control lines, an inflatable bladder, an air release mechanism, and an airway. The pump housing is immersed in the container filled with the drywall mastic material, and the air compressor is connected to the pump housing. The material and control lines are connected between the pump housing and the tool such that there is material and air flow communication, respectively, therebetween. The bladder is mounted within the pump housing between upper and lower valves for controlling the flow of the drywall mastic material. The airway connects the air compressor, the control line, the bladder, and the air release mechanism, such that there is air flow communication therebetween. When the air release mechanism closes, the bladder inflates such that drywall mastic material in the pump housing is pumped through the upper valve, the material line, and the tool to the work surface. When the air release mechanism opens, the bladder deflates such that drywall mastic material in the container is pumped through the lower valve into the pump housing.

In particular embodiments of the present invention, the tool further includes a button for remotely controlling the air release mechanism. In other embodiments of the present invention, each of the upper and lower valves for controlling the flow of the drywall mastic material includes a seat having an orifice through which the drywall mastic material flows and a member for controlling the flow of the drywall mastic material through the orifice. When the member mates with the seat, a seal is formed to block the flow of the drywall mastic material through the orifice. When the member moves in a direction transverse to the seat, flow of the drywall mastic material through the orifice is allowed. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the pump housing further includes a screen mounted at the bottom thereof for filtering particles out of the drywall mastic material.

A set of drywall mud, tape, and texture application and finishing tools may be attached to and used with the drywall taping and texture system. Such tools include: a tape applicator tool and pneumatic tape cutter attachment for applying muddy drywall tape; a wand tool and a corner tool attachment for placing a bead of mud upon a seam; a mud knife tool for dispensing and dressing coats of mud; a metering mud bead tool; a wall texture spray tool; and an acoustic texture spray tool. A set of adapter parts that allow use of the pump with Ames tools may also be attached to and used with the pump.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a drywall taping and texture system for pumping drywall mastic material from a container filled with the drywall mastic material to a work surface includes a pump housing, a tool for applying the drywall mastic material to the work surface, material and control lines, an inflatable bladder, an inflation sensor, and an air compressor. The pump housing is immersed in the container filled with the drywall mastic material. The material and control lines are connected between the pump housing and the tool such that there is material and air flow communication, respectively, therebetween. The bladder is mounted within the pump housing between upper and lower valves for controlling the flow of the drywall mastic material. The inflation sensor is coupled to the bladder for determining when the bladder is inflated and when the bladder is deflated. The air compressor is mounted within the pump housing and connected to the control line and the bladder such that there is flow communication therebetween. When the inflation sensor determines that the bladder is deflated, the air compressor is activated and the bladder inflates such that drywall mastic material in the pump housing is pumped through the upper valve, the material line, and the tool to the work surface. When the inflation sensor determines that the bladder is inflated, the air compressor is deactivated and the bladder deflates such that drywall mastic material in the container flows through the lower valve into the pump housing.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for pumping a fluid includes a housing, an inflatable bladder, and a means for inflating and deflating the bladder. The bladder is mounted within the housing between upper and lower valves for controlling the flow of the fluid. When the bladder is inflated, the fluid in the housing is pumped through the upper valve and out of the apparatus. When the bladder deflates, the fluid is pumped through the lower valve into the housing.

FIG. 3ais a perspective view of the interior parts of the pump shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3bis a partial cross-sectional view of the interior of the pump shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4aand 4 bare partial cross-sectional views of the interior of the pump illustrating the pump in action. FIG. 4ashows the pump during intake of drywall material, and FIG. 4bshows the pump during exhaust of drywall material.

FIG. 5ais a side, cross-sectional view of a pump cap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5bis a top plan view of the pump cap, and FIG. 5cis a perspective view of the pump cap.

FIGS. 9a-9 care views of an electrical version of the pump in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9ais a partial cross-sectional view of the interior of the pump. FIG. 9bis an exploded perspective view of a solenoid module for controlling the electrical version of the pump. FIG. 9cis an exploded, partial cross-sectional view of an inflation sensor for electronically sensing the condition of the bladder.

FIGS. 18a-18 care views of adapter parts that allow use of the pump with Ames Tool Company"s tools in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18ashows perspective and top plan views of an Ames adapter button. FIG. 18bis a perspective view of an Ames adapter gooseneck. FIG. 18cshows perspective and top plan views of an Ames adapter box filler.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a drywall taping and texture system and a pump. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the drywall taping and texture system utilizes the pump and various tools connected to the pump for applying drywall tape, as well as mastic or fluid drywall mud and texture, to wall surfaces. However, it will be recognized that the pump may be used in other systems and with other fluids, such as oil, gas, or the like.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a drywall taping and texture system using a pump in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The drywall taping and texture system includes a pump 1 immersed in a container of mastic or fluid drywall material 32. The pump 1 is supported in the container by a clip 22. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pump 1 is formed from a generally cylindrical housing 29. The housing 29 is a solid shell with strength to withstand changes in pressure within the pump 1 and to support various parts of the pump 1. The housing 29 may be manufactured from simple drain pipe, which is cut to an appropriate length and then drilled to hold fasteners, such as screws or the like, that penetrate into various parts of the pump 1. The pump 1 has a cap 10, which is attached to the housing 29 using fasteners, such as screws, nails, bolts, or the like. The pump cap 10 has an air stem fitting 13 for connecting to an air compressor 28. The pump cap 10 also has a material line fitting 26 and a control line fitting 27 for connecting a preferably plastic material line or hose 14 and a preferably plastic control line or hose 15, respectively, to the pump 1. The material line 14 and the control line 15 attach at their respective distal ends through another material line fitting 26 and another control line fitting 27, respectively, to a variety of tools, such as a tape applicator tool 200, a wand tool 300, a mud knife tool 400, a mud bead tool 500, a wall texture spray tool 600, and an acoustic texture spray tool 700. The pump 1 can also be attached to a variety of tools manufactured by Ames Tool Company through adapter parts 800, 801, and 802.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pump 1 has an air gauge 24 and a pressure relief valve 25. The pressure relief valve 25 is one type of air release valve or mechanism for releasing air from the drywall taping and texture system, as will be discussed below. In alternative embodiments, the air gauge 24 and the pressure relief valve 25 may be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3aand 3 b, the bottom of the pump 1 has an intake orifice 8 covered with a screen 9. The screen 9 is a barrier to particulate matter that might ruin the drywall finish or plug the tool attached to the pump 10. The mesh size of the screen 9 is large enough to allow passage of acoustic ceiling grains, but small enough to stop larger particles. An user may change the screen 9 to screen mud or to spray acoustic. The screen 9 is positioned over the intake orifice 8 so that all drywall material 32 passes through the screen 9 prior to entering the pump 1.

In preferred embodiments, the pump 1 has upper and lower valves for controlling the flow of the drywall material 32. In preferred embodiments, the valves are check valves that create a one-way flow of the drywall material 32 upward through the pump 1. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3a-4 b, each valve includes a seat 3 or 7 having a orifice 8 through which the drywall material 32 flows and a member 2 or 6 for controlling the flow of the drywall material 32 through the orifice 8. However, in alternative embodiments, the valves may include other components, such as flappers or the like. The lower valve is formed from a lower seat 7 and a lower member or ball 6. The upper valve is formed from an upper seat 3 and an upper member or ball 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lower seat 7 holds the screen 9. The intake orifice 8 in the lower seat 7 has lateral vents so that the pump 1 will not be closed off by contact with the bottom of the container of drywall material 32.

The upper and lower balls 2 and 6 are generally similar. The ball 2 or 6 is preferably made from a heavyweight material, such as iron, lead, or the like, and is covered with a soft rubber or rubber-like material, such as elastomeric material or the like. The rubber or rubber-like material helps the ball 2 or 6 to seal with the seat 3 or 7 when stopping the backwards flow of the drywall material 32. By way of example, the ball 2 or 6 may be a solid material ball with a rubber coating, a rubber ball with a lead shot filling, or a spring-loaded ball. The ball 2 or 6 plugs the seat 3 or 7, respectively, when the drywall material 32 flows backwards, but does not stick in the orifice 8 of the seat 3 or 7. The upper and lower valves thus create a one-way flow of the drywall material 32 upward through the pump 1.

The pump 1 has a bladder 5 mounted within the housing 29 between the upper and lower valves. Referring to FIGS. 3a-4 band 7, the bladder 5 is made from a resilient, rubber or rubber-like material, such as elastomeric material or the like, and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of a material chamber 4 of the pump 1. When inflated, the bladder 5 could be larger than the material chamber 4, but is restrained by the cylinder body pump housing 29. The pump housing 29 allows drywall material 32 to flow around the bladder 5, but restrains the bladder 5 when it reaches the maximum allowable size of the interior of the housing 29. The rubber-like material of the bladder 5 has a plastic memory and will resiliently seek to return to its “normal size” (uninflated).

Each tool has a control mechanism, such as a button, that allows the user to remotely control the pump 1, via the control line 15. In particular, the user utilizes the mechanism to deliver drywall material 32 to the work surface as needed and to control an air release valve or mechanism directly connected to the tool or remotely located on the pump 1. FIGS. 8a-8 eillustrate several types of such air release mechanisms.

Referring to FIGS. 4aand 4 b, when the pump 1 is placed in the container filled with mastic or fluid drywall material 32, drywall material 32 wants to flow into the pump 1 due to gravity. The lower ball 6 is lifted out of the lower seat 7 due to greater pressure outside the pump 1 and lower pressure inside the pump 1. Resistance to the flow of the drywall material 32 from the container into the pump 1 is minor because the lower valve resists flow in the opposite direction. Once the pump 1 is filled with drywall material 32, the bladder 5 is inflated, resulting in positive pressure within the pump 1. This pressure closes the lower valve and also lifts the upper ball 2 out of the upper seat 3, thus forcing drywall material 32 through the material line 14 and the attached tool, and onto the work surface.

Each tool has a button for remotely controlling the pump 1 via the control line 15. When the user presses the button, the release of air at the tool or at the pump 1 is stopped. Pressure builds up in the control line 15 and causes the bladder 5 to inflate, thus forcing drywall material 32 through the upper valve and out of the pump 1, through the material line 14 and the tool, and onto the work surface. After a surge of a certain volume of drywall material 32, the user reduces the air pressure by releasing air at the tool or at the pump 1. The bladder 5 quickly deflates and reduces the volume of the bladder within the pump 1. The resulting partial vacuum formed by the shrinking bladder 5 refills the material chamber 4 of the pump 1 with drywall material 32 through the lower valve. Subsequent inflation of the bladder 5 forces drywall material 32 through the upper valve because space within the material chamber 4 is reduced as the bladder 5 inflates. A surge of drywall material 32 is thus created, which flows out of the pump 1, through the material hose 14 and attached tool, and onto the work surface. When a more continuous flow of drywall material 32 is needed, the user simply needs to continuously hold down the remote control button on the tool, which causes the pressure within the bladder 5 to rise to a preset maximum level.

FIGS. 9a-9 cillustrate an electrical version of the pump 1 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The air compressor 28 is mounted within the pump housing 29 and is connected to the bladder 5. An inflation sensor, which includes a magnet 41 attached to the bladder 5 and a reed switch 42 attached to the housing 29, determines the inflation state of the bladder 5. When the inflation sensor determines that the bladder 5 is deflated, the air compressor 28 is turned on to inflate the bladder 5. When the inflation sensor determines that the bladder 5 is inflated, the air compressor 28 is turned off. The air compressor 28 may be pneumatically controlled with a solenoid module 40 or electrically controlled.

As shown in FIG. 9a, the pump 1 has a secondary exhaust valve at a material exhaust orifice 16, which is connected to the material line fitting 26 and the material line 14. The secondary exhaust valve includes a secondary check ball 19, seat 20, and chamber 21, which support the material line fitting 26. This secondary valve is optional and is only required for some fluid materials.

The set of tools that may be used with the pump 1 includes drywall mud, tape, and texture application and finishing devices. Each tool connects to the material line 14 and the control line 15. Referring to FIGS. 19a-19 e, an universal tool fitting part 900 is provided for use with the tools. This part 900 allows for convenient mass production of the drywall taping and texture system. The universal fitting part 900 is preferably made using an injection molding process. The universal fitting part 900 forms the handle, the material line fitting 901, the control line fitting 902, and the control button 903 on the wand tool 300, the mud knife tool 400, the mud bead tool 500, the wall texture spray tool 600, and the acoustic texture spray tool 700.

Referring to FIGS. 20a-20 c, an universal spray head part 1000 is used with the two spray tools, the wall texture spray tool 600 and the acoustic texture spray tool 700. The universal spray head part 1000, in conjunction with an universal tool fitting part 900 and a short section of PVC pipe, produces the wall texture spray tool 600. The universal spray head part 1000, in conjunction with an universal tool fitting part 900 and a longer section of PVC pipe, produces the acoustic texture spray tool 700.

As shown in FIGS. 10aand 10 b, the tape applicator tool 200 is used to hold, cut, and apply drywall tape and mud. The tool 200 connects to the material line 14 and control line 15 via fittings 201 and 202. The tape applicator tool 200 has a cavity that holds a supply of drywall tape 206 and an area to advance and cut off the tape 204. The tool 200 also has a material line that feeds the drywall material 32 into a wetting chamber as it flows out of the tool 200 onto the work surface. The tool 200 further has a base plate 203 to enclose the tool and a set of tape rollers 207. The tape applicator tool 200 may have a metering wheel to retrieve drywall material 32 from the pump 1 according to the distance that the tool 200 is moved along the work surface. As illustrated in FIGS. 11athrough 11 c, a pneumatic tape cutter 220 may also be added to the tape applicator tool 200 for cutting the drywall tape 206.

Referring to FIGS. 12aand 12 b, the wand tool 300 is used to apply drywall mud to seams. The tool 300 is a hollow, elongated tool with threads 301 on the distal end, material and control line fittings 307 and 308, and a control button 306. When the user covers an air release hole on the button 306, the bladder 5 in the pump 1 inflates and forces drywall material 32 out of the pump 1, through the material line 14 and the tool 300, and onto the work surface. Referring to FIG. 13, a corner tool 320 may be attached to the threaded end 301 of the wand tool 300 via a threaded end 311 of the corner tool 320. The corner tool 320 delivers drywall material 32 into corners through a hole 310. The corner-shaped blades 309 finish the corners as the tool 320 is slid back and forth over the corner seam.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 14b, the mud knife tool 400 is used for dispensing and dressing coats of mud. The tool 400 consists of a broad knife blade 401 and a smaller knife blade 402 mounted next to the broad knife blade 401. The tool also has a handle 404, material and control line fittings 406 and 407, and a control button 405. When the user covers an air release hole on the button 405, the bladder 5 inflates and forces drywall material 32 out of the pump 1, through the material line 14, and to the mud knife tool 400, where the mud valve 403 is activated when the blades 402 and 401 are flexed against the work surface.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15aand 15 b, the mud bead tool 500 is used to measure a distance rolled and to apply a bead of mud for other tools. The tool 500 consists of an elongated hollow body 506, material and control line fittings 501 and 502, a control button 507, and a wheel 503 on the distal end of the tool 500 that is rolled upon the work surface. As the wheel 503 is rolled upon the work surface and the control button 507 is depressed, drywall material 32 flows out of the distal end of the mud bead tool 500. When a radial hole in the wheel 503 is momentarily aligned with a radial hole in a hollow axle 504, air is released, causing the bladder to deflate and drywall material 32 to flow into the pump 1 from the container. The resulting effect is periods of pressurization and quick periods of depressurization. A tape roll holder 506 that supports a roll of drywall tape 206 may be attached to the mud bead tool 500 to form a tape applicator tool. A pneumatic cutter 320 may also be attached to the mud bead tool 500.

In addition to the tools described above, the pump 1 may be used with tools manufactured by the Ames Tool Company. A set of three parts is required to convert the pump 1 to this use. The control line 15 is replaced with an adapter button 800, and the material line 14 is replaced with an adapter gooseneck 801 and an adapter box filler part 802. These parts make the drywall taping and texture system backwards compatible with the Ames Tool Company"s tools.

The cost to texture walls and ceiling is $0.80 to $2.00 per square foot, which is $450 to $1,000 per bedroom and $600 to $1,400 for a living room. Retexturing walls cost $1.80 to $3.80 per square foot, including old texture removal. The cost to smooth textured walls is $1 to $3 per square foot.

Drywall texturing costs depend on the surface prep, texture type, coating thickness, and application method. Most drywall contractors charge a $100 minimum.

The average cost to texture a ceiling is $1 to $2 per square foot. Texturing a drywall ceiling costs $130 to $440 on average for a bedroom or living room, depending on the texture type, application method, and ceiling height.

A knockdown texture ceiling costs $1.00 to $2.50 per square footor $500 to $1,250 for 500 square feet. Knockdown is the most common drywall texture style and is also called California knockdown or splatter drag.

The cost to texture walls is $0.80 to $1.80 per square foot or $280 to $800 for an average bedroom. Texturing one bedroom wall costs $70 to $200. Wall texture rates depend on the height, texture type, coating thickness, and application method.

Smoothing textured walls costs $1 to $3 per square foot on average. The cost to smooth textured walls depends on whether the old texture is removed or covered by a skim coat.

Drywall installation costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, including materials and labor to hang, tape, finish, and texture the drywall. The average cost to tape and mud drywall is $0.35 to $1.10 per square foot, not including sanding or finishing.

Texture coating cost depends on the type and application method. Sprayed textures like knockdown and orange peel cost $0.80 to $1.50 per square foot, including labor and materials. Hand-applied textures cost $1.50 to $2.00 per square foot and require more skill, experience, and time.

Sprayed textures are applied with a pump that uses compressed air to feed drywall mud through a nozzle. The pattern is determined by the nozzle and sprayer type.

Hand textures are more customizable and are applied with a trowel, knife, or brush. Some hand textures require a sprayer to apply a layer of drywall mud before other tools are used to create a pattern.

Textured drywall finishes are created by applying joint compound with a sprayer, trowel, or brush to create a raised pattern on the surface. Texture adds dimension, looks like traditional plaster, and hides the seams and flaws in drywall.

Drywall does not have to be textured. However, a textured surface hides flaws and doesn"t require repairs or repainting as often as a smooth surface. You can paint drywall with or without texture as long as the joints are mudded and the surface is primed first.

A knockdown texture hides flaws, seams, uneven areas, and minor stains on walls or ceilings. Light shining across a smooth surface accentuates the flaws, while a knockdown texture conceals them instead. A heavier layer of knockdown texture hides the most flaws.

Texturing drywall with a sprayed coating takes less than one day for an average home. Hand-applied textures take 1 to 3 days, depending on the texture style and the number of drywall laborers.

Sprayed textures are the easiest to DIY and provide the most forgiving results for inexperienced users. Renting a texture sprayer costs $75 to $95 per day.

One gallon of premixed joint compound—also called drywall mud—covers 50 to 100 square feet of wall or ceiling surface, depending on the texture"s thickness. One pound of powdered joint compound covers 30 to 40 square feet after thinning with water.

Lets say you have a spray job that is out of town, or in the country. You get there finally after an hour of driving and set everything up to spray and discover your side-kick didn"t clean the pump very well after they used it last week. You clean it hoping for the best and notice the spray pressure seems low and pump still cycles when the gun trigger is off. Now what? Try to get a days work out of the pump knowing that is working the sprayer unnecessarily hard? Drive back to town and buy another pump / fluid section? What if they don"t have one in stock? Wait for it to be repaired? Buy a whole new sprayer? Wishing you had that spare pump now?

A popcorn ceiling damaged by unsightly stains or cracks can be patched, but obtaining an exact match of the original texture and ceiling color can be challenging. Popcorn ceiling patch products are available in spray-on aerosol cans or in premixed containers for application with a brush. Thinned drywall compound, which is commonly used to texture new ceilings today, is not recommended for patching popcorn ceiling texture since it contains water, which can cause the existing popcorn texture to come off.

As long as the texture isn’t sagging, flaking, or shedding, a popcorn ceiling can simply be painted to update the look. Begin by brushing off all dust with a super-soft-bristle brush attached to an extension pole. Then apply stain blocking ceiling primer to prevent stains and water spots from bleeding through. When dry, use a thick nap roller or a paint sprayer to apply paint, remembering to get an ample supply to fill all the nooks and crannies.

You can hide a popcorn ceiling by installing rigid foam ceiling tiles, drywall panels, or even wood planking right over the existing texture. Feather-light decorative foam ceiling panels can be installed with adhesive, while drywall and wood must be attached to the ceiling joists with nails or screws. For high ceilings more than 8 feet from the floor, you might want to consider installing a drop ceiling, which involves mounting a metal grid that holds individual ceiling panels a few inches below the existing ceiling.

Unpainted popcorn ceilings are not necessarily difficult to remove, but the process is messy and time-consuming. After spraying the ceiling with water to saturate the texture, which causes it to release, it’s simply a matter of scraping it away with a large putty knife or taping trowel.

If a popcorn ceiling has been painted, water won’t saturate the texture beneath; you’ll need to apply a stripping product. You can find stripping solutions specifically designed to remove painted popcorn ceilings at your local home improvement center or online (view example on Amazon). These solutions, which often come in gel form to reduce drips, can be rolled or brushed on. After giving the solution adequate time to soften the paint and texture, you’ll proceed to scrape both away with a wide trowel.

This tends to be a nasty, dirty, potentially dangerous task, so gear up appropriately: Wear a facemask, eye protection, and old clothing that you can dispose of when the job is done. Keep the texture constantly wet to prevent the distribution of fibers, which can present a health risk if inhaled.

Homeowners intent on hiding ceiling imperfections with subtle popcorn texture are in luck: Today’s popcorn ceilings are asbestos-free and easy to apply with a hopper gun (view example on Amazon), often available for rent at lumberyards and home centers. It comes in dry powder form and is mixed with water per package instructions. To protect from overspray, remove furnishings, drape walls in plastic sheeting, and use a drop cloth on the floor. Popcorn texture comes in standard ceiling-white and, for a uniform look, it’s a good idea to prime the ceiling before spraying it on. The texture is also paintable, so if you want a color other than ceiling-white, plan on painting over the texture after it dries.

The type of material flowing over the shaker and the timing of its arrival are fundamental to the mud logging process. To characterize the lithology and fluid content of a particular interval, the mud logger must account for the transport velocity of the cuttings to determine the time it takes cuttings to travel from the bit to the shaker. This lag time increases as depth increases, taking just a few minutes while the upper section of a well is drilled but extending to several hours in deeper sections. Lag time, a function of depth and mud pump rate, is usually measured in terms of pump strokes, which are counted by a pump stroke counter at the mud logger"s console.

Inside the logging unit, the mud logger rinses and dries cuttings samples before examining them under a binocular microscope. The mud logger describes each sample in terms of lithology, color, grain size, shape, sorting, porosity, texture and other characteristics relevant to rock type. This information is plotted in the lithology column of the mud log, which displays an estimate of gross lithology as a percentage of cuttings, reported in 10% increments. Because the presence of hydrocarbons may not be obvious—even under a microscope—each sample is examined for fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) light.

To measure gas, the mud logger relies on an automated gas detection system. Suction lines transport a constant stream of air and gas from the gas trap, located at the shale shaker, to the logging unit. There, sensitive instruments process the gas samples extracted from the drilling mud. The primary gas measurement tool is a flame ionization detector (FID), which can sense hydrocarbon gas concentrations as low as 5 parts per million. From FID measurements, a total gas curve can be plotted on the mud log. Background gas—a more or less constant, minimum level of gas—establishes a baseline on the total gas plot. A gas show is any significant increase in detected gas, which is usually associated with a zone of increased porosity or permeability.

For more detailed hydrocarbon analysis during shows, the mud logger employs a gas chromatograph. The chromatograph separates the gas stream into fractions according to molecular weight. Commonly detected components fall within the alkane group: methane [CH4]—denoted as C1—as well as the following constituents: ethane [C2H6] or C2, propane [C3H8] or C3, the normal and isopolymers of butane [C4H10] or nC4 and iC4 and pentane [C5H12] or nC5 and iC5. The measurement of these light hydrocarbons helps geologists characterize reservoir fluid composition while drilling. The quantity of gas recovered and the ratios of the various gases are useful in identifying zones of producible oil or gas.

Gas monitoring is also important to the driller and company representative. Mud gas trends that develop while drilling are integral to the evaluation of mud balance and identification of potentially overpressured formations. By carefully tracking gas and drilling parameters, the mud logger can recognize deviations from normal trends and give advanced warning so the driller can mitigate impending problems. Thus, the success of a well and the safety of the drilling operation may hinge on how quickly a mud logger can synthesize and interpret myriad pieces of data.

A sensor mounted on the drawworks tracks the drill rate, or rate of penetration (ROP), to determine the amount of time spent drilling each meter or foot of depth. The mud logger"s role takes on added importance when a drilling break, or significant increase in ROP, is encountered. Then the mud logger alerts the company representative to request that drilling be stopped until mud and cuttings from the bit face can be circulated to the surface. If these cuttings are accompanied by an increase in gas, or if sample analysis reveals the presence of oil, the mud logger notifies the company representative and geologist of a show of gas or oil. The operator then has the option to further evaluate the potential pay zone through coring or testing.

The mud log serves a variety of functions (Figure 2). The ROP curve is plotted as a step chart or a continuous line, increasing from right to left. When displayed in this manner, the ROP curve responds to changes in rock type or porosity in a manner similar to that of a spontaneous potential or gamma ray curve, making for easy correlation between LWD or wireline curves. As a correlation tool, the mud log"s ROP and total gas curves often exhibit a remark-able correspondence to gamma ray and resistivity curves, respectively. Throughout the drilling process, mud logs provide real-time correlations with logs from offset wells and help the operator track the bit"s position in relation to target formations. Because the mud log is based on physical samples, it can provide a direct, positive identification of lithology and indication of hydrocarbon content. This information can be especially useful when formation characteristics make wireline or LWD log interpretation complicated or ambiguous. The mud log provides independent evidence for a more comprehensive understanding of reservoir conditions and geology.

Cameron mud pumps provide superior performance for your onshore or offshore applications. Built on more than 40 years of experience and the successful WH-Series mud pump design, these improved pumps are constructed with premium components to ensure low total cost of ownership and increased reliability.