Here is a number of questions and answers about the proper air pressure for spray texturing. The combination will help pretty much anyone who is attempting to spray painting ceilings or walls with texture.
Proper pressure for spray texturing apparatus?
by Chris Vinculado
(San Francisco, ca)
Need to know proper pressure for operating a spray texturing apparatus?
Just need to know proper pressure that I should use in operating a texture spraying apparatus.
Thank you Chris.
Answer
My Response: Chris, the rule of thumb is to run the sprayer at the lowest pressure that will effectively blow the texture onto the ceiling or walls.
Since the pressure required will vary depending on the the piece of equipment and the how thick the texture turns out to be, and this changes almost every time a new batch is mixed, I cannot be specific. There is no one-size fits all in air pressure for texture guns.
You have a regulator on your compressor. Set it for 70 PSI to start, and test the spray. Adjust the pressure down to as low as possible for the material being sprayed and a level that gives a good coating.
Once you have reached the lowest pressure where your spray gives you the texture you want, raise that level by 5 PSI to give you a bit of safety margin for thicker texture in the same batch if it’s not fully mixed.
Setting your air supply up this way will help the compressor efficiency by allowing it to cycle less often, and you will use less energy in compressing air as pressure isn’t being wasted.
Cheers,
Bill

Texturing walls before painting…
by Mike
(Tallahassee, fl)
Going to be texturing walls before painting.
What hp air compressor should I use with a hopper gun for texturing walls and does tank size make a difference (2 gal vs 4 gal)
Answer
My Response: Mike, my home air compressor is a pretty small 1.5 HP unit, and it had trouble with doing stucco.
Yes, tanks size matters, in that you’ll be able to spray a bit longer before the tank is empty with a bigger tank and you have to wait for it to refill. By the same token, it will take longer to fill.
I suspect you won’t be happy with the results if you are using a 3 HP compressor or smaller unless the area to be spraying is quite small and you don’t mind uneven texture. Maybe rent a larger air compressor for the job, if it merits it?
Cheers,
Bill