Remove a Popcorn Textured Ceiling

Better put on your comfortable work clothes - it's going to get messy. For starters, you'll want to move as much stuff out of the room as you can. Ideally an empty room will make things easier down the line. If that's not possible, you'll need plastic sheeting to cover the remaining furniture. You will have to put plastic down on carpeted or wood floors as well, and though a tile floor can get wet and messy and still clean up nicely, it will be less cleanup if you cover it as well.

If you plan on painting the walls, covering them won't be such a big deal, but if not, plastic sheeting taped on them is a good idea too. You can drape one wall at a time, as you'll be working in small sections, so you can reuse the same piece of plastic. It's best to use painter's tape (the blue stuff) so you don't end up pulling paint off the wall (definitely defeats the purpose of not having to repaint!)

In the 1970's popcorn ceilings were the rage with builders. Easily sprayed on, they covered any imperfections in the draywall installation in terms of the original mudding and taping, so the ceiling did not have to have a perfect finish before completing. That being said, not all spray-on "popcorn" ceilings contain asbestos. To know for sure, submit "popcorn" samples for laboratory analysis. Cost is minimal. Laboratories are listed in the yellow pages under "Asbestos - Consulting and Testing."

To obtain a sample, use a spray bottle to thoroughly wet three or four small ceiling areas with water mixed with a few drops of liquid detergent. Using a putty knife, take a composite sample by carefully scraping about one square inch of "popcorn" from each area into a zip-lock plastic bag.

Important! If there is any asbestos, experts recommend you do not try to remove the popcorn yourself. Either have it removed professionally or cover it with a new drywall ceiling.

1. Plastic Spray Bottle or Garden Sprayer
2. A 6" putty knife (metal or plastic). I actually prefer to have several different size putty knives on hand. If you use metal you may want to round off the corners to keep from gouging the drywall - or my favorite and number 1 recommendation - a Homax textured ceiling scraper - more on this item below
3. A ladder
4. A damp cloth
5. Safety glasses to keep the dust and debris from getting into your eyes
6. A mask so you don't breathe this stuff
7. Premixed drywall mud/ Joint compound
8. A sanding pad, preferably one you can attach to a threaded pole
9. A Paint Edger
10. A paint roller that will also attach to a threaded pole
11. Primer Paint
12. Ceiling Paint

Ok, Here goes. Get up on th ladder, and starting in a corner, six inches or so from the wall, using your spray bottle filled with warm water, moisten about a 2 foot square area of the ceiling. Now is when you have to do some testing and trial and error. Wait 10-15 minutes for the water to soften the ceiling texture and help to break down the adhesive. Then gently take your scraper and see if it starts to come off. You will have to judge whether you need more water, or just more time for it to soak in. Be aware that you don't want the popcorn ceiling to absorb too much water which could damage the paper coating on the drywall underneath.

Once you become comfortable with the timing and scraping you can get a system down of sraying one area, and then going back to scrape an area that is already moistened, and work ing alternating sections. You can also experiment with different width scrapers to see what you are comfortable with. As you work closer to the edge of the ceiling, you will probably want to use a smaller scraper. Remember, this is a learning experience! You will be a pro by the time you finish your first ceiling.

I highly recommend the Homax ceiling scraper I show below from Amazon.com. You can attach one of those plastic grocery store bags with clips and it will catch (the majority of) the scraped residue. As it fills, or gets too heavy, you just keep changing out the bags!

The worst is over, and you've probably cleaned up most of the mess. Your ceiling will look something like this photo. Time for the finishing touches.
Using a couple different size putty knives (again, you will have to see which ones work best for you) start patching any flaws in the ceiling. This will include any rips or gouges you made in your scraping process as well as any depressions in the drywall where the drywall screws were used for installation.

Apply the "mud" sparingly. You may have to use a couple thin coats rather than one thick one. A thick coat will take longer to dry and may also crack. Sand in between coats. You may only have to hand sand your repaired spots, or depending on the condition of the drywall, you may want to lightly sand the whole ceiling and a pole sander. In any case I recommend using 220 grit sandpaper.

You are now ready to paint. It's best to prime it first with a good quality water base primer like KILZ. I suggest cutting in the edges of the ceiling first. Try using a paint pad with rollers on the side. It will make that edging job a breeze. Then roll on your primer for the rest of the ceiling. Once everything is dry, repeat these 2 steps using ceiling paint.

Now you just have to clean up and put everything back in place.

Congratulations! A job well done! Now you can stand back (or lie on your back) and admire your work.


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