Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Sean loved the old house; the only thing that bothered him was the popcorn ceiling that had become yellow with age. He wanted to have it removed but knew that he would have to convince his parents about it first. To do this, he took them to a home improvement store nearby where the attendant showed them the new ceiling treatments that were available in the market. The next day Sean could hear his parents talking in their room in hushed tones. As he sat to eat his breakfast, his mother entered and put the brochure on the table and said "This is what your father and I would like in place of the popcorn ceiling, I hope you like it too? If you don’t, you can decide what will look good!"

Popcorn Ceiling - What is a it?

Basically, popcorn ceiling is a term that is used for a spray-on or paint-on acoustic treatment that was often used in American residential construction in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The popcorn ceiling has a cottage cheese texture and was previously used to cover poor workmanship in the attachment and taping of the drywall and also helped eliminate reflected sound and echoes. It was in the late 1970’s that asbestos was banned which also affected popcorn ceilings as they contained asbestos.

Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Some of the things you will require to remove a popcorn ceiling are:

• Some Drywall Sandpaper
• A Few Dry Cloths
• Some Clear Plastic Sheeting
• A Joint Knife
• Some Drywall Joint Compound
• A Spray Bottle Filled With Water

The steps that will help you remove the popcorn ceiling have been listed below:

• First of all remove all the furniture from the room and then place plastic or drop cloths on the floor. This is done in order to protect the floor and catch the mess.
• Now remove all the light fixtures (especially the ones on the ceiling). Tape the ones on the floor too, to ensure that water does not drip into them. Following this step will ensure that there is no accidental damage.
• Now set up a ladder exactly where you want to begin the work and using the sprayer, spray water on parts of the ceiling. Wet the area again if the popcorn ceiling is difficult to remove.
• Once that is done, select a drywall joint knife of the broadest width and use it to scrape the ceiling.
• Keep on with this action until you have removed all the texture.
• To end the process, wait for the ceilings to dry and then sand the entire area using a sheet of medium-grit sandpaper. Use a fine-grit drywall sandpaper for the second sanding.
• After you have proceeded with all the steps, inspect the ceiling closely and fill any gouges or rough spots with drywall joint compound. Allow the compound to dry before sandpapering.

After you have removed the popcorn ceiling you can opt for other home improvement options available.

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Tips

• If your ceiling is more than 20 years and you feel that there may be asbestos in it, remember to test your ceiling. To do this, you can send a small sample to an EPA certified testing lab. Wait for the results before beginning the project because it is advisable to ask a certified asbestos removal contractor to remove the ceiling in the presence of asbestos.
• While removing the popcorn ceiling, wear some old clothes, a hat, goggles and a dust mask.
• In case you are planning to re-texture the ceiling, you need not implement the final phase of the steps.