How to Paint a Popcorn Ceiling in 4 Easy Steps

Popcorn ceiling was once the trendiest thing in house layout. Even so, it is now out of style for the most component. Consequently, nowadays, the trendiest point to do is get rid of it. Whilst you could do a lot of scraping to get rid of a popcorn ceiling yourself (or spend a person large bucks to do it for you), an alternative alternative is to paint over it.

Not only will this brighten up your house with some new paint, but it’ll also protect some of the popcorny-ness!

Thankfully, this is not hard to do. While you do want to do a bit far more operate than typical when portray, it is not a substantial task.

Before You Begin

Ahead of you start painting, you’ll want to obtain every thing you require and decide on the right paint.

As you may possibly imagine, the paint you use is important to your success. It is a lot more challenging to go over up a textured area with paint than it is to paint a flat surface. Therefore, you’ll need to have to be careful about selecting the ideal paint for your ceiling.

We advise acrylic-latex inside paint for covering up your popcorn ceiling. To prevent mild from bouncing, it is advisable to select a flat or matte option. Nonetheless, semi-gloss or satin is suggested in moisture-prosperous regions, as it can protect the ceiling from decay.

Since you are going to be painting on a textured surface, you will need to have a lot more paint than you’d typically get. Normally, 1 gallon of paint will cover about 250 sq ft of a popcorn ceiling—which is about two times as significantly as you’d typically use.

On leading of the paint, you are going to also need all the standard portray materials, this sort of as a roller. Really do not neglect that you’re painting the ceiling, so a ladder and extension for your roller frame are suggested. In some instances, you will also want a operate gentle, but it depends on how the lights is in your room.

Really don't forget to inventory up on roller addresses, painters’ tape, and brushes before you get started. The final issue you want is to depart the paint to dry ahead of you are all set as you rush out to get supplies you forgot

How to Paint a Popcorn Ceiling

1. Prep the Room

After you’ve collected all your products and picked paint, it’s time to get began with the portray approach. 1st, you’ll need to prep the space you’re preparing on painting. Considering that you’re portray the ceiling, items are a bit different than if you have been painting a wall. You can’t just transfer all the furniture to a single facet of the room—and the ground is in a lot more hazard of acquiring paint spilled on it.

For that reason, it is essential that you do a very good occupation of safeguarding the area and every little thing in it. Take away all the parts of household furniture that you can, like furniture, lamps, and any modest objects. You want as couple of objects in the room as possible—but do not be concerned about shifting that massive piano!

Next, cover the complete floor with plastic sheeting. It need to be at least four-mil thick, but thicker is also fantastic. Use painter’s tape to attach the plastic to the floor and walls. You fundamentally want the entire room (besides the ceiling) to be covered in plastic sheeting.

If there are obstructions on the ceiling (like gentle fixtures), get rid of them if you can. This is where a operate light-weight could come in helpful since you might not have your common lighting.

How to Paint a Popcorn Ceiling in 4 Easy Steps
Image Credit: Popcorn ceiling, Enoch Leung, Wikimedia Commons CC SA 2.0 Generic

2. Clean the Ceiling

Subsequent, you’ll want to clear the ceiling. You really don't want to paint above all the gunk, after all. The ideal way to go about this is to use your vacuum. A shop-vac operates really nicely in this scenario, as properly. You can also use a feather duster to gather all of the dust and other constructed-up gunk.

Get the ceiling as clear as possible, as it will make the job of in fact painting a lot simpler.


3. Prime the Ceiling

Prior to you really paint, you’ll want to primary the ceiling. If you do not, the popcorn will just soak up the paint. Of training course, this will not go over it up in the the very least and it may really cause the popcorn to get hefty and drop off.

As a result, it is definitely necessary that you prime the ceiling—it’s not just “recommended.”


4. Get Painting!

Now that all the prep function is done, it’s time to get portray. You will require to paint the ceiling just like you would any other surface area. Simply roll the roller across the surface carefully to use the paint. You really do not want to saturate the ceiling in paint. Plan on making use of the paint in layers, so do not consider to goop the paint on in the initial go.

After you’re carried out, let the paint dry entirely. Then, apply another coat of paint in the opposite path of the first coat. You want to paint on all sides of the popcorn, so it is a good follow to perform from a number of directions.

Subsequent, enable that coat dry. You may require yet another coat right after the second a single, as it differs a great deal on the paint and ceiling. Merely hold portray until finally you’re satisfied with the job.


5. Clean Up

After you are happy with the occupation, it is time to thoroughly clean up the area. Eliminate all the plastic sheeting and bring the home furniture back again in. Ideally, the paint hasn’t splattered everywhere. But, if it has, it’s time to clean that up as well.

A Note on Asbestos

Numerous more mature houses have popcorn ceilings—and most more mature houses had been created with asbestos. Consequently, popcorn ceilings can have asbestos, which needs to be carefully removed by a expert. If you believe your ceiling may have asbestos, then you will need to call a person regional to take a look at it or purchase a Do-it-yourself kit, which then has to be sent to a lab.

Either way, your health relies on this stage, so it is greatest not to overlook it. If you imagine that your ceiling may possibly have asbestos, it is important that you find specialist support.

How to Paint a Popcorn Ceiling in 4 Easy Steps
Image Credit: NC_1, Shutterstock

Conclusion

1 easy way to protect up a popcorn ceiling is to merely paint over it. If the paint is thick sufficient, then it’ll simply go over up the popcorn on your ceiling. Nevertheless, painting your ceiling is significantly diverse than painting a wall, so make certain you’re up to it prior to you start.

Painting above this texture also needs a bit a lot more paint than typical, so plan appropriately when it arrives to buying the paint and organizing out the expense of the project.

If you comply with our steps meticulously, you will be rid of that popcorn ceiling in no time!


Highlighted Image Credit: Dropped in the Midwest, Shutterstock

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