How To: Popcorn Ceiling Removal in 7 Steps (with Pictures)

Popcorn ceiling was after the thing. However, it has dropped out of type above the last pair of many years or so. Even now, you will typically uncover it in more mature properties. For those hunting to modernize their property, popcorn ceilings are usually a single of the first issues to go. Popcorn ceilings, also named stipple ceilings or acoustic ceilings, have been and are a well-liked ceiling type from the ’60s through the existing, specially in the United States. The ceiling type is practically often vibrant white. Popcorn ceilings cover underlying imperfections or minimal hurt in the drywall and defeat echoes thanks to the irregular surface, making them audio-deadening, a fascinating characteristic in a lot of ceilings.

There are downsides to popcorn ceilings. Older ceilings from the eighties and earlier were usually made employing white asbestos fibers. Damage from impact can trigger these fibers to be unveiled from the ceiling into the air, which can guide to lung injury. Later ceilings use Styrofoam or paper for texture but nonetheless suffer from dust and allergen retention. Popcorn ceilings are almost impossible to thoroughly clean well, and matching texture following a restore work is incredibly difficult in comparison to sleek surfaces.~

Sadly, getting rid of it is not as simple as you’d like. Although the procedure is straightforward, this stuff was not created to occur off effortlessly. You will probably have to operate on it more than a time period of times simply owing to the strain it puts on your shoulders. Under, we have place jointly the easiest and speediest way to eliminate popcorn ceiling.

Asbestos: What You Need to Know

Ahead of continuing, it is essential to know whether or not the popcorn ceiling that will be taken out includes asbestos. If the ceiling was utilized in the nineteen eighties or previously, or there is no certain way to know when it was utilized, the property owner will want an EPA-authorized asbestos examination package.

If the final results of the test reveal no asbestos, exceptional! The task can keep on as a do-it-your self scenario. If the outcomes show there is asbestos, entire cease. Asbestos need to only be taken off by certified professionals owing to the irreversible harm it can do to the respiratory programs of people that inhale it. Do not try to get rid of an asbestos popcorn ceiling as an beginner or on a do-it-oneself foundation.

Tools and Materials

1st things first: Get the equipment and materials necessary to remove the popcorn ceiling securely and with out triggering harm to the drywall beneath. The venture will call for the following:

Ladder

A stepladder is excellent if the ceiling is brief ample and the property owner is tall ample. Get 1 that is secure, easy to stand on for extended periods, and think about having a companion to help hand items up and down and stabilize the ladder if needed. This will make ladder use safer.

If the ceiling is tall adequate, the task might require a bigger utility ladder. Below, a spouse is even more excellent. The ladder will be massive, heavier, and more challenging to go, and likely up and down is more most likely to lead to a fall. For really tall ceilings or massive rooms, moveable scaffolding is ideal. Scaffolding has rolling casters that can be locked in area, is reasonably easy for 1 individual to transfer all around, is effortless and safe to climb owing to increased security and has a large doing work region the place far more resources and materials can be held at hand.

Water Spray Bottle

A spray bottle is optional. Dependent on the type of popcorn ceiling becoming eliminated, the paint or floor changing it, and the scraper becoming utilized, it may assist to moisten the popcorn area ahead of scraping. If spraying is employed, it will be beneficial to have a massive spray bottle with a nozzle that can be set to atomize the drinking water into a good mist.

Drop Cloths

Fall cloths are ideal to go over home furniture or fixtures that can not or will not be moved for the duration of the elimination process.

Plastic Sheets

Get enough plastic sheeting to go over the total floor, partitions, counters, and any other surfaces. Everything still left uncovered will get covered in the scraped-off popcorn!

Painter’s Tape

Use painter’s tape or masking tape to seal down the plastic sheeting so it does not change.

Scraper

The undertaking may demand a few scraping tools. Large scrapers with prolonged handles are fantastic for reaching from the floor or a shorter ladder, which is safer. A putty knife or more compact handheld scraper is ideal for functioning about edges and tiny areas.

Safety Gear

It is very best to dress in goggles and a mask. Ceiling operate requires seeking up at the ceiling, and outdated popcorn ceilings collect dust that will be dislodged alongside with the popcorn particles.

Joint Compound

Also referred to as spackle or DAP, this will be used if the scraping method brings about any divots or dents in the fundamental drywall.

Sander

A sander or sandpaper is essential to even and roughen the area of dried spackle or joint compound after they dry.

Paint Brushes or Rollers

How To: Popcorn Ceiling Removal in 7 Steps (with Pictures)
Image Credit By: Pexels, pixabay

Paintbrushes or rollers will be employed to implement the new ceiling paint or texture.

Painting Tray

Portray trays are used to maintain the new paint or texture prior to application.

Primer

How To: Popcorn Ceiling Removal in 7 Steps (with Pictures)
Image Credit By: Tim Zim, flickr

If the paint or surface changing the popcorn ceiling calls for it, a primer ought to be acquired.

Ceiling Paint

The new ceiling color and/or texture. Make certain to get enough primer and paint to cover the entire ceiling!

How To Remove Popcorn Ceiling (7 Steps)

1. Remove Everything

Your first action is to take away totally everything from the place. When you remove the popcorn ceiling, all the small pellets will end up on the floor. If you have furniture, you are going to be selecting it off the home furniture for several years to appear.

To stay away from cleansing later on, do oneself a favor and remove all of the furniture from the area. If anything is also weighty to be taken off, be positive to protect it in plastic.

How To: Popcorn Ceiling Removal in 7 Steps (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Scott Prokop, Shutterstock

2. Cover the Floor

Next, you will want to protect the ground with one thing that will make the cleanup procedure less difficult afterwards. You can use a canvas drop fabric, which is the professional choice. However, many parts of plastic overlapping are also a good selection. Be sure to tape it jointly to stop the opportunity of leaking, though—you want to eliminate all of the popcorn in a single fell swoop, not be picking it up off the floor for months.


3. Check for Asbestos

If the ceiling was coated prior to 1979, then you need to have it checked for asbestos ahead of continuing. This things can severely mess with your health, but it was utilized widely in building before this time period.

A expert will require to take away the ceiling if it exams good for asbestos.


4. Spray Down the Ceiling

Now that you’ve prepped almost everything, it is time to in fact get to eliminating the popcorn ceiling. Very first, you’ll want to use a transportable hand sprayer to spray down the ceiling with h2o. Only do a tiny part at a time, as you will need to remove it when it is wet. If you spray down the whole ceiling, most of it will dry by the time you get to it.

The popcorn ceiling is really porous, so it will soak up a lot of h2o. Really do not be concerned to definitely soak it.


5. Use a Scrapper

Permit the popcorn ceiling soak up as considerably h2o as attainable. Then, get on a stepladder and commence scraping it off with a scrapper. This is the component that will take the most time and actually make your shoulders burn. Really do not be afraid to just take breaks, as this can be far more demanding than you think.

The popcorn ought to come off very very easily. If it does not, you require to add a lot more drinking water. You could need to use a scrapper with an extension pole if your ceiling is specifically large up.

How To: Popcorn Ceiling Removal in 7 Steps (with Pictures)
Image Credit: ungvar, Shutterstock

6. Sand the Ceiling

After all of the popcorn is off, it is time to sand the ceiling to get rid of any final parts. You will need to use a sanding pole for this objective because you need to achieve all the way to the ceiling.

Be sure to be comprehensive on this action, even if you’re truly just aching to be completed at this position. Leaving any quantity of popcorn on the ceiling can make potential ceiling finishings tough – if not extremely hard.


7. Finish the Ceiling

Now that the popcorn has been taken off from the ceiling, we hugely suggest that you finish it with anything else. Frequently, the original builder only did a really crude task on the drywall underneath the popcorn since you at first couldn’t see it in any case. A lot of men and women have to resolve the drywall underneath the popcorn when they are accomplished removing it, so be ready.

You need to do a skim coat after all drywall repairs have been made. This coat just will help you finish off your ceiling and make the work appear specialist.

You can always add a diverse texture too—there are tons of finishes out there that are popular— and you can also paint your ceiling, which is becoming a lot more and much more stylish.

Conclusion

Removing a popcorn ceiling is most likely more concerned than most folks feel. There is a great deal that goes into this procedure. You will be scraping the popcorn off your ceiling for quite a although, so be prepared for the time determination ahead of you start.

It’ll possibly just take times to take away the popcorn, provided the shoulder exercising that you’ll get. It can be extremely tough perform regardless of how it may appear, so prepare appropriately.

Nonetheless, in the end, you do get a wonderful, clear ceiling, which is completely really worth it. Removing the popcorn isn’t all that complex. It’s just the sheer amount of work that goes into the undertaking that can make it a little bit mind-boggling.

Fortunately, you can simply comply with our measures to make the approach as discomfort-totally free as possible.


Showcased Picture Credit: NC_one, Shutterstock

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