Popcorn ceilings were all the craze back within the ’60s and ’70s. Applying the feel to drywall and plaster ceilings was a fast and straightforward thanks to hide imperfections and didn’t require any painting afterward. But the rough texture catches many dust and cobwebs and it are often difficult to understand the way to remove popcorn ceiling. It are often a true pain to match if you’ve got cracks or holes in need of patching. deciding the way to remove a popcorn ceiling texture from a ceiling may be a messy chore but well worth the effort if the substrate underneath is in fine condition . Here are some tips to require a number of the pain out of popcorn ceiling removal.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we could also be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you purchase something through our links. Ratings and costs are accurate and items are available as of your time of publication.

Do a Scrape Test

Before you attend all the difficulty of prepping the space , try scraping alittle area while learning the way to remove popcorn ceiling. Try it dry first, then dampen the feel with water and check out again. Some texture comes off easily without water, but in most cases wetting is best. If the water doesn’t soak in and soften the feel , the ceiling has probably been painted or paint was added to the feel mix. therein case, wetting the ceiling might not help, and you’ll need to decide whether you would like to tackle a very tough scraping job or choose differently to cover your popcorn ceiling.

Test for Asbestos

Any popcorn ceiling installed before 1980 might contain asbestos—a known explanation for carcinoma . Before trying to work out the way to remove any popcorn ceiling texture, contact your local health department and ask about getting a sample tested. So you’re wondering the way to remove a popcorn ceiling with asbestos? If the test comes back positive, cover the popcorn with new drywall or tongue-and-groove planks, or hire an abatement of a nuisance contractor to assist in removing popcorn ceiling.

Prep for an enormous Mess

Cover floors and walls with plastic drop cloths as you start your the way to remove popcorn ceiling project. Don’t use canvas drop cloths because water can sop . Cleanup is simpler with plastic too, because you’ll just ball it all up when you’re done working and throw it within the trash. Leave the plastic in situ after popcorn ceiling removal to catch the mess you’ll make repairing and sanding the ceiling later.

Get the Furniture Out

If possible, remove all furniture from the space you’ll be working in. When learning the way to remove popcorn ceiling, it’s messy work, and you won’t want furniture in your way whenever you progress the ladder around. If moving everything out of the space isn’t possible, cluster it and canopy it with drop cloths.

Remove Ceiling Fixtures and Fans

You might think it’s easier to go away lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in situ as you work out the way to remove popcorn ceiling, but they’ll just be in your way and obtain covered with wet popcorn. Plus, you don’t want to accidentally spray water into an electrical fixture.

Protect Can Lights From Water Spray

If you’ve got recessed “can” lights, stuff newspaper or rosin paper inside them to stay them dry when completing a the way to remove popcorn ceilings project. Also, confirm the facility to those fixtures is turned off at the breaker panel or fuse box.

Wet it With a Pump Sprayer

For easier scraping and practically no dust during popcorn ceiling removal, use a garden pump sprayer to mist the ceiling and let it soak certain about quarter-hour before scraping. Only provides it a light-weight misting—too much water could damage the drywall or loosen the joint tape. If the feel hasn’t softened after quarter-hour approximately , spray it again and wait another 10 to fifteen minutes.

If the feel still hasn’t softened, it’d be painted, or paint may need been mixed into the feel before application. In either case, water won’t easily penetrate. If the feel is painted, you would possibly be ready to dry-scrape it first to show a number of the unpainted texture and follow up with wet scraping. If the feel has paint mixed in, you would possibly need to dry-scrape the entire ceiling or cover it up with drywall or T&G boards.

Cover Electrical Boxes

Shut off the facility to any electrical junction boxes within the ceiling and canopy them with painter’s tape to stay the wiring dry when spraying water on the popcorn as you complete a the way to remove popcorn ceilings project. Overlap the edges of the junction box with the tape, then trim round the perimeter with a utility knife, being careful to not nick the wires.

Work in Small Sections

Only spray and scrape alittle area at a time—about 4 x 4 ft. If you’re employed overlarge of a neighborhood directly , the popcorn might dry before you’ve got time to scrape it off. If that happens, respray the world and wait another 10 to fifteen minutes before scraping.

Tame the Mess With a Mud Pan

Use a mud pan—the kind for holding joint compound—to catch the wet popcorn before it hits the ground . That way, you’re not tracking it everywhere the place once you walk and move the ladder around. Also, use the sting of the pan to wash off your scraper when it gets loaded up with wet popcorn.

Prevent Gouging

Round off the corners of your popcorn scraper—whether it’s a good spatula or drywall taping knife—so it won’t gouge the ceiling and leave you with dozens of ceiling wounds to repair. Use a file, a sander or an electrical grinder to try to to this.

Smooth After Scraping

Scraping alone won’t leave you with a paint-ready ceiling. You’ll probably have small dings and gouges to repair . At a minimum, you’ll need to sand the ceiling to urge it perfectly smooth before painting.

Popcorn ceilings were all the craze back within the ’60s and ’70s. Applying the feel to drywall and plaster ceilings was a fast and straightforward thanks to hide imperfections and didn’t require any painting afterward. But the rough texture catches many dust and cobwebs and it are often difficult to understand the way to remove popcorn ceiling. It are often a true pain to match if you’ve got cracks or holes in need of patching. deciding the way to remove a popcorn ceiling texture from a ceiling may be a messy chore but well worth the effort if the substrate underneath is in fine condition . Here are some tips to require a number of the pain out of popcorn ceiling removal.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we could also be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you purchase something through our links. Ratings and costs are accurate and items are available as of your time of publication.

Do a Scrape Test

Before you attend all the difficulty of prepping the space , try scraping alittle area while learning the way to remove popcorn ceiling. Try it dry first, then dampen the feel with water and check out again. Some texture comes off easily without water, but in most cases wetting is best. If the water doesn’t soak in and soften the feel , the ceiling has probably been painted or paint was added to the feel mix. therein case, wetting the ceiling might not help, and you’ll need to decide whether you would like to tackle a very tough scraping job or choose differently to cover your popcorn ceiling.

Test for Asbestos

Any popcorn ceiling installed before 1980 might contain asbestos—a known explanation for carcinoma . Before trying to work out the way to remove any popcorn ceiling texture, contact your local health department and ask about getting a sample tested. So you’re wondering the way to remove a popcorn ceiling with asbestos? If the test comes back positive, cover the popcorn with new drywall or tongue-and-groove planks, or hire an abatement of a nuisance contractor to assist in removing popcorn ceiling.

Prep for an enormous Mess

Cover floors and walls with plastic drop cloths as you start your the way to remove popcorn ceiling project. Don’t use canvas drop cloths because water can sop . Cleanup is simpler with plastic too, because you’ll just ball it all up when you’re done working and throw it within the trash. Leave the plastic in situ after popcorn ceiling removal to catch the mess you’ll make repairing and sanding the ceiling later.

Get the Furniture Out

If possible, remove all furniture from the space you’ll be working in. When learning the way to remove popcorn ceiling, it’s messy work, and you won’t want furniture in your way whenever you progress the ladder around. If moving everything out of the space isn’t possible, cluster it and canopy it with drop cloths.

Remove Ceiling Fixtures and Fans

You might think it’s easier to go away lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in situ as you work out the way to remove popcorn ceiling, but they’ll just be in your way and obtain covered with wet popcorn. Plus, you don’t want to accidentally spray water into an electrical fixture.

Protect Can Lights From Water Spray

If you’ve got recessed “can” lights, stuff newspaper or rosin paper inside them to stay them dry when completing a the way to remove popcorn ceilings project. Also, confirm the facility to those fixtures is turned off at the breaker panel or fuse box.

Wet it With a Pump Sprayer

For easier scraping and practically no dust during popcorn ceiling removal, use a garden pump sprayer to mist the ceiling and let it soak certain about quarter-hour before scraping. Only provides it a light-weight misting—too much water could damage the drywall or loosen the joint tape. If the feel hasn’t softened after quarter-hour approximately , spray it again and wait another 10 to fifteen minutes.

If the feel still hasn’t softened, it’d be painted, or paint may need been mixed into the feel before application. In either case, water won’t easily penetrate. If the feel is painted, you would possibly be ready to dry-scrape it first to show a number of the unpainted texture and follow up with wet scraping. If the feel has paint mixed in, you would possibly need to dry-scrape the entire ceiling or cover it up with drywall or T&G boards.

Cover Electrical Boxes

Shut off the facility to any electrical junction boxes within the ceiling and canopy them with painter’s tape to stay the wiring dry when spraying water on the popcorn as you complete a the way to remove popcorn ceilings project. Overlap the edges of the junction box with the tape, then trim round the perimeter with a utility knife, being careful to not nick the wires.

Work in Small Sections

Only spray and scrape alittle area at a time—about 4 x 4 ft. If you’re employed overlarge of a neighborhood directly , the popcorn might dry before you’ve got time to scrape it off. If that happens, respray the world and wait another 10 to fifteen minutes before scraping.

Tame the Mess With a Mud Pan

Use a mud pan—the kind for holding joint compound—to catch the wet popcorn before it hits the ground . That way, you’re not tracking it everywhere the place once you walk and move the ladder around. Also, use the sting of the pan to wash off your scraper when it gets loaded up with wet popcorn.

Prevent Gouging

Round off the corners of your popcorn scraper—whether it’s a good spatula or drywall taping knife—so it won’t gouge the ceiling and leave you with dozens of ceiling wounds to repair. Use a file, a sander or an electrical grinder to try to to this.

Smooth After Scraping

Scraping alone won’t leave you with a paint-ready ceiling. You’ll probably have small dings and gouges to repair . At a minimum, you’ll need to sand the ceiling to urge it perfectly smooth before painting.