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By Elizabeth Stamp and Yelena Moroz Alpert
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If you find yourself staring upward, wondering how to remove popcorn ceilings, you are not alone. The dated eyesore—also known as acoustic ceilings, stucco ceilings, or, worst of all, cottage cheese ceilings—was standard practice in the 1950s and 1960s.
A popcorn ceiling in action
Builders installed the textured treatment to help absorb sound from above or cover up imperfections. Skip some steps (like painting the finished surface) and save money, they said. But like many what-were-they-thinking trends, the popcorn ceiling has fallen out of favor and today’s homeowners are looking for DIY ways to remove or cover up the unsightly surface.
Removing a popcorn ceiling can be an affordable DIY project but it is not as simple as dry scraping to reveal a smooth surface. “A popcorn ceiling can be challenging to remove due to variables such as whether or not it has been painted over, and whether it contains asbestos,” says Julia McAuley, owner of Cleveland-based Monarch Home Solutions. “Even in an ideal situation, it can be a messy project which requires adequate room preparation.”
Hiring a professional, however, can cost between $924 and $2,970, according to HomeAdvisor, so a DIY popcorn ceiling removal is a viable option, even if it is a bit time-consuming.
Read on for everything you need to know about how to remove popcorn ceiling without driving yourself crazy.
Yes, absolutely, you can remove a popcorn ceiling without calling in a pro. But whether you should start this home-improvement project depends on a few factors. “Do some research before diving into a weekend project,” says Justin Krzyston, president of Stonehurst, a construction company.
Before you start, it’s important to make sure that your textured ceilings don’t have asbestos. “Prior to the early 1980s, asbestos was an ingredient that many used in textured popcorn ceilings,” says Krzyston. “The popcorn texture was used to help home builders deal with sound travel, and it was a great fire retardant.” It can also be present in the sheetrock itself. Krzyston recommends having the surface tested by a professional, or at the very least purchasing a do-it-yourself test kit from the hardware store and sending the samples to a lab. If you go the DIY test route, make sure to use the appropriate safety gear, such as gloves, a ventilator or dusk mask, and eye protection.
If the small area of your ceiling tests positive, you should have a professional licensed in asbestos abatement remove the texture or cover the entire ceiling with paneling or drywall. “If you have asbestos, it is best to leave the ceiling intact, as there is no real danger if it is in good condition,” he says.
For more information, look to the Environmental Protection Agency’s [EPA] asbestos exposure and removal guidelines.
You’ll also want to consider your personal limits, even if the popcorn ceiling is covering a small area. Experts estimate that for experienced DIY’ers it can take about 20 hours to remove 500 square feet of popcorn from the ceiling. For the less experienced, it will likely be longer, and it can also be quite difficult on your body (especially since you’re working on a ladder). Plan to take plenty of breaks and don’t overextend yourself.
Time to get to work. Fortunately, this DIY project doesn’t require any special tools, and you may already have everything you need on hand.
Drywall taping knife or a putty knife
If your popcorn ceiling was installed before 1980, it most likely contains 1% to 20% asbestos, says McAuley, who recommends you start with an asbestos test kit before tackling popcorn ceiling removal. If you find that your ceiling contains asbestos, it is best to call a professional for removal; though if it is in good shape it can be left undisturbed or encapsulated.
If the ceiling has been painted in the past, skim coating with an ultra-light joint compound can be a great way to smooth the appearance without disturbing the asbestos-containing material. “Most popcorn ceilings will require at least two skim coats prior to sanding, as you want to be sure you do not sand down into the original materials,” McAuley says. “After sanding is complete, the ceiling should be primed and painted.”
Add skim coats before sanding.
Remove furniture from the room, and cover floors and walls with plastic sheeting. “Scraping the ceilings is very messy—so have plenty of drop cloths and tarps on hand,” Krzyston says. Keep in mind that you’ll likely be spraying water, so if you do put down drop cloths be sure they are also covered with something that is waterproof. To protect walls from dust, attach plastic sheeting with painter’s tape. This is especially important when you use a sander to create a smooth ceiling at the end of the project.
Take down ceiling fans or hanging light fixtures to make the job easier—just be sure to cover electrical boxes with painter’s tape to protect the wires from water damage. “Turn off your HVAC system and close and cover all vents and electrical outlets with plastic,“ Krzyston says. Since you’ll likely be using a garden sprayer to soften up the popcorn ceiling texture, make sure to turn off the electricity in the room you’re working in.
Before getting started, open the windows to circulate air. Keeping the space ventilated will help you breathe easier as you scrape away at the popcorn ceiling texture. You’ll also want to wear a dust mask and safety glasses.
Fact: A wet scrape is easier than a dry scrape. Use a garden sprayer to wet a small area (four-by-four-foot) of the ceiling. “You will want to wet down and spray the ceiling with water to make the removal of the popcorn easier,” Krzyston says. “Don’t soak it, though, as too much water could damage the Sheetrock that is underneath.” You’ll want to work in small sections, otherwise, the areas will dry before you reach them. After you spray with a garden sprayer or spray bottle, wait about 15 minutes to let the water absorb.
By Alia How Are You
It’s much easier to manipulate a wet (but not soaked) ceiling
Now you’re ready to start scraping. “Use a wide putty knife or drywall taping knife and gently run it along the wet ceiling,” he says. Be careful not to gouge the ceiling beneath. (Filing the edges of your putty knife can help avoid gouges.) Make your way around the room, until all the texture has been removed. In some areas, you may need to make a second pass. Remember, you can always spray the ceiling again to help loosen up a difficult area.
If there’s any damage to the ceiling, such as gouges or damaged drywall tape, repair with joint compound before you start sanding. When you remove the popcorn ceiling, you might find hidden imperfections, like visible joints or screws; you can also cover these with joint compound. Let dry at least 12 hours and use a sander to create a smooth ceiling that is ready for a fresh coat of paint.
KILZ Drywall Water-based Wall and Ceiling Primer
The fifth wall is ready for painting. Use a primer like Kilz Drywall interior primer. Apply two coats of paint of your choice. Once the paint job is complete, reinstall ceiling fans or lights, remove the plastic sheeting and enjoy your newly smooth ceiling.
Not a popcorn kernel in sight.
Should your ceiling need more TLC than just scraping and painting, there are also options for covering up popcorn ceilings, such as wood paneling, pressed tin tiles, or new drywall.
If learning how to remove popcorn ceilings by scraping away the texture on your ceilings sounds like too much of a mess (and you should definitely prepare for a mess), or your ceilings are particularly damaged, it may be easier to cover the whole thing up. Although installing a new layer of drywall is possible if you want a fresh start, there are also a few potentially easier options. For instance, you can find some pretty convincing faux tin tiles that can be attached to the ceiling with construction adhesive. If you favor wood paneling, you can attach wall planks directly to the ceiling with a nail gun.
With highly textured ceilings you’ll need to install furring strips to your ceiling and then attach the paneling to the strips to avoid an uneven look. Note that with this method, you will need to remove small sections of the popcorn texture in order to attach the furring strips, so testing for asbestos is still essential.
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