Popcorn ceilings are a thing of the past, and a lot of people are glad it’s that way. That’s why there are so many companies that offer popcorn ceiling removal services. But, can you DIY a popcorn ceiling removal without hiring one of these companies?
It’s certainly possible, as long as you know what you’re doing and have the right tools. But, it’s a hard job and takes a lot of time to do on your own. If that’s a challenge you’re up for, here’s how you can approach it.
Getting Rid Of Popcorn Ceilings Yourself
DIY popcorn ceiling removal isn’t impossible, but you won’t be able to do it without proper guidance. Here’s our own guidance to help you out with this.
Test for Asbestos
Before trying anything, get your popcorn ceiling tested for asbestos. It was a common material used in construction for these kinds of ceilings back in the 20th century, and can be seriously harmful. Get a professional to test it, or you might be putting people in your home in serious trouble. If there is asbestos, get a contractor to take care of it for you, as you can’t safely remove the popcorn ceiling.
Keep Things Clean
Popcorn ceiling removal leads to big messes, so do your best to nullify that mess as much as you can. Completely get rid of any furniture in the room, remove the ceiling fan, and cover all the plugs. Once all that is done, get a plastic cloth and cover the whole room with it. Once everything is covered and safe, you can start getting messy. Open up any windows in the room too so there is good ventilation.
Start Scraping Away
Once you’ve taken every precaution you need to take, spray water all across the ceiling. Removing the popcorn texture while it’s wet is much easier, but be careful not to use so much water that it damages the things beyond the popcorn texture.
After getting it wet, wait 10-20 minutes and start scraping. Use a wide taping knife for this, as it gets the job done best. Run it smoothly against the wet ceiling until you notice it’s beginning to chip away at the popcorn texture. Just make sure not to go too hard to damage the wall. Do this for all areas of the ceiling, and the texture will be gone.
Smooth It Out
Popcorn ceilings might be hiding flaws behind them, like cracks, gouges, and other things that don’t look good on any ceiling. Use joint compound to cover these up and smooth out the whole ceiling. Let it dry out, which should take half a day. Then just use sandpaper to flatten it more and give it a really even look.
Paint All Over
You’re pretty much done! Now just make the ceiling look extra nice by painting it the color you want. Make sure to use a primer beforehand though, as it’ll help the recently altered ceiling do better with paint.
Put Everything Back, and Enjoy!
Now you are done with the DIY popcorn ceiling removal. Everything is taken care of, and now you can roll away the plastic cloth, along with all the dirt and debris it collected. Throw it away, bring back your furniture as well as electronics, and enjoy your beautiful new ceiling.
Hopefully these tips can help you do a great job at removing your own popcorn ceiling. But, if it sounds like too much work and you don’t want the hassle, give us a call and we can sort it out for you!
