Hi. I want to remove popcorn from my bedroom ceiling and hide fan wire

I.i32334472
by I.i32334472

Want to hide fan wire in concrete ceiling and attach it behind shitrock to electric outlet. Any tips on how to remove a popcorn ceiling?

  11 answers
  • Nina Nina on Jan 07, 2018

    Spray the popcorn with water. Then scrape it off with a putty knif. Messy but it works. Can’t help with the wire.

  • Marty Lampner Marty Lampner on Jan 07, 2018

    Careful with removing a popcorn ceiling if it was applied in the late 1950s or early 60s. In a lot of the mixes used for these there was asbestos added to provide fireproofing. Its worth having it checked before you scrape it off. If it doesn't contain asbestos as Jimandninacrigan said moisten it and just scrape it off. As to hiding the wire you'll need to know what is above the popcorn finish. If its drywall its simple to either notch the drywall and embed the wiremold or a small conduit in it and then apply the new ceiling over it or snake the wire over it if the beams run the right way. (If they go the wrong way an electrician can still get it where you need it.) Unfortunately if your ceiling is like ours and there was concrete behind the popcorn the only way to deal with it is to apply a new ceiling low enough below the concrete to provide room for the wire, in which case a planked ceiling below might work well and spare you the need to remove it.

    • I.i32334472 I.i32334472 on Jan 09, 2018

      Thank you very much. My condo was built in 1974, hope there is no asbestos. But under popcorn - concrete. A planked ceiling a good idea!!!!

  • Ke vin Ke vin on Jan 07, 2018

    If the popcorn has been painted the water solution likely won't work. You'll have to scrape as best you can, then skimcoat with drywall compound and texture. Other solution is to cover with 3/8" sheetrock, tape, mud and prime. Then you can texture the way you want.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jan 07, 2018

    Cover the wires with the plastic covers you can get at home improvement stores, they have a better selection, and paint it when you paint the ceiling and it should blend in really well and not be so noticeable.

  • Jamie Jamie on Jan 07, 2018

    Depending on how thick your popcorn is, there are a couple of ways to do this. I wouldn't suggest water, you might get the paper under neath. Wet paper and end up with more problems than you started with. If your ceiling has a heavy layer, you can get what is called a floor scraper. It looks like a drywall trowel but much larger. First of all put all your furniture in the center of your room if you can and cover with plastic covering. Even better move out as much as you can. This is going to make a mess. Take the floor scraper at an angle and start scraping the ceiling. You can adjust how much you want to take off. You might like the design that it makes with the knock down and not do anything else. Don't stab it, you can push and pull to get the area flat. You can also use a standard drywall trowel. Your arms will get very tired from this but it will be worth it. Don't take it all the way down to the drywall if thats what is there, just make it even(flat). If you can find a contractor who knows what he is doing, he can fix your electric spot and then smooth out the whole ceiling. You can leave it flat(with a texture look) or have them fill in the ceiling for a smooth look or use a flat brush to give it a very light texture. These are all your choices.

    Pictures are of popcorn ceilings knocked down, 1 brush, 1 smooth. I don't have one of just a knock down, sorry. I hope this helps.

  • Kimberly Cox Kimberly Cox on Jan 07, 2018

    Round the edges of the scraper first to not gouge the ceiling.

    https://www.littlethings.com/popcorn-ceiling/

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  • Rena Noele Rena Noele on Jan 08, 2018

    Your question: "Want to hide fan wire in concrete ceiling and attach it behind shitrock to electric outlet."

    If you really have a concrete ceiling, the only way you'll truly hide the electrical wire is to apply sheet-rock / drywall over it.

  • Kathi Cooley Kathi Cooley on Jan 09, 2018

    Dry scraping is not a good way to remove popcorn! You'll never get it all off that way, and your new paint will flake off in a year or so. Also, as Marty said, it's crucial that you get it tested first to determine if there's any asbestos in it. My husband did the dry scraping in our bedroom - ended up with flaking. I did the wet scraping (apply light mist with spray bottle, let sit for a minute, carefully scrape with a drywall taping tool) on a painted ceiling and 6 years later it's still perfect!

  • Nina Nina on Jan 10, 2018

    hey you can go on YouTube and see how it is done. Also you might want to check out a video by seejanedrill on you tube. There is some do’s and don’ts You may need to know.