How do you take off popcorn ceilings

Karen Barnett
by Karen Barnett
  8 answers
  • Dfm Dfm on May 09, 2018

    Get a good dust mask, spray water on the popcorn ceiling....start scraping. Depending on the year built...you may want to test for asbestos fibers Before you begin.

  • Living Free Living Free on May 09, 2018

    Cover everything , use a plastic scraper ( we used a spatula) and gently scrape it off. Being careful not to gouge it to deep. Get it to the even layer you want. Then seal it with a primer, then use ceiling paint to finish it off. If you go to deep you can fix the spots with the spray stuff but you have to let it dry before you paint. Its super messy and extremely dusty. So wear a mask, eye protection and cover all your skin. We did it to our modular home years ago, it made cleaning the ceiling so much easier and looked awesome when done. Good luck.

  • James Williams James Williams on May 09, 2018

    What worked for me was to get a spray bottle and spray water on a small area (about 3 ft square). Let the area set for about a minute and use a plastic spreader or even a drywall knife if you’re careful, to gently remove the “stuff”. DO NOT saturate the area as this will soften the drywall paper and make it prone to tearing. With a little practice to get the feel you can peel it off fairly clean with out dust and the residue can be swept up while still slightly damp.

  • Wendy Wendy on May 09, 2018

    Much luck to you, let us know how it goes!

  • Jessi Love Jessi Love on May 10, 2018

    Gotta scrape that sucker make sure you wear a face mask

  • Ellis Ellis on May 12, 2018

    Get a small piece tested first, to make sure it has no asbestos in it.

  • Lucy Marie Bernier Lucy Marie Bernier on Sep 17, 2018

    There is a special tool. Long handle that you attach a bag to it when scraping the popcorn away. Spray bottle with water. Spray lightly and scrap away. Can pick one up a Loews/ Homedepot.