How do I easily get rid of a popcorn ceiling?

Peggy
by Peggy

Hate the popcorn on my ceilings. Have had 2 back surgeries so scrapping it off is not an option. Is there some way to cover it that won't lower the ceiling? Should I just paint it and live with it? Help!

  6 answers
  • Polly Fuller Polly Fuller on Feb 08, 2019

    if you paint it, don't load up the roller. do one thin coat and then do another when it is dry. If you get it too wet it will come off in chunks.--cover with bead board, ship lap. laminate flooring boards. embossed tile. lots of options. would hire someone.

    • Peggy Peggy on Feb 08, 2019

      What would be the best color to paint it. Not white.

  • Gk Gk on Feb 08, 2019

    Hello Peggy! You have a few different solutions. Scrapping off the popcorn is fairly easy to do but does require a few trips up and down the ladder. Then you would have to repair and paint your ceiling-again--a few more trips up and down the ladder. If you wanted to hide the popcorn with wood strips or ceiling tiles--again--more trips up and down the ladder plus a few trips to the garage workshop for any trimming you might need to do! You wouldn't be lowering your ceiling by much using wood strips, ship lap or adhesive ceiling tiles if that is what you choose to do. You can choose to paint it and live with it--I have left it in half of my rooms--but--I still look at it on a frequent basis and say YUCK! Some day it's all going to come down!

  • Polly Fuller Polly Fuller on Feb 08, 2019

    don't know why popcorn ceilings are so offensive unless they are a really bad job.

    • Gk Gk on Feb 08, 2019

      They just get so dirty! You can't see it so much until you climb up on a ladder and look across the ceiling. So much dirt, dust webs, and stuff stuck to the popcorn and a dirty color after a few years. You can vacuum it carefully with the brush attachment but the dirt is still there. There's no way to wash it! It does look nice for a while when you repaint it--and when you repaint it you will REALLY notice how dirty it actually gets because you can see the color difference--even if you are using exactly the same paint!

  • William William on Feb 08, 2019

    What other Hometalkers did.


    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=cover%20popcorn%20ceilings

  • Shore grandmom Shore grandmom on Feb 08, 2019

    You could also cover it with 1/4 inch sheetrock. I suggest that you have someone come in and give you an estimate. You may want to live with it until you can take care of it properly. I hate the look of it too, I didn't buy a house once because I didn't want to deal with getting rid of it in every single room.

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Feb 08, 2019

    you can put light weight styrofoam tiles adhered over it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxN9i8-2vgA has it been painted? you can skim coat directly over it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqfBEul3ihM