How to Get rid of popcorn ceiling?

Has anyone attempted to remove popcorn ceiling, I know you can wet it and scrape but I do not want to take the chance of messing it up and having to replace the ceiling. Any suggestions appreciated. TY

  6 answers
  • Cin21825342 Cin21825342 on Jul 04, 2017

    That's the only way I know to remove it. Lay down plastic sheeting, spray and scrape.

  • William William on Jul 04, 2017

    How to Remove a Popcorn Textured or Acoustic Ceiling


    Check for Asbestos


    Take a small sample of the ceiling material and send it to an EPA certified testing lab before you begin. If your ceiling contains Asbestos, you will need to have a certified asbestos removal contractor do the job for you.


    Turn Electricity Off and Remove Light Fitting/s


    Since youā€™ll be using a lot of water in this project, first be sure to turn of the electricity and check it with a circuit tester. Remove all furniture and ceiling light fittings.


    Cover the Floor with Plastic Sheeting


    Tape small pieces of plastic over each electrical outlet and cover the floor with heavy duty plastic floor sheeting, extending it up the walls a foot or so.


    Cover the Walls with Plastic Sheeting


    Run painterā€™s tape along the upper edge of the walls then cover the entire wall with plastic sheeting, taping the top edge to the tape already there. Roll out a layer of resin paper on the floor.


    Wet the Ceiling


    Using a garden sprayer, wet the ceiling, working in 4 to 5 square feet areas at a time, wetting the ceiling thoroughly, but being careful not to over-wet it.


    Scrape the Popcorn Material off the Ceiling


    Round off the corners of a joint knife (to prevent gouges) and use it to scrape off the popcorn ceiling. If you run into any hard scraping areas, apply a little more water, wait and then try again.


    Unroll Second Layer of Resin Paper and Finish Scraping


    Unroll another layer of resin paper directly on top of ceiling debris and continue scraping ceiling. When all material has been scraped off, take down plastic sheeting from walls, roll up wet paper and plastic on floor and place all into a large garbage bag.


    Re-cover any Bare Joints Using Joint Compound and Joint Tape


    Mix joint compound in a tray and apply along the joint lines. Dip joint tape into water, squeeze of excess and use a putty knife to press the tape into the joint compound. Smooth off excess.


    Fill any Eroded Nail Holes


    Use two thin applications of joint compound to bring holes flush with the wallboard.


    Sand the Ceiling


    Use a sanding pad on the end of a long pole to sand off any high ridges.


    Finish Your Ceiling


    Fill any low spots with another coat or two of joint compound, sanding in between coats. Prime the ceiling using a primer that says ā€œfor wallboardā€. Your ceiling is then ready for you to paint or texture as you like.


  • Ang25959299 Ang25959299 on Jul 04, 2017

    Usually when they are going to spray popcorn they would leave a lot of imperfections and uneven areas that get covered by the popcorn so there is a good possibility of needing some repair work to it after or replacing it all together depending on how many imperfections your willing to live with. Good luck.

    • Valerie Ferguson Davis Valerie Ferguson Davis on Jul 04, 2017

      Thanks Angel, I know there will be alot of imperfections, it may be easier to just replace the entire ceiling. I appreciate your imput.

  • Or just cover it up with a dropped ceiling.

  • Valerie Ferguson Davis Valerie Ferguson Davis on Jul 04, 2017

    What is U7 Marge?

  • Cin21825342 Cin21825342 on Jul 04, 2017

    its messy but well worth it!