How do you remove a popcorn ceiling texture? Can you do it yourself?

It is a messy pain in the neck literally. Yes you can do it yourself but test first for asbestos. If you decide to go the DIY route, get friends to help - get a couple coolers of water, juice and soda and order a few pizzas or 6 foot sub sandwich and get the entire place done in one day. Prep work is key and dropcloth everything for easier cleanup.

Here are a couple links to provide the gritty details . . .

https://www.todayshomeowner.com/removing-textured-popcorn-ceilings/

https://www.familyhandyman.com/drywall/ceiling-texture/how-to-remove-a-popcorn-ceiling/view-all/

That would be a really daunting task. Talk about a mess. I researched this topic when I bought my condo a couple of years ago. Once you scrape off the popcorn you still have to apply another texture. You will never get a smooth surface . Instead of going through all the time and expense I hired someone locally to do the job. They removed the popcorn and gave me what is called a knockdown for an extremely reasonable price . They finished in a day and cleaned up all the mess. A win win.

Agree with all the comments about the mess, and the job being physically very awkward, as you are working for a sustained time with arms above your head, and your head tilted back. Sometimes there is no substitute for professionals who have the right tools and the experience at knowing how to use them.

Agreed.....very messy and back breaking. Spritz ceiling with a water bottle ....enough to soften the texture material. A wide putty knife works better than anything I know of. If you don't have much help.....just start off with a section at a time to pace yourself! Good Luck!

http://www.hometalk.com/categories/remodeling-renovating/ceiling/popcorn-ceilings