REMOVING POPCORN CEILING

Terry S
by Terry S
can someone tell me if i have to remove all previous mud on popcorn ceiling if i am going to have it textured.?(just not popcorn)it is coming off , some areas to drywall some not.thanks again
  9 answers
  • Cyndi Moore Tippett Cyndi Moore Tippett on Mar 09, 2013
    I removed all the popcorn off all the ceilings upstairs and downstairs (2300+ sq. ft.). I would take it all off and start fresh.. it is pretty easy to remove. It is just messy. I take a gallon sprayer and mix 3 to 1 water/vinegar. Spray the ceiling and then scrape it off, just be careful not to gouge the ceiling. Then sand the ceiling with a sheetrock screen to even out those patches where it didn't come off well. ALL of this will NOT work if the popcorn has been painted, then you have to sand it off. It is not a hard project it just takes some time and patience.
  • Terry S Terry S on Mar 10, 2013
    cindi what did you do with them once you got the popcorn off?smooth or texture?
  • DeeDee DeeDee on Mar 10, 2013
    We removed all the popcorn ceilings from every room in our home. Then we started the new knock-down texture ceilings with a fresh smooth surface. LOTS of hard, dusty, dirty work! Good luck.
  • Terry S Terry S on Mar 10, 2013
    thanks everyone , i will suck it up and scrape :) . i kind lf had a feeling , just hoping someone had a trick up their sleeve. it will definitely look better when it is done.thank goodness it hadnt been painted.
  • Please understand if the popcorn has been up for many years, it may contain asbestos. I would suggest that you get it checked. There are many DIY testing kits where you can get samples done by local labs. It is low cost and can help you prevent getting sick if its found to be asbestos.
  • Cyndi Moore Tippett Cyndi Moore Tippett on Mar 11, 2013
    Terry, after I scraped the popcorn off the ceiling, I sanded them and then primed with a oil based primer, then I painted them with a latex semi-gloss white, so the light would bounce off the ceiling during the day and night. I love them! It took me several weeks to finish them, but I was worth the effort. Set for yourself small goals everyday and before you know it you will be finished.
  • Cindy Cindy on Mar 11, 2013
    I am in the process of having this popcorn taken off my family room ceiling! The whole room is enclosed in plastic, but the dust somehow seeps out and gets everywhere, can't wait til it's all done
  • PeckDrywallPainting PeckDrywallPainting on Mar 13, 2013
    Terrry, Regarding those areas of popcorn that didn't come off. Yes, that should all come off. You can wet the nap on a roller and roll the those ares and get them wet and wait about 5 minutes. Then try scaping them again. As far as asbestos and popcorn, anything before 1980 should be tested.
  • Annie Niehouse Annie Niehouse on Feb 15, 2015
    the easiest solution is putting a layer of drywall on to cove.....cleaner slate to start with...also adds more R factor to the house ....... so much easier to do than to scrape off the ceiling!