I'm looking for ideas to hide flaws in a ceiling, but not popcorn

Question

I don't want to use the popcorn paint to hide flaws. I'd like to find another solution.

MaryStLouis · Answer

It's a big job but many people install 1/4' drywall over the whole ceiling or nail bead board strips to cover the whole area. If you have just a small amount of damage you can cut the drywall and patch it with more. Here is a sort video for this process. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfz2HNuL7s

Valawoosie · Answer

I had a terrible ceiling in my living room. What I did was had my husband 'frame out' the ceiling with simple base board. Then I painted the inside of that 'frame' the color of the walls. Then we put up another 'frame' with half round moulding... inside THAT frame I faux marbleized the ceiling with the wall color and some other coordinating colors. Covered the problem areas beautifully. No one ever noticed the buggered up areas again. Loads of work but tons of appeal.

Helen · Answer

I was thinking tongue and grove boards, you could stain or paint them.

Kathryn S · Answer

Popcorn ceiling makeover topic on this website, hometalk, talks about using plastic panels to cover the popcorn ceiling.

Helen Cocuzza · Answer

faux tin ceiling look that is paintable & available in Home Depot o Lowes or other home building stores, they have other patterns as well that are just designs & you can paint them or leave them white. OR use pieces of wood & create a faux beam look or just another wood square pattern on your ceiling that you can either stain or paint prior to hanging then fill in the nail holes with caulk or putty! Good Luck!

Marion Nesbitt · Answer

I did a faux plaster treatment. Sort of painted on a bonding agent. Then mixed more of it into drywall compound. Worked an area at a time doing a random pattern. Then painted. Looks good.

KSS · Answer

So many great suggestions. Thank-You everyone

Mary Barber · Answer

I used regular drywall compound and troweled it on randomly. Once it dried, I primed and painted, then mixed a glaze with a slightly darker color and ragged it on which picked up the trowel marks making it look like 'old world' plaster. This requires a bit of work but is inexpensive to do and looks really good.

Jo Michelle · Answer

My son tore up paper bags and glued them to his bathroom ceiling   It looks awesome !

Jaxon · Answer

You can take some drywall mud and make a nice pattern on your ceiling. Good luck!

Lynda · Answer

Cheaper and easier than a tin ceiling is 3D wallpaper that looks like tin panels. Paint after applying. Can even paint it pewter to look like metal. I painted it white.

Al · Answer

Skim coat of plaster.

Change of Art · Answer

My old (old, old) plaster ceiling was a mess. The cost for repairing was out of this world, so added plenty of cheap furring strips (screwed to the lathe) and installed pine planks. Primed and painted before installing – with a quick brushed-on finish coat after they were up. Soft satin (or what it eggshell?) finish... It's been more than 18 years, and it still makes me smile.

The ceiling in the other bedroom is in perfect condition, but I've actually considered doing it there, too. (Luckily, I'm broke – so it's not an option!)

TIP: Unless you know that you're in your home for the long haul, choose something fairly 'neutral'. A lot of buyers cringer when they spot any kind of a textured ceiling – no matter how well it's done. (I was pleased when a prospective buyer said she just loved the wood ceiling.)

Patsy · Answer

This ceiling is BEAUTIFUL!! Awesome idea for an older home where ceilings have so many flaws and 'Character' created over the years! Thanks for sharing.

Brenda Webster · Answer

10 years ago, I had to re-do the kitchen backsplash because of a small fire that damaged the underside of the cabinet and the backsplash underneath it. I ended up painting the wall a light green and applying darker green paint mixed with an additive that gave it texture, with a sponge to make it look like a brick wall. I don't remember what the additive product was called, but I found it with the paint at either Sears or WalMart. You add as much as you need to get the result you want. It's just 'bumpy' enough to look like brick, but not as 'bumpy' as the popcorn treatment. It turned out great and still looks great today. Might work for your ceiling. Not the brick thing, but the paint additive.

Robin Dowden · Answer

don't know what flaws you have but if just cosmetic try adding clouds, stars, birds, some sort of faux painting. You could paint just about anything using imagination.

Artist In The Garden · Answer

If you like whimsical things you could hide flaws by gluing 3 dimensional objects on the ceiling upside down. This could be lots of fun. A bouquet of realistic looking dried flowers, perhaps a sculpture. If it is a cathedral ceiling then you could have a light weight yard sale table and chairs attached to the ceiling as well as a fake meal, complete with upside down fake burning candle. If it's a stain you could have a little fake dog up there lifting a hind leg. Life is short. Make all the laughs you can before you kick.

Cindy · Answer

Moved back into the old home I grew up in.  Had very bad ceilings.  We used drywall mud thinned out and on one ceiling I used a bath net scrunched to apply, on the other ceiling I used a ball of wadded up aluminum foil.  Turned out nice.

Jeannie Andrews · Answer

My late husband and I applied 4x8 sheets of beadboard to the ceiling in our kitchen we were remodeling. He glued and used screws to hold it to the ceiling. Then we rented some kind of lifting apparatus that helped the two of us get it up on the ceiling. Phew! what a job. But it looked great. We added crown molding after we were done and painted.

Karen Hilton Malovani · Answer

Wallpaper the ceiling?? My mother did that in the kitchen back in the 70's, I still think it's a cool look!

Jan472175 · Answer

I used a large paint brush and joint compound and did swirls all over the ceiling....I found thicker compound and overlapping swirls to look the best took some practice...you can wipe off what you don't like and redo...that's what I did to mine and I love it

Carole · Answer

There is a company that makes a membrane that stretches across the ceiling and is held in place with some sort of batten If you Google ceiling membrane I think you will find them. If your ceiling is high enough you may be able to use this. You do lose a little height as the membrane fittings need a couple of inches I think. Or you could put new plasterboard over it and paint.

Stretch Ceiling · Answer

Hello all,

I just fall into this conversation and I just want to add my information, I do stretch ceiling system since 1990 first in Europe and now in United States. This is a very good alternate to ugly ceiling, popcorn ceiling, tile ceiling or new ceiling project.

You can find more on my website or any stretch ceiling website .

this is mine : https://ceilingmiami.com

If you have any question feel free to contact me.

Mogie · Answer

One option is to use a textured paint. This will help to camouflage any dents or holes in the surface. Another option is to use wall paper. You can find wallpaper that has a design that will help to hide any imperfections on the surface. Finally, you can use decorative tiles. These can be placed over the top of the existing ceiling surface and can help to provide a more finished look.

Kim |Exquisitely Unremarkable · Answer

It's a dramatic look, but you could use peel and stick wallpaper to cover the flaws and give it a lovely, updated look.

I'm looking for ideas to hide flaws in a ceiling, but not popcorn

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I'm looking for ideas to hide flaws in a ceiling, but not popcorn

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