How to Quickly Remove Popcorn From A Popcorn Ceiling

If you have an unwanted popcorn ceiling, or some type of ceiling texture in your home, you might be wondering how you go about removing it. The popcorn ceiling used to be very popular years ago, but not as much anymore. It's important to understand that a popcorn ceiling may contain asbestos. Before disrupting the popcorn ceiling, you should get a sample of the ceiling texture tested in a lab first.

The removal of a popcorn ceiling will give it a nice new flat appearance after painting it. Removing popcorn from a ceiling is a messy job and it requires physical effort. If you're uncomfortable with messy working conditions, you should hire someone to do the job.

These are the steps to be followed when removing a popcorn ceiling.

Things You'll Need

• large taping knives for scraping
• 4-8 ft. step ladder or a roll and fold cart or scaffolding
• sand paper
• sanding blocks
• painters extension pole
• sanding head
• dust mask or respirator
• protective glasses
• gloves
• work clothes
• painters tape and plastic
• drop clothes
• shop vac

Instructions

1. 

   Decide if removing your ceiling texture is even a good choice to begin with. A popcorn ceiling hides drywall imperfections or damaged areas. Stand on a ladder and examine the popcorn ceiling in your home. You might see wavy and uneven drywall surfaces. These drywall defects will be more noticeable after the popcorn removal and painting's finished.

2. 

   Avoid removing the popcorn ceiling if there's concrete underneath. Many lofts and condos are constructed with concrete ceilings and ceiling texture is sprayed over it to hide it. These ceilings have very large sectional grooves in them and they will be exposed after removing ceiling texture. Sometimes concrete ceilings also have repair patches on them, which are normally hidden with ceiling texture.

3. 

   Complete all the appropriate prep work before scraping off the popcorn ceiling. First, protect the floors in your home. Covering the floors with plastic is better because you can fold it up at the end of the job for easier disposal. Popcorn ceiling removal gets very messy, so make sure you cover everything.

4. Remove smaller furniture from the room if you can, before scraping the popcorn ceiling, Drape painters plastic over things that can't be moved and use blue painters tape to secure it. Remove as many things from the room as you can, so there's more room to work.

5. 

   Begin scraping the popcorn ceiling. Wear a respirator when scraping and sanding. Ceiling texture is made from styrene particles, which are harmful when inhaled. Use a painters extension pole and tape a large scraper or taping knife to the end of it. Wrap tape around it tightly so it doesn't fall off. From the ground, extend the pole to the desired height and begin scraping the popcorn ceiling back and forth.

6. 

   Sand the popcorn ceiling after scraping it. To make the sanding easier and faster, sand it from the ground, using a sanding head on a painters pole. Use 80 grit sand paper for faster results. You only have to sand it enough, so it's smooth and ready for skim coating.

7. 

   Begin skim coating (patching) the popcorn ceiling. Use the yellow colored Plus 3 taping compound to skim coat the popcorn ceiling. Use the Plus 3 product sold in the blue box or bucket. This will save time because it's already mixed and it's also easier to sand.

8. Use a step ladder, scaffold or a cart to work on the popcorn ceiling. The roll and fold carts are the best to use because they save time and energy.

9. Once everything is dry, start sanding the popcorn ceiling for the final time. Remember to wear a respirator, because sanding dust is really bad for your lungs.

10. 

    Dust down the ceiling and paint it. Removing a popcorn ceiling is a messy job, but once it's completed you'll have a new room, free of ceiling texture.

Tips & Warnings

• use a cart on wheels to finish sanding the popcorn ceiling

• use a scraper attached to a pole for easier scraping

• use yellow Plus 3 for faster and easier sanding

• wear a respirator at all times when scraping or sanding

• sanding dust is hazardous for breathing

• watch out for light fixtures on the ceiling

• make sure everything's covered with plastic before scraping