Removing a Popcorn Ceiling

Removing popcorn texture is messy and time consuming.

Popcorn ceilings have been installed in households since the late 1950s, and continues to be installed today. Popcorn ceiling is often used by contractors because it's more affordable than painting and it hides ceiling defects. Many people don't like the way popcorn texture ceilings look, and want to remove them. Popcorn ceilings installed prior to 1980 may contain asbestos. If your ceiling was installed before 1980, you must first conduct a test of the material.

Things You'll Need

• Construction mask
• Goggles
• Plastic sheets
• Spray bottle
• Water
• Putty knife
• Plastic bag

Instructions

Asbestos Test

1. Put on your construction mask and goggles.

2. Fill a spray bottle with water and spray six different areas in different parts of your ceiling.

3. Using a large putty knife scrape off 1-inch of popcorn texture in each location and place the samples in a plastic bag.

4. Take the samples to a local lab to test for asbestos. If the samples do come back positive, have a professional remove the popcorn ceiling.

Remove Popcorn Ceiling

1. Cover all furniture in the room with plastic sheets and place a dropcloth on the ground to protect your floor.

2. Put on a construction mask and goggles to protect yourself from falling debris.

3. Fill a spray bottle with water and spray an area of 5 feet. Do not soak the popcorn. It should be moist, making the popcorn soft.

4. Scrape off the area with a large putty knife.

5. Move across the ceiling in 5-foot sections and repeat these steps until all the popcorn is removed.

References

• Ron Hazelton: How to remove popcorn ceiling