At one time popcorn ceilings were popular in many homes. They were cheap and easy to put up. They fell out of favor some time ago. However, some homes still have this type of ceiling. Often a homeowner assumes that taking it down will be too difficult or they simply do not know how to remove popcorn ceiling. Removing it is not very difficult, though it is time consuming. A homeowner can often do this job themselves over the course of a weekend.
Before beginning to remove the ceiling you must be sure that it does not contain asbestos. Ceilings done after 1978 should be fine since asbestos was outlawed in 1977. If in doubt about your ceiling, play it safe and have a professional test it for asbestos. You can have a professional come out to the house to check it or you can scrape a tiny piece off, place it in a Zip Lock bag and take it to be tested. If you are in doubt about when the ceiling was installed, do the test. It is not worth taking chances.
If you find that your ceiling does contain asbestos, you will want to hire a professional to remove it for you. While the instructions for how to remove popcorn ceiling are not difficult, adding asbestos changes things. There are strict rules and regulations for handling and disposing of asbestos. Only those trained to work with this substance should attempt to remove it.
Materials needed to remove ceiling.
• Spray water bottle or hose attached to a garden sprayer.
• Scraper
• Ladder
• Tape
• Heavy sheets of plastic, one for each door in the room.
• Drop cloth or tarp
• Goggles
• Dust mask
How to remove popcorn ceiling.
1. Hang plastic sheets in doorways. You want to cover the entire doorway in order to prevent dust and particles from getting into other parts of the house.
2. Tape drop cloth or tarp to floor. This will catch the pieces of ceiling as you scrape. Once you are finished, you can easily roll up the tarp to dispose of it.
3. Wet ceiling. Using the water bottle sprayer or garden sprayer wet an area of the ceiling. Work in small areas of two to three feet at one time.
4. Wait for the water to loosen the popcorn ceiling. About 15-20 minutes is an adequate amount of time to let the water penetrate.
5. Wearing goggles to protect the eyes and a dust mask, begin to scrape the wet area of the ceiling. Continue scraping until you get all or at least most of the material off of the ceiling.
6. Move on to the next area of the ceiling to repeat the wetting, waiting and scraping process.
7. Continue in this manner until all of the popcorn ceiling is removed.
8. Roll up the tarp or drop cloth, keeping the pieces inside so it is easier to dispose of.
9. Vacuum the room to remove any additional dust and debris. It is a good idea to open the windows while doing this.
Additional tips on how to remove popcorn ceiling.
• Use a large scraper for most of the ceiling and a smaller scraper or putty knife to get into the corner areas.
• If the weather permits, placing a fan in the window helps to cut down on the dust in the room.
• Tape down the plastic hanging from the doors well. You will be surprised by how much dust can escape from even a small slit in the plastic.
• When leaving the room, do not wear your shoes around the house. Take them off at the door to avoid tracking dust throughout the rest of the house.
• Sand any small areas that just refuse to come down. Most should come off just fine by scraping but occasionally you will find a very stubborn piece that will not budge. Lightly sand it to remove.
Now that you know how to remove popcorn ceiling and see how easy it is, there is no reason to keep that old, outdated ceiling any longer. Your home will look better and more up to date with a smooth new ceiling.
