Textured ceilings, also known as "popcorn," were popular in the '70s and '80s both for the design element and its ability to cover up imperfect drywall taping jobs. Popcorn ceilings have since fallen out of favor, because the texture traps dirt and spiderwebs and also casts shadows, which make the room look dark and cavelike. Removing popcorn texturing from ceilings is a tedious but straightforward process that any homeowner can accomplish. Note that popcorn texturing applied prior to 1980 has a high likelihood of containing asbestos and should probably not be removed by the homeowner. Asbestos should only be removed by licensed professionals. To determine whether your ceiling contains asbestos, contact a local hazardous materials testing service.
Instructions
1. Determine if your popcorn ceiling contains asbestos. If the texturing was applied in 1980 or later, it probably will not contain asbestos. Any ceiling texturing applied prior to that should be tested by your local hazardous materials testing service. Only popcorn without asbestos should be removed by a homeowner.
2. Determine if the popcorn has been painted over. Scrape across the popcorn with the scraper. If the popcorn crumbles easily, it is unpainted. If it holds together, it has likely been painted over, in which case only dry scraping with a sharp-edged scraper will take it off. Removing painted popcorn takes more effort than unpainted popcorn.
3. Drape the walls and floor with plastic drop cloths and seal with painters tape. Overlap the edges of the drop cloth to prevent from escaping the room.
4. Turn off circulated air (air conditioning or forced air heat) to the room to avoid blowing popcorn dust around the room. If you are sensitive to inhaled dust, wear a well-fitting dust mask for the rest of the project. Remove any light fixtures or air vents in the ceiling.
5. Spray a 4 foot by 4 foot section of the ceiling with water in a spray bottle, starting from a corner. Mist the popcorn until it is damp but not dripping. Wait for a moment for the water to penetrate the popcorn then scrape gently with the scraper in long rows. If you scrape too hard, you will damage the drywall underneath. The popcorn should come off easily. If there are difficult spots, spray again with water.
6. Move to the next section and repeat Step 4. Repeat on the rest of the ceiling until all popcorn is removed.
7. Wet sand the ceiling. Soak a sponge in water and wring out thoroughly. Wipe down the ceiling with the damp sponge to remove popcorn dust and to smooth over taped and mudded joints. If there is damage to any joint, fix with drywall mud. Wait at least four hours for the drywall to dry before painting the ceiling.
8. Carefully take down the plastic drop cloth and roll popcorn up in it for disposal. Wait at least four hours for the drywall to dry before painting the ceiling.
Tags: popcorn dust, texturing applied, applied prior, asbestos should, been painted, been painted over, before painting
