Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture Yourself
If popcorn ceilings are keeping your home stuck in the past, don't despair. You can update the look of your home by removing the bumpy texture -- as long as it doesn't contain asbestos. If your ceiling texture was applied before 1986, asbestos could be an ingredient. Wet a little of the texture, scrape it off and send it to a lab for testing. If there's no asbestos, you can get to work removing the popcorn texture. Although it's not difficult, the job is messy and takes time. When you're done, though, your ceiling will be smooth.
Instructions
1. Move as much furniture and other items out of the room where you will be removing the popcorn texture. Cover any remaining furniture, as well as the floor, walls and ceiling fixtures, with plastic drop cloths. Secure them in place with painter's masking tape.
2. Fill a spray bottle with water. Put on a hat and goggles to protect yourself. Set up your ladder and climb up to the ceiling with the bottle. Spray an area of texture about 3 feet square. Apply just enough water to dampen the texture -- you don't want the water to drip off.
3. Wait a few minutes for the water to soak in. Spray more water to saturate the texture. Wait 10 minutes for the popcorn texture to soften.
4. Hold the scraping edge of your flat-edged scraper or drywall knife at a 15-degree angle to the ceiling. This will help you from scraping too deeply and damaging the drywall underneath. Scrape deeply enough to flatten the surface of the texture, removing as much as you can from each swipe of your blade. Let the texture fall onto the drop cloths below.
5. Continue working in the same way in manageable sections, moving your ladder as you go. If the texture is difficult to remove, spray more water and wait a few minutes. Try working in larger sections if the texture is coming off easily, but don't make the sections too big -- your ceiling might dry before you get a chance to scrape it. Work around the room until you've scraped off the whole ceiling.
Tags: popcorn texture, your ceiling, Ceiling Texture, drop cloths, more water, Popcorn Ceiling, Popcorn Ceiling Texture