Scribd
Upload
95 views3 pages

How To Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture

The document provides instructions for removing popcorn ceiling texture in 7 steps: 1) Test for asbestos and lead paint. 2) Cover walls and floor to contain debris. 3) Spray ceiling with water to soften texture. 4) Scrape off softened texture using scrapers. 5) Allow ceiling to fully dry for 24 hours. 6) Apply spackle to repairs any damage. 7) Dispose of waste properly based on any hazardous materials found. Safety equipment like dust masks and plastic sheeting are required depending on test results for asbestos or lead paint.

Uploaded by

Ri Sovannaphumi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
95 views3 pages

How To Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture

The document provides instructions for removing popcorn ceiling texture in 7 steps: 1) Test for asbestos and lead paint. 2) Cover walls and floor to contain debris. 3) Spray ceiling with water to soften texture. 4) Scrape off softened texture using scrapers. 5) Allow ceiling to fully dry for 24 hours. 6) Apply spackle to repairs any damage. 7) Dispose of waste properly based on any hazardous materials found. Safety equipment like dust masks and plastic sheeting are required depending on test results for asbestos or lead paint.

Uploaded by

Ri Sovannaphumi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

How to Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture

By
Lee Wallender
Updated on 08/12/21
Reviewed by
Deane Biermeier

If your home has ceilings with so-called "popcorn" texture, you likely have considered having the texture
removed. Painting these ceilings is difficult and requires thick-nap roller covers and a lot of paint since the
texture soaks up paint like a sponge.

Also, textured ceilings catch and trap dust and are difficult to clean. They can make a room look smaller
because the peaks create dark shadows. Further, it's possible that the texture material contains asbestos1. So
removal is often the best choice.

Safety Concerns
How you treat popcorn ceiling texture depends partly on whether you think the texture material contains
asbestos. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, ceiling texture frequently contained some amount of asbestos2.
The first step in removal is to test for asbestos.

Check with your local air and environmental quality agencies, as well as your permitting office and follow their
safety recommendations for removing this material.

If the popcorn texture was painted, there is also a possibility that the paint contained lead additives. Lead paint
was banned in the U.S. in 19783, so if your popcorn ceiling was installed and painted before this point, the paint
should be tested for lead content. Removing lead paint requires special safety measures.

What You'll Need


Equipment / Tools

 Texture scraper or drywall knife


 Putty knife
 Garden sprayer
 Stepstool
 Dust mask
 Work gloves

Materials

 6-mil plastic sheeting


 Painter's masking film
 Spackle or drywall taping compound
 Painter's tape
 Fabric softener (optional)
 Sandpaper
 Contractor's bags

Instructions
Removing popcorn texture can be messy, but it is not a difficult process, and it requires fairly ordinary tools and
materials.

1. Test for Asbestos and Lead Paint

Two separate issues may affect older homes: asbestos contained within the textured product (the
popcorn) and lead within the paint covering the textured product. 

o Testing for asbestos. You can purchase a home-based asbestos testing kit that allows you to
scrape off a small section of the texture product and mail it to a lab for testing. Or you can hire
an asbestos remediation professional to do this for you. Make sure that the lab is accredited
under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).
o Testing for lead paint. Paint applied before 1978 may contain lead as an additive. As with
asbestos, inexpensive lead paint testing kits allow you to self-sample by scraping away flakes
and crushing them to a fine powder.
2. Cover Walls and Floor

Popcorn ceiling removal creates a great amount of waste. Consider any exposed surface to be a potential
recipient of wet, goopy texture product. With that in mind, you may want to remove all lightweight
furniture from the room and cover remaining items.

Attach plastic painter's film to the walls, running the masking tape edge along the juncture between the
walls and ceiling. Cover the flooring with the thicker six-mil plastic sheeting.

If you suspect the popcorn texture material contains asbestos or lead-based paint, make sure to wear the
appropriate safety apparel, such as a dust mask and work gloves, to continue with removal.

3. Spray the Ceiling

Fill the sprayer with warm water and pump it to raise the pressure. Lightly spray a four-foot square test
area of the ceiling and let it sit. If your ceiling only has textured product but no paint, it should readily
absorb the water and be ready for scraping in about 15 minutes. If your ceiling was painted with a coat
of flat paint or ceiling paint, the water will take longer to absorb and may require multiple
light soakings.

Tip

Some experts report good results by mixing in a cup of liquid fabric softener to each half-gallon of water
in the sprayer. This is said to help in softening the texture material.

4. Scrape off the Texture

After the water has been absorbed, scrape away the texture material. Use the wide scraper at first. Push
into the softened texture until the edge of the blade touches the drywall or plaster. Then tilt the scraper to
a low angle and push the scraper forward. The textured material should now have the consistency of
cottage cheese and should easily come off and fall down. If great force is needed, the material is still too
dry; wet it again.

Warning

You'll likely be using a step ladder to reach the ceiling. Removing ceiling texture can be a wet and
messy process. Use extra caution while working from a ladder of any height, as wet material may land
on the rungs or steps and create a slippery surface.

If the sample area removes easily, you can proceed with the rest of the ceiling. Work in similarly small
areas, four to 16 square feet. Do not wet the entire ceiling at once, as sections will dry before you can get
to them. The narrower scrapers work best along the edges and in corners.

Tip

Specialized texture scrapers, such as the Homax Ceiling Texture Scraper, are designed specifically for
removing ceiling texture. It is designed to attach a plastic bag for catching the texture residue.

5. Let the Ceiling Dry

Because you have introduced moisture to the drywall and the room in general, a significant amount of
drying time is needed. Drywall has a paper backing and a gypsum core that both hold water for a long
period of time. Increasing the temperature and air ventilation will help speed the drying process.

Allow the room to dry for a full 24 hours after removing the ceiling texture.

6. Fix Ceiling Damage

Gouges, scratches, and shallow holes are an inevitable byproduct of ceiling scraping. Clean your
scraping tools and use them to apply spackle or dust-control drywall compound to these areas. Sand
smooth with #100 or higher fine-grit sandpaper. Wipe clean. The ceiling is now ready for priming and
painting.

7. Dispose of Waste

If the debris does not contain hazardous materials, you can dispose of it in contractor bags in your home
trash pickup.

If the texture material does contain asbestos or lead-based paint, you cannot dispose of it with your
regular landfill waste. You will need to obtain a permit and dispose of it separately4, typically within a
narrow window of time (up to 30 days).

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy