There are always other factors to consider before you remove the popcorn ceilings in your home. Some people will refer to the material as stiple. Either way, it is a messy job and always much more than you might have intended. Nevertheless, modern buyers are looking for houses with smooth ceilings. All the hard work will increase the value of your home. We will answer this question or give you some more facts to consider about whether you should remove popcorn ceilings.
Has the Ceiling been Painted
I guess a couple of big things before we get started, is whether your ceilings have ever been painted. Some people paint their popcorn ceilings to give them a fresh look, unfortunately it makes it very difficult to remove the pop corn later. If your ceiling has been painted, be ready for a lot of scraping and a lot of sanding or just put up new drywall.
Scope Creep
The next big issue, is scope creep. If your wife is like my wife, It is not just about removing the popcorn ceiling. For example, you guys may want to paint the walls, replace the baseboards, update the electrical outlets and switches, even change the lights in the ceiling if you have them, or install new doors. Every room is different. In addition you have to move everything out of the room, which means housecleaning. Potentially a lot of extra work.
Dust Everywhere
The next big issue is dust. It does not seem to matter how hard you try to control it, But dust just seems to get everywhere. I have taped doors, put towels at the bottom of doors, plugged the vents and it helps a lot but when it comes to sanding that’s when dust seems to find its way everywhere in your house.
Should you remove popcorn ceilings?
So if you’re OK with all that, and your popcorn ceiling has not been painted, it is actually quite easy to remove the popcorn. I use a small portable garden sprayer with water and spray a 4 ft.² section of the ceiling with water, lightly sprayed. Then, I use a scraper with a long handle holding it at about 40° from the ceiling and scrape off the popcorn. I hold a small bin underneath it to catch the material as it comes off the ceiling.
I then use a regular scraper, or trowel, and scrape the same area to make sure there’s very little material left. It makes sanding a lot easier and less time consuming. Once you have the ceiling completed, let it dry for a day, and then sand it. I have a manual sander that goes on the end of a long pole that I used to sand the ceiling. You’re welcome to borrow it. The main thing is to remove any ridges and any material that you missed when you were scraping.
The next step is applying plaster, filling any gouges that you might’ve made and feathering at joints if needed. Sand again and repeat as needed.
Once you’re ready, apply a coat of primer, and then whatever ceiling paint you want to use. It’s a lot of work, tough on the shoulders, but what else have we got to do these days?
Should you remove popcorn ceilings?
There are YouTube videos you can look at, some describing the process I use, other guys attach a scraper to the end of their shop vac hose and do it that way. They make it look easy but I think either way it’s still a lot of work.