Removing Popcorn Ceilings For a Cleaner Finish

Popcorn ceilings are making a comeback.

Just kidding.

If your home has popcorn ceilings, it’s likely becoming more and more of an eyesore and a nuisance.

I recently helped a friend remove a popcorn ceiling. Though I’d never done it before, it only took some grit and spit, and the end result made a dramatic difference in the before and after. The process can be lengthy and test your patience, but here’s what I found to be most useful steps for removing a popcorn finish from a ceiling.

A popcorn ceiling is essentially a spray on finish that uses a blend of Styrofoam or stucco-like materials to hide imperfections and reduce sound. Popcorn ceilings became very popular in the mid-to-late 1900s as a way to expedite the homebuilding process, improve sound pollution in close-connected properties like apartments and townhomes, and even contained fire-retardant materials to prevent damage across those adjoining properties. Unfortunately, when the finish was first introduced, it often contained asbestos.

Many properties throughout the Philadelphia area have popcorn finishes, and it’s safe to assume they’ve lost their appeal (or maybe never had one at all), but the solutions can be a bigger project than most homeowners are willing to tackle.

The first step in the removal process is safety. Popcorn finishes before 1980 may contain asbestos (and possibly a couple years after). If your home is older than 1980 and has a popcorn finish, consult a professional for safe removal and remediation practices. If the home was built before 1978, there’s also the possibility the ceiling had been painted with lead paint then popcorn sprayed over top, adding multiple hazards during removal.

However, if you know the popcorn finish was done after 1980 or you have performed a test with negative results for asbestos, then it’s time to get dirty.

There are several options for popcorn ceiling. Option 1 would be to scrape off the texture and finish the ceiling, so it looks as clean as any standard drywall. Option 2 would be to cover the popcorn with new drywall. Because it involves more money, materials, hands, and feels like the same strategy as tiling over tile, it sounds ridiculous in my opinion but does work. Some people are into that sort of thing. Option 3 is to skim coat the entire ceiling and add a new textured finish. This involves rolling compound on top of the existing popcorn, which does flake and fall when wet. Again, much like Option 2, in my mind it doesn’t solve the original problem, only repackages it.

Any option will be a multi-day project and contain its challenges but for the reasons above I went with Option 1.

Prepping the room is key. Remove all pictures, furniture, light fixtures, etc. because it’s going to be messy. Cover the floor and and cover the walls with plastic as high up as possible, sealing the gaps with tape. That was everything can be rolled up and trashed once the dust has settled.

Plan for ventilation. A fan or dust removal system would be ideal but a mask or respirator and safety glasses is a priority. This isn’t the best job for the winter months because the dust will travel and can vent back in through the returns and clog air filters.

The scraping process is simple, depending on the celling. Spray the ceiling with water one section at a time to break up the finish. I used a cheap gallon water sprayer. Allow a few mintues for the water to soak in then scrape with a knife, either 12 inch or 6 inch for closer edging. Some spots came up with ease. Others not so much. If the ceiling had been painted over at some point, the process may take a few more cycles of spray and scrape. Avoid too much water, especially if you’re only dealing with a few stubborn spots that can be sanded down later.

Additional sanding may be required to take off the final bits and give the ceiling a smooth finish, but it takes a lot more time, work, and creates a bigger mess. If possible, scrape and sand in the same day to remove all the debris and dust at once.

Skim coating over the joints, rough spots, and knife nicks requires more skill and time but ensures the smooth and level finish throughout before painting. If scraping was difficult and left a lot of knife damage, skim coating the entire ceiling may be the most efficient of them all since it requires the least amount of dust.

Depending on the shape of the ceiling after scraping/repairing, the best technique for an even finish is painting the joint compound on the ceiling. By adding water to the compound mixture and stirring, making it more soupy than pasty, you can roll it on like any other paint. Work in sections then smooth it out with a long knife or squeegee, removing the excess.

The edges and corners present some issues because the popcorn often extends down to the top of the wall. It’s likely you’ll need to scrape completely then skim the edges, corners as well as the top of the walls, reinforcing a clean edge. This means priming and painting the top or all of the walls in another step later.

Once all the popcorn is removed and the ceiling is prepped, sanded, and skimmed, it’s time to prime and paint. Old stains may need an oil based primer to avoid bleeding through, but you’ll enjoy the ease of the final coats once the labor intensive steps have been completed.

Despite the time and effort, the difference between a popcorn finish and a smooth finish will be worth it. You’ll realize just how undervalued a ceiling can be in a room. The results will transform the space.