Removing Popcorn Ceilings

Removing a popcorn-textured ceiling may seem time-consuming, but it pays big dividends in the look of any room. A flat ceiling surface and (of course) a fresh coat of flat ceiling paint will make your bedroom, living room, or kitchen seem bigger, brighter and more inviting. It's actually very easy removing popcorn ceilings, but many people are discouraged by the resulting mess and clean-up of material. Most of the hard work, as in painting walls or woodwork, is in preparation. A few simple steps before you start removing popcorn ceilings will make a big difference in the job.

First things first: remove anything you can from the room to be worked in. Getting wet popcorn material on your furniture or tables adds to the clean-up time and can be easily avoided simply by moving what you can. Cover remaining large objects with inexpensive plastic sheeting that can be simply picked up and disposed of.

Covering the floor area with a large plastic drop-cloth or disposable covering is next. Removing popcorn ceilings will create some mess, no matter how carefully you've prepared, so cover as much as you can in the area you're working above. Again, it's a good thing to work with plastic that can be picked up and put in heavy, 3-mil contractor bags so the wet popcorn material doesn't leak through.

Removing popcorn ceilings is more than a one-day job, so plan ahead. Take your time with these two steps, do them carefully, and you'll save a lot of time and energy later!

There's a possibility your popcorn ceiling material may contain asbestos. For $25 and a quick look in the local yellow pages or on the internet, you can have a sample tested before you begin removing large areas of potentially hazardous popcorn. Whether or not your popcorn material contains asbestos, a set of goggles and a filter mask for your nose and mouth are common-sense tools for this job, too.