If you want to get rid of a popcorn ceiling in your home, knowing how to do it safely is important. This is especially true if you have a popcorn ceiling installed before 1979, as some of these may contain asbestos, a mineral that can be very harmful if inhaled at high levels.

Prepare the Room

Removing popcorn ceilings has become a popular home improvement project among homeowners looking to update their homes. It’s also a good idea for those trying to sell their home to hire a popcorn ceiling removal company, as removing a popcorn ceiling can make your property more appealing to potential buyers.

Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring professionals, several things must be done before you start scraping off the ceiling. These steps will ensure that the room is prepared properly, saving you time and money in the long run.

First, test the popcorn texture to see if it contains asbestos fibers (this can happen in older homes with spray-on textures). Asbestos is a known respiratory hazard and must be removed by certified asbestos abatement contractors.

If you have asbestos in your popcorn, the next step is to construct a plastic containment area around each ceiling area you’re removing. You’ll need to cover all walls and floors within the containment area with polyethylene sheeting to ensure that all asbestos debris will be contained during removal.

Next, thoroughly wet the area with water and a fabric softener or paint conditioner before scraping off the popcorn. This will make it easier to remove the material from your ceiling, and it will help to sanitize your work area as well.

Remove All Furniture

Removing popcorn ceilings is a rewarding DIY project for homeowners who want to create an appealing atmosphere. However, before you start this project, make sure that you follow the step-by-step guide below to help ensure that your work goes smoothly and without a mess.

The first step in removing popcorn ceilings is to remove all furniture from the room. This will help minimize the cleanup you must do after the project is complete and prevent any unnecessary damage to your floors and walls.

Once the furniture is removed, cover the floor and the bottom 16 inches of each wall with thick plastic sheeting. This will keep the dust to a minimum and allow you to move around freely.

Next, lightly dampen the ceiling using a garden sprayer or spray bottle. This will help to loosen the texture and make it easier to scrape off. Do not oversaturate the ceiling, as this will result in the tearing of the sheetrock underneath it.

Before starting, you should conduct an asbestos test to make sure that there is no danger. This is important because asbestos was used in many textured paints, patching compounds, and drywall before its ban by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1977.

If the ceiling contains asbestos, you should hire a professional contractor to remove it safely. This will save you time and money in the long run and ensure the job is done safely.

Cover the Floor and Walls with Plastic Drop Cloths

Removing popcorn ceilings is a great way to improve your home’s appearance and increase its value. But it’s also a messy project that requires tools and chemicals.

Before you start, move all the furniture out of the room and cover the floor and walls with plastic drop cloths. This will help protect you and your neighbors from injuries while you work.

Next, spray the ceiling with water using a garden sprayer to soften it and make scraping easier. Be sure to spray only small sections at a time, as oversaturating the ceiling may damage the drywall.

After damping the ceiling, slowly peel it back with a wide drywall scraper. This process can take a long time, especially in larger rooms.

Once you’ve removed all the textures, you can prime and paint the ceiling. The paint will hide the popcorn, but it can also affect how light or dark the ceiling is.

In addition, covering the ceiling with a drywall texture can reduce dust and increase acoustic qualities in the space. This is a good option for older homes with textured ceilings that might contain asbestos.

Start Scraping

When you’re ready to begin scraping popcorn ceilings, the first thing to do is ensure your work area is thoroughly clean. This includes making sure there are no pets, furniture, or anything else in the room that could be affected by the popcorn material you will be scraping off.

Next, cover each room(s) floor where removal occurs with 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheets. These are designed to protect the drywall and flooring from the wet popcorn debris you will be scraping off. Be sure to overlap the edges of each sheet by about a foot on each side so that the ceilings will not be damaged when you scrape around corners and edge areas. Tape all seams between floors and walls with duct tape to keep the plastic in place while working.

Before scraping, wet the ceiling with a garden sprayer to soften the popcorn substance. This will make the scraping process easier and help prevent drywall damage.

Once the popcorn substance is wet, use a scraping tool with a wide blade and start carefully making your way around the room in small sections. If you have trouble getting a particular section off, wet it again with the garden sprayer and try it again.