Before you start removing this texture from your ceiling there are a few things that you should know.  The first, and most important, is that some popcorn ceiling textures contain asbestos.  There are tests that can be purchased or professionals that can test it.  You will want to take samples from different parts of your home.  Just because one room does not contain asbestos, it does not mean others won’t.  If your ceiling has asbestos DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE IT YOURSELF.  There are companies that you can hire to remove or encapsulate the asbestos safely.  This can be costly, but your health is more important than removing the ceiling texture or saving money.

If you decide to move forward with the removal project you will still want to protect yourself.  You will want to have eye protection and something to prevent the particles in the air from entering your lungs.  You can see what I used below.  You may use something better if you choose.  I found this to work ok.

In addition to the protection mentioned above, there are a few materials that you will need for the project.  The first is a sprayer.  The sprayer will allow you to wet the ceilings to help with removal.  Something like the one pictured below works best.

You will also need a popcorn ceiling scrapper, a hand scrapper, and an extension pole.  You will likely also want bags to clip onto the popcorn ceiling scrapper, as well as, painter’s plastic to put on the floors.  In the example below you will see I don’t use the bags or plastic due to the fact that the carpets will be replaced towards the end of the project.

Preparation is the most important part of popcorn ceiling removal.  Good prep work will help make sure it is not as messy and will also make the finished product look much nicer.  Put the painter’s plastic on the floor and make sure that it is covering as much as possible.  Next clip the bag onto the end of the popcorn ceiling scrapper using the clips provided.  Then attach the scrapper to the extension pole.  At this point you are ready to start.

Using the sprayer full of water, spray the ceiling down to loosen the texture.  Let it soak in for 10-15 minutes.  You can spray a decent amount of water without damage to the drywall on the ceiling.  If you are worried about it then use the water sparingly.  You can always spray more if it is not enough.  If you did not use enough water, the texture will come off in crumbles and it will be difficult to get it off.  With an adequate amount of water, the popcorn texture should come off easily in sheets.

When you get to the edges of the rooms you can use the hand scrapper to get off the rest of the popcorn texture.  This will allow you to spend more time to achieve even edges.  Smooth transitions from ceiling to wall will make the paint lines look cleaner when you go to paint the room.

The final product should look something like the picture below.  You will be able to see tape lines, but they will be covered up with new texture, primer, and paint.  At this point I would use the scrapper with some spackling and fill in any gashes, cuts, gouges, or other imperfections.  There are several different texture techniques that you can use on the ceiling so I will not go into them here,  I will tell you that I used spray can ceiling texture.  It is very easy to use, but it might not be the best for your application.  No matter what technique you use, you will want to make sure that you prime the walls before painting.  It is cheaper to buy a few cans of primer than it will be to buy extra cans of paint.

Removing popcorn ceilings can make your home look updated, and could result in an increase of value to your home.  If you have any questions about anything I have talked about please don’t hesitate to ask.  Also if you have used a technique that is cheaper or more efficient than this please share it.  Thank you for following my blog, and best of luck with your home improvement projects!