Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite
  1. Sand off tops of "popcorn bumps" with rotary sander or multi tool (like bosch multi-x).
  2. Spray with vinegar and water.
  3. Use elbow grease and a scraper or hope this happens:

http://youtu.be/74rr71tZN8U

share|improve this question
Audioslaves mind melting riffs, also melt popcorn ceilings. – Tester101♦ May 31 '12 at 11:50
1  
I don't feel I have the expertise to actually add an answer, but I just soaked the crap out of mine three times while waiting a while in between, then used a 6 inch putty knife to scrape it down. Once it was wet enough it came down very easily. The only problem I ran into was when I got impatient and tried to scrape while it hadn't soaked in yet. – bshacklett May 31 '12 at 16:42
so the water managed to soak in through the paint? or through the cracks you were making? – skybreaker Jun 6 '12 at 10:45

3 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

If the popcorn finish is fairly even throughout, and you can afford to lose just a bit of headroom, one method is to skim over it with thin wallboard (3/8 is generally available and 1/4 can be special ordered). This is put up in sheets and screwed to the underlying structure (which needs to be located with a stud finder or the poke-with-an-awl method). Then taping, mudding (filling the joints), sanding the joints and painting. Sounds like a big job, but usually less time consuming than taking down the popcorn surface.

share|improve this answer
You'll have to mud and sand the joints afterwards anyway. The reason the ceiling was 'popcorned' was to save on labor costs of making it perfectly smooth. – Doresoom Jul 11 '12 at 15:47
Coincidentally, this issue was addressed in a New York Times article today: nytimes.com/2012/07/12/garden/… – bib Jul 13 '12 at 3:17
up vote 3 down vote

A friend of mine removed the popcorn from the ceilings and it was quite the project / mess.

Water if it soaks through to the drywall can damage the paper on the drywall. If that happens, you'll need to cut out the damaged paper, prime, patch with a joint compound (finish the surface) then prime and paint

I would probably just try using a putty knife or drywall knife - 6 inches maybe? And scrape it off.

If you were gonna drywall over it like bib said, remove the old drywall first. Why leave it up there? Cut the corners, pull down the drywall / screws and re-drywall properly. Cost difference between 1/2 inch drywall and 3/8 or 1/4 is negligible and in the process, may allow you to run electrical for new lighting, ceiling speakers, etc...

share|improve this answer
Ceiling drywall is usually installed prior to the wall drywall. When I had to replace several sheets on my ceiling, it was pretty difficult to get a whole sheet lined up and seated above the wall drywall. Even though I was using a drywall lift, it would have been much easier if I had someone helping me. – Doresoom Jul 11 '12 at 15:50
I agree that removing the old drywall and screws (or nails) is the preferred method if you are up for the demolition and haul away. Drywall is tough to handle without a partner, but there are new lightweight versions that are a bit easier to handle. – bib Jul 12 '12 at 19:05
up vote 1 down vote

I agree with Mario on the hesitation to use any liquids on drywall. If you don't want to replace the drywall (which is a good suggestion), then this would be my process:

After knocking off the loose popcorn with a drywall knife, I'd make a pass or two with a screen sander on a pole, and then one final pass with a wide drywall knife to knock off any high spots. Then clean the surface of dust and apply a layer of premixed joint compound over the entire surface to cover all the blemishes. Keep the layers thin and you may consider adding a little water and dish soap to the mix to make it apply smoother (tip from Shirlock). Use a wide drywall knife and do your best to avoid any ridges. Lightly sand the result with the same screen sander on a pole, fix any small blemishes with a sponge sander, cleanup the dust, and paint.

Realize that popcorn is frequently used to hide blemishes and a poor quality drywall installation. So before applying the joint compound, I'd shine a light at a sharp angle to see your problem areas.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.