How to remove Popcorn from ceilings advice

[Seldom Seen #16162]

The wife has decreed that when she retires we are moving to Texas. She is a native Texican and wants to be close to our daughter and grandkids.

 

She has been spending a lot of time looking at homes for sale. Last night she said we need to scrape the Popcorn stuff that is on the ceiling and then paint the ceilings.

 

So does anyone know of less than messy way to remove that stuff?

Edited December 31, 2016 by Seldom Seen #16162

[Alpo]

I did it with a 8" flat knife. Weren't nowheres near "less than messy".

 

I've been told the pros do it pretty much the same, except they've somehow got a shop vac attached to the knife, so as they scrape it loose the vac sucks it away.

 

Like a dust collector on your table saw.

 

Maybe they'd have such a rig at a tool rental place?

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-Ceiling-Texture-Scraper-for-Popcorn-Ceiling-Removal-6104/202061374

 

http://v015o.popscreen.com/eGVnNjhzMTI=_o_how-to-remove-a-popcorn-ceiling.jpg

 

or you can hold a vacuum hose near as you scrape.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

The scraper with the bag has possibilities especially on the vaulted ceilings.

 

A vacuum nozzle attached to a scraper would be great for the lower ceilings.

 

Now where is the duct tape and wire....

[Michigan Slim]

There is no way to make the job not suck. Suck less -maybe. But it still sucks..... Sorry. But have fun!

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Go out of town and have a Fire??

[Bad Bascomb, SASS # 47,494]

We did this (had it done ) this year. Wife diagnosed with dustmite allergy, so '76 vintage ceilings had to go. Hired local VERY handy handyman and his wife who work like a well-oiled machine and they did the whole house. We just moved critical items out of the way. Took a week, done during summer so windows could be open and fans running...

about as painless as could be.

Looks real nice.

She paid for it out of her SS fund. Even nicer.....

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

Just a thought, make sure you wear some sort of respirator while doing this. On one of the TV fixer upper shows they did this but the popcorn stuff had asbestos in it, so be careful. I have a couple of ceilings I want to do myself as they are starting to peel off anyway.

[Charlie Whiskers]

Don't do it dry. I used a 2 gallon weed sprayer and warm water with liquid fabric softener (less than a cup) to dampen the popcorn. Then take a lid from a garbage can and hold under where you scrape with a flat knife. No dust and not much to clean up afterwards ; plus zero dust. Don't do more area than you can reach to scrape from a step stool or ladder.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Charlie Whiskers

[Seldom Seen #16162]

We had the house built in 2001 so asbestos is not a concern.

 

What is a problem is trying to keep all of the dust spreading though out the house and all over thing.

 

I am going to practice on a downstairs unused bedroom first.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Ah...

 

Dampen it first sounds like a great idea.

[Alpo]

The dust set off the smoke detector. Freaky.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Alpo

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

Room by room.

Using plastic sheet, cover all doorways so dust does not go from room to room.

Cleanup each room as you go.

 

You can scrape and prep the room.

You can even paint it if you isolate each room.

They you only have to cover the doors once.

[Ethan Cord]

Professionals use water to dampen it first. The pump up sprayer Charlie mentioned will work well, just use painters plastic on the floors. This only works well if the acoustic spray has not been painted. If it has been painted it will be tougher to remove.

 

The next step will be finishing the taping and/or applying some other type of texture to cover the one coat of tape and mud that was installed under the acoustic spray. The ceilings do not typically get the full 3 to 4 coats of drywall mud on them when acoustic spray is used.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

I might also suggest keeping the lid on the popper until it's done popping

[Sedalia Dave]

Definitely dampen first. Eliminates the dust and makes it easier to remove.

 

Cover the floors and up the wall to at least the top of the baseboards with a large sheet of plastic drop to catch any that falls to the floor

 

Rig up a low scaffold so you can cover a larger area rather than using a ladder. I used cinder blocks and a 2X12 so that i could cover an area about 3 feet wide by 10 feet long. Much easier than constantly moving a ladder.

 

My shop vac had an 4X6 attachment for the large hose. I used 2 hose clamps and a couple of wedges to clamp a scraper to the attachment so that as I scraped it fell into the shop vac attachment. This caught 90% of the material.

 

99.99% chance that after the popcorn is removed the ceilings will have to be re mudded before they can be painted.

 

If you are selling the house I would leave the ceilings alone. I highly doubt that you will get enough extra in the sale price to cover the expense much less the hassle of removing the popcorn and remudding the ceilings.

 

I removed it from ONE house because the ceilings were heavily smoked by a fire place used incorrectly the previous owner. Before I do it again I'll paint over it.

[Pat Riot]

That job seriously s***s. Been there done that. The last house we had with popcorn I painted it. I will never remove that stuff again. Period.

 

When I painted it I went over the whole ceiling with a stiff bristle whisk broom. I used a nappy roller and I painted it with a latex semi-gloss paint to reflect a little more light. I used 2 good coats and I rolled it in 2 different directions and it came out great.

[Johnny Dollar]

My wife wanted the same thing in out house a couple years ago. I did it the easy way. I hired painters that did it..... They came in one day, I left for work and when I came back it was all gone!

But I will say that it was a mess.... but they took care of that too.

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

We just covered ours with some beautiful shiplap.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

I am planning on expending the dining room in a couple of years. When we do so I will have the contractor redo the vaulted ceiling in the living room. In addition lots of repainting, new flooring and carpet.

 

As I am a d-I-y type the other rooms I will do myself. As I said I am going to practice on a unused basement room this year.

 

My tentative budget for everything is $10,000 which should boost the asking price for it to $300,000. This means some updating is needed.

 

Right now our timetable for selling and moving is 6 years unless my wife gets a good early retirement buy-out.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Seldom Seen #16162

[Rev Willy Dunkum, SASS # 61027]

Don't do it dry. I used a 2 gallon weed sprayer and warm water with liquid fabric softener (less than a cup) to dampen the popcorn. Then take a lid from a garbage can and hold under where you scrape with a flat knife. No dust and not much to clean up afterwards ; plus zero dust. Don't do more area than you can reach to scrape from a step stool or ladder.

Exactly the way I do it except I only do about a 4 ft square area at a time with just warm water in a spray bottle. Goes quickly and no mess.

 

Rev

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Check - two wide scrappers

 

Check - small spray bottle and two gallon sprayer

 

Check - Large trash can and lid to catch debris

 

Check - Convenient size ladder

 

Uncheck - Move furniture out of room....

[Dorado]

I'm a contractor and have done lots of ceilings. Here's the simple way if the popcorn hasn't been painted.

Get you a spray bottle, I use a garden sprayer. Fill with hot water.

Get a wide putty knife 6" or better and a smaller one for corners. Stiff works best.

You'll also need lots of drop cloths and old clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty.

Remove all furniture, cover everything with drop cloths.

Spray ceiling with hot water let soak for a minute then scrape. It should come off cleanly and easily. If not add more water.

 

If it's been painted......good luck.

 

You should be able to scrape a bedroom sized ceiling in an hour or so depending on how many things are sticking out of it.

I have a 3' painters shield on a long handle and have been able to scrape a 20x15 ceiling in a few minutes only needing a ladder and a small knife for close in work.