All About Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Stucco ceiling explained, more often called popcorn ceiling

Is it worth it to remove popcorn ceiling?

 

A stucco ceiling, also formally known as an acoustic ceiling is distinguished by a certain paint-on or spray-on treatment. It became popular for residential hallway and bedroom ceilings because of its white, bright appearance, acoustical characteristics, and ability to hide imperfections.

 Popcorn ceiling removal difficulties

However, it is difficult to remove, when you no longer need it.  Popcorn (Stucco) ceiling removal involves a lot of patience, a completely cleaned out room, and a big sheet of plastic for the mess. Here are the steps you need to follow before getting started:
1. Determine if the ceiling is painted. – If it is painted, determine if the ceiling was painted with latex or oil.
2. Find out if the ceiling is from during the 70s or earlier. –

 Asbestos in stucco caution

This is because of the possibility that it contains asbestos. When disturbed, asbestos can cause serious problems. Thus, you need to determine the stucco ceiling’s history. If this isn’t possible, try to have some samples sent for analysis. Ask a local building inspector in Mississauga Ontario for help.

 Check to see if the popcorn has been painted

A good tip is to try to pick at the ceiling. If the stucco comes off a bit or comes off like chalk on your fingers there’s a good chance it wasn’t painted. If that’s the case, proceed to clear out the room. Have a good breathing mask as this process will create lots of dust. Have a big sheet of plastic, a ladder, as well as a drywall scraper on hand.

 Preparing to remove the popcorn from the ceiling

Get a spray bottle filled with water. – Spray a section of the ceiling that you can work on from the ladder.  Apply water until the popcorn turns a darker color like a grayish kind of shade.  This turning slightly dark makes it soft to remove once the water has penetrated the popcorn.

Removing popcorn with a scraper

Pick up the scraper and scrape the ceiling little by little. Avoid digging into the ceiling. Being careful like this will make your job a lot easier by keeping the drywall repaired down on the ceiling. Keep the scraper flat, and just go along the surface. The stucco should come right off.

What if my ceiling has been painted?

If the ceiling is painted but you’re unsure if it’s latex or oil, you can add a few drops of dish soap to the spray bottle. Spray a small section of the ceiling to soften the paint.
Oil paint is usually not used on ceilings. This is because most ceiling paints today are latex-based. However, if the paint job was done ages ago, there’s a possibility that the paint used was some oil lead paint. Likewise, you could be dealing with asbestos stucco. This can be quite hazardous – but only if you disturb it. If this is the case, you can:
1. Leave the ceiling alone, and just freshen the ceiling by repainting, adding crown moldings, and working with the stucco.
2. Install a fresh layer of drywall on top. You can find professionals in Mississauga Ontario to do this fast if you’re not handy with ceiling drywall yourself.

What paint should I use to paint the ceiling?

For good quality work, you could hire a professional ceiling repairs service or removal services to fix up the water damage on your ceiling. If you have stucco popcorn and you need art removal services we can replace the stucco popcorn with a nice skim coat of plaster and then prime and paint with Benjamin Moore topline flat ceiling paint. And no one will ever tell you had a popcorn ceiling. Give us a call for a free quote over the phone.

How do we smooth out the ceiling?

Once the removal is complete, use a drywall sander to smoothly sand the ceiling. This may take time.
You can save money by taking the DIY stucco removal route. If you feel confident in leaving a nice smooth flat ceiling no problem but if you damage the ceiling all over the place you can end up paying someone to repair the damages with plaster repair. In this case, the effort of the DIY was wasted. You can then hire drywall installers to smoothen the ceiling and patch seams and holes to prepare the ceiling for painting.

Should I drywall over the ceiling?

The worst-case scenario is having oil-based paint over the old stucco. In this case, it may require the help of drywall installation experts to cut the ceiling out and install a drywall replacement. The job can be completed in no time. You can then place Styrofoam crown molding at the ceiling’s edges to hide scars on the wall. This will help you achieve a stunning look for your ceiling.
It is worth mentioning that if you want to update or renovate a home built sometime in the 70s or earlier, you must be careful with what you may find behind, or in, the walls. Remember that asbestos was commonly used in lots of building materials during the time.

 Where else will I find asbestos?

The same thing usually happens when replacing floor tiles. Once you have dug up two flooring layers and get to the subfloor, you may discover too late that the original tile contains asbestos. Thus, it is important that you first check with local building inspectors to determine if your home used hazardous building products during construction.
Final Word
Stucco ceiling removal is often a difficult and tedious process, but it can be done. Just make sure to follow the tips provided in this post. This way, you can rest easy that your stucco ceiling will be removed and replaced safely. If you are not sure if you are qualified to do it on your own, you can always call on Mississauga handyman services for all your ceiling and drywall repairs.

You might be thinking” can I remove a popcorn ceiling myself?” And then you start thinking “what is the easiest way to remove popcorn ceilings”

What about popcorn ceiling removal costs if I rent a DIY popcorn ceiling removal machine and some popcorn ceiling removal tools? There might be a popcorn ceiling removal machine rental store nearby if you aren’t willing to pay for the service.

Further resources you might want to read  drywall article and popcorn ceiling  and Popcorn Ceiling Removal, Missisauga, Etobicoke, Brampton, Ontario article