stucco ceiling removal in Greater Toronto Area
Stucco Removal
Popcorn ceiling removal Toronto is also known as stipple overhead drywall removal, stucco ceiling removal, or acoustic overhead drywall removal. There are many different types and methods of texturing walls and ceilings, but the stereotypical spray on stucco, widely known as popcorn, is the topic of this post. Then end goal of anyone looking to remove their popcorn Overhead drywall is to attain a finished smooth ceiling.
Why do popcorn overhead drywall removal?
It’s out of date.
Allergens and dirt can stick to its surface.
It can lower the value of a house.
It may contain asbestos (If older than approx. 1977)
It is not cleanable. Needs to be repainted.
It is generally not repairable. A drywall patch can be performed, but it is extremely difficult to seamlessly match the popcorn texture so the patch cannot be seen.
Steps on, popcorn ceiling removal?
Before attempting to remove the textured ceiling make sure it does not contain asbestos. According to the EPA, the use of asbestos in textured ceiling paint was banned in 1977. If you think the popcorn Overhead drywall might be from prior to 1977 then get it tested. Pro-lab is one company that offers an EPA approved asbestos test kit.
Dry scraping is the preferred method if the popcorn has never been painted and is loose enough. You might get lucky and be able to dry scrape entire Overhead drywall in no time.
Wet scraping takes a little more time for stipple ceiling removal. If the popcorn has been painted it is often too difficult to dry scrape. Spraying the entire surface area with a mist of water (a garden sprayer or spray bottle will work) and allowing the water to absorb into the popcorn (usually about 10 to 15 minutes) often is enough to loosen the popcorn allowing it to scrape off easily.
With both of the above methods, you have a choice of covering the floor and allowing the scaped popcorn to fall freely. Or there are several methods that attempt to capture the texture as it is being removed. Several tool makers have a texture ceiling remover that is essentially a 6 to 10-inch scraper attached to a painters pole with a catch bag attached to the scraper end.
I’ve also seen highly effective two-man crews where one guy scrapes the Overhead drywall and the other guy slides a garbage bin along the floor catching the popcorn as it gets removed. Or where the second guy attempts to vacuum up the scrapings at the ceiling in real-time with a shop vac.
Dust Free Power Sanding is by far the cleanest, quickest and most professional way to tackle the job. At Mississauga Handyman we use a Festool Planex dust extracting power sander to both remove popcorn and sand out freshly skim coated ceilings and walls.
Once You Have Removed the Popcorn (Toronto)
After the popcorn is removed you can either sand out the Overhead drywall as it is and paint it. Or for a more uniform finish, it can be skim coated with joint compound (2 or 3 coats), sanded out, primed and painted.
If you are skim coating the entire surface of the ceiling (Level 5 finish) it’s a good idea to mix in some setting type joint compound (like Sheetrock 90) to the premixed wall compound you can purchase in buckets or boxes at your local building supply store. This adds a hardening agent to the joint compound making it less likely to form cracks.
Drywalling over a stucco ceiling
In cases where a stucco Overhead drywall has been painted over many times or contains asbestos, some drywall finishers will elect to install a layer of drywall over the stucco. In these cases, it is easier and safer to add new drywall and create a smooth ceiling by properly taping and finishing drywall seams with joint compound.
Painting or re-painting a popcorn ceiling?
An alternative to removing an old looking popcorn Overhead drywall is to paint or re-paint instead. This is a much smaller job, less expensive, and a lot less messy. The challenge with painting a popcorn ceiling that has never been painted before is that the popcorn is dry and chalky and easily breaks off contaminating the paint roller and potentially the paint. If this is the case use a shorter pile roller (finishing roller) and apply several light coats being careful not to get the popcorn too wet and saturated at one time.
Since popcorn absorbs water it is a good idea to use an oil based primer (like Kilz Odourless) on the first coat of unpainted popcorn.
Let Mississauga Handy have a look at your ceilings!
At Mississauga Handyman we are happy to give you free quotes on your stipple Overhead drywall removal sometimes called acoustic Overhead drywall removal project, we are very good at stucco removal. We do top quality stucco Overhead drywall removal. We do drywall finishing to a smooth Overhead drywall. Ask us about our dust free process of removing stucco Overhead drywalls and delivering smooth ceilings in the cleanest and quickest way possible!
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