Lessons Learned - Popcorn removel (floors, how much, color, ceilings)

[jhlcomp]

We finally had the popcorn removed from the ceiling in our master bedoom and laundry room.

We are not new to remodeling and have done extensive work on our home and others. We are not immune to dust. Popcorn removal was a new experience and one that I want to share with you.

Here is what happened to us. We had a reputable company do the work. We had the popcorn removed and the ceiling skim coated (flat) and painted white. The room was covered with plastic which was taped to the walls. Owners are notified in advance that some of the paint may come off when the tape is removed.

The wrong tape was used on our walls. And the workmen didn't care how much paint and to what extent came off. We had to sand the walls, use compound, sand again, and repaint.

The ceiling was painted white which we wanted. There were a couple of spots that they missed. I was told they used Kilz 2 and when I used it, it wasn't the same color and turned out, they didn't use the same product.

Know this if you choose to remove a popcorn ceiling:

1. There will be more dust than you can ever imagine and then some.
2. When hiring someone, find out what tape they are using and do a visual. Better yet, tape the walls yourself and remove yourself - ask for a discount from the company.
3. If your ceiling is being painted, insist having a quart for touchups.
4. Best time to do this is before or after moving when the house is empty.

FYI - a neighbor down the street from us had the same job done by a different company and had the same experience.

Now to my next project ...

[sgresident]

Is it really that bad? I was going to try to do it myself! Our house is really dated because of the popcorn ceiling. it is in our family room..vaulted ceiling so we can't do that ourselves. it is in the dining room, living room and hallway. also, we have a room upstairs(our loft area) that is a combo of computer room, spare bedroom etc. it is pretty large as it is over the garage. So, you are saying not to try myself? I haven't even looked for companies to do it. How was the price for removal?

[Cecilia_Rose]

Just curious. I wonder what the cost comparison would be to drywall over it. I do my own drywalling so I dont know what professionals charge. I usually drywall over it. I figure Im gonna have to patch and seam anyway since they never do a good job of mudding under the popcorn. So I might as well do seams on fresh dryall and save myself all that scraping and wet icky popcorn falling on my head..

[Cecilia_Rose]

I almost forgot . If it fits your house stye beadboard makes a nice ceiling. It can be either painted or stained or just clear coated.

Its a little more expensive than drywall but no sanding and you can DIY it. Also the strips are a lot lighter than dywall. Good for us old peeps who have a hard time carrying drywall.

[Donn2390]

It's easy to remove if done correctly. You use a Hutson sprayer and soak the popcorn with water. It then will scrape right off with a wide scraper. then simply mask and paint. it's a simple, easy, inexpensive process if done by someone who knows what they are doing.
sounds like you hired a clown...!

[TexasHorseLady]

Be sure to have it checked first for asbestos, if it's an older house (older than about 1979). If it does contain asbestos, you'll likely want to have it removed professionally.

[harry chickpea]

Donn is right. No need to remove it dry. Spray it with water and spade (actually what we used to call an ice chopper) it off.

[jhlcomp]

Actually the ceiling came out very well - it's just the prep work that was the nightmare. Just be prepared for the dust and other issues that I mentioned.

And, yes, the taking off is the easy part - it's the skim coating and sanding that was something I could not do. :-)

[MrsSteel]

I did this myself in my dining room and half bath. It's simple, but labor intensive and extremely messy. There's a lot of prep work involved (covering the floors and walls in plastic or paper). And you'll need a hat, a face mask and tight goggles to protect your face from the popcorn balls (you do NOT want to get this stuff in your eyes!). You would not believe how many pounds of stuff will come off in one room. The dust gets EVERYWHERE, but the effort is worth it. My ceilings looks so much better than before. I plan on scraping the ceiling of my breakfast nook next. Someday I want to tackle the rest of the main floor of our house, but frankly I'd rather hire somebody to do the scraping for me. Painting the ceiling wasn't too bad, but scraping the ceilings was very tough on my arms and back.

[Cecilia_Rose]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

I did this myself in my dining room and half bath. It's simple, but labor intensive and extremely messy. There's a lot of prep work involved (covering the floors and walls in plastic or paper). And you'll need a hat, a face mask and tight goggles to protect your face from the popcorn balls (you do NOT want to get this stuff in your eyes!). You would not believe how many pounds of stuff will come off in one room. The dust gets EVERYWHERE, but the effort is worth it. My ceilings looks so much better than before. I plan on scraping the ceiling of my breakfast nook next. Someday I want to tackle the rest of the main floor of our house, but frankly I'd rather hire somebody to do the scraping for me. Painting the ceiling wasn't too bad, but scraping the ceilings was very tough on my arms and back.

Originally Posted by jhlcomp

Actually the ceiling came out very well - it's just the prep work that was the nightmare. Just be prepared for the dust and other issues that I mentioned.

And, yes, the taking off is the easy part - it's the skim coating and sanding that was something I could not do. :-)

I did all that once. Once was enough for me. Thats why I drywall over it now.