Popcorn Ceiling Removal? (how much, house, buy)

[VR4Jen]

We just bought a house that has popcorn ceilings that need to go, ASAP. I'm looking to spend as little as possible, like no more than $1/sq ft. Craigslist doesn't have much to choose from. Can anyone rec any painting/ceiling fixing handymen in Jax that are dirt cheap and do a decent job??? Thanks.

[one2think]

I don't know of anyone personally, but just a thought...maybe you could call around to some of the more reputable builders and see who would they would suggest. I would then double-check with the better business bureau. I would also make sure they are insured to cover yourself.

[SandmanSand]

If you're able to do it yourself, it's very easy.
Use a 2 gallon tank sprayer (if you own one), if not they're about $8.00 at most home supply stores.
Buy a 10" or 12" drywall blade, maybe $10.00 cost you don't need the best.
Buy a roll of poly plastic for the floor, or use cheap drop cloths, old sheets.

Regular tap water in the sprayer, set the nozzle to a fine mist - not a stream - & don't saturate the popcorn to the drywall.
Spray a workable area big enough to handle before it dries out, take the blade flat against the drywall and gently push w/ forward motion. Wear junky old clothes, or buy some at a thrift store to throw away.
Be careful when scraping right near the taped joints.
Do it in a small test area first, like a closet. It is actually very easy to do.

You'll be able to get almost all of it off this way. Wait a few days and lightly sand the ceilings. When you sand, don't run your a/c you'll have dust throughout the house, unless you like to clean

[The_Texture_Guy]

If you haven't already done so, i have a blog with a great demonstration on how to do this properly.
http://howtoremovepopcorn.com

It will show you by the steps on what to do with some good detailed video

[JimRom]

Do you want dirt cheap or do you want them to do a decent job? You get what you pay for. I consider my rates to be pretty reasonable, but $1/sq. ft. for popcorn removal would end up costing me money.

Here's how the math works: A 15x10 room at $1/sq. ft. comes to $150. On average, to get a smooth paintable surface (which would still have some flaws, unless you skim coat as well), you're looking at about 15 hours including prep and cleanup time. That comes out to $10 an hour.

You can probably find someone to do the job for $10 an hour, but I doubt they would be licensed or insured (which is not only legally required in Duval County, but is also a good idea when you have someone working on your house), and I wouldn't want to vouch for the quality of their work.

Now, this is from the point of view of a handyman who runs a sole proprietorship. In other words, I work alone 95% of the time. Having a crew come in and do it may end up being cheaper in the long run (still don't see it coming in at $1/sq. ft.), since they can have one or two people prepping rooms while others are actually doing the removal, meaning they will get done faster. Your best bet if you are hiring someone is to call around to different companies and get quotes. In this economy, most will give free estimates, so it won't cost anything except your time to find out how much the job will cost.

[The_Texture_Guy]

Originally Posted by JimRom

Do you want dirt cheap or do you want them to do a decent job? You get what you pay for. I consider my rates to be pretty reasonable, but $1/sq. ft. for popcorn removal would end up costing me money.

Here's how the math works: A 15x10 room at $1/sq. ft. comes to $150. On average, to get a smooth paintable surface (which would still have some flaws, unless you skim coat as well), you're looking at about 15 hours including prep and cleanup time. That comes out to $10 an hour.

You can probably find someone to do the job for $10 an hour, but I doubt they would be licensed or insured (which is not only legally required in Duval County, but is also a good idea when you have someone working on your house), and I wouldn't want to vouch for the quality of their work.

Now, this is from the point of view of a handyman who runs a sole proprietorship. In other words, I work alone 95% of the time. Having a crew come in and do it may end up being cheaper in the long run (still don't see it coming in at $1/sq. ft.), since they can have one or two people prepping rooms while others are actually doing the removal, meaning they will get done faster. Your best bet if you are hiring someone is to call around to different companies and get quotes. In this economy, most will give free estimates, so it won't cost anything except your time to find out how much the job will cost.

Remember, jim he may be looking to spray texture on it. in which case you wont have to skim it out. If he does want a skim coat i definatley agree with you and i wouldnt touch it. I could remove a 10 x 15 myself in about 2 hours. which isnt bad. thta is still only 75 an hour which is decent but it should be more. You have to remember, like you said, its easy to get free estimates. Home owners no longer care about quality, which is sad, they want cheap because they can get it, and they will find it, and they will complain about it afterwards, when they never learn. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

[yamahastar]

Doesn't it make a gigantic mess? I think it would be worth it to have someone else take care of all of the mess.

[The_Texture_Guy]

Originally Posted by yamahastar

Doesn't it make a gigantic mess? I think it would be worth it to have someone else take care of all of the mess.

Yes, yes it does. if you watch one of my videos on my blog you will see the mess it makes. a bag of popcorn weighs 50 lbs. it typically takes 4 -5 bags to spray a house ceiling. imagine that falling into plastic, and having plastic fall into plastic, then picking all that up. i probably end up with 300 lbs of garbage bags by the end of a project.

Learn how to remove popcorn ceilings

[Hemlock140]

I have done my house (3,000 sf) over several years as each room needed painting, and yes, it's messy but easy. Before spraying it the don't mud the tape as well as they would with a smooth ceiling so there is some additional prep involved before painting. I'd expect any contractor or handyman charging a fair price to be at $3-5/SF.

When was the home built? If before about 1980 the ceiling may contain asbestos, in which case you're talking about sealing the work area, respirators, hazmat suits and probably $50/sf or more. Most licensed removal specialists have a minimum, $2,000-3,000 for even one room.

[The_Texture_Guy]

Originally Posted by bisjoe

I have done my house (3,000 sf) over several years as each room needed painting, and yes, it's messy but easy. Before spraying it the don't mud the tape as well as they would with a smooth ceiling so there is some additional prep involved before painting. I'd expect any contractor or handyman charging a fair price to be at $3-5/SF.

When was the home built? If before about 1980 the ceiling may contain asbestos, in which case you're talking about sealing the work area, respirators, hazmat suits and probably $50/sf or more. Most licensed removal specialists have a minimum, $2,000-3,000 for even one room.

Wow if that is a fair price then i am severley undercharging at just $1 a sq/ft. then again, i am being underbid for people charging $0.50 a sq/ft. god bless florida!