So we started removing the popcorn ceiling (ceilings, asbestos, electric)
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Anytime you use water with joint compund it effects it. If the popcorn was painted it is harder.Done dry I always found it very easy to spray textrue the ceiling after wards then knockdown if wanted for a easy match.You can use a shop vac with the scraper to eliminate much of the mess falling.
We never had any problem removind popcorn cieling in the same way that you describe. In fact, most of it just fell off when we soaked it with no scraping at all. Using a plastic scraper, we did nto have any gouges to speak of.
Just put 1/8" drywall over the top. It is cheaper and faster. Pud tape finish and paint. It will look fine. If you have crown molding, you will need to remove it.
I'll add this only because I didn't see it mentioned. you can paint a popcorn ceiling. It's just plaster with little Styrofoam balls mixed in. I just did two rooms for a friend. Long nap roller (1 1/4 inch). Works fine...very little "pop" comes off...
Of course it still has the pop corn look....which personally I don't mind...but that's a personal taste thing.
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I have BTDT and personally I would just drywall over it. Cuts down on all that wet and dry popcorn mess. Id rather tape a few seams than skim a whole ceiling. You can get drywall in longer lengths like 12 ' so theres not as many seams. Besides you can skim and sand the ceiling a gazillion times. And even then there no guarantee youll have a smooth flat ceiling.
If your Hell bent on skim coating you might want to try this. Its a little messy but no more so than popcorn removal. Thin topping compound with water and mix it to a thick pancake batter. I use a drill mixer attatchment. Roll it on a 3x3 square with a roller. Skim off with a 24 inch window squeegee. Dries fast with a glass finish once you master the technique. You may need to do several coats.
What year was the house built? Anything before '78 has a good chance of containing asbestos. My '75 house had asbestos in the popcorn ceilings which is why I stopped scrapping it.
If your Hell bent on skim coating you might want to try this. Its a little messy but no more so than popcorn removal. Thin topping compound with water and mix it to a thick pancake batter. I use a drill mixer attatchment. Roll it on a 3x3 square with a roller. Skim off with a 24 inch window squeegee. Dries fast with a glass finish once you master the technique. You may need to do several coats.
Hm, I like this idea. May try this next.
Been busy with last minute moving stuff, but my husband "finished" the ceiling in the bathroom this week. Honestly, its a bathroom ceiling, so not a huge deal to me - but it came out better than I expected when I saw the condition of it after the popcorn was fully off. There's still a few nicks here and there. My husband is going to try the drywall technique next when we do the kitchen, but that is because he will have help getting the drywall to the ceiling. The difficult part seems to be actually getting the drywall to the ceiling to affix it.
What year was the house built? Anything before '78 has a good chance of containing asbestos. My '75 house had asbestos in the popcorn ceilings which is why I stopped scrapping it.
It was built in '81. The contractor I am using for my roof and windows says that he has removed several popcorn ceilings in my neighborhood, none had asbestos.
The difficult part seems to be actually getting the drywall to the ceiling to affix it.
You can either rent a drywall lift or use a step ladder technique. One person themselves can do it, no extra help is required. Super easy with two peeps. I routinely hang drywall ceilings myself.
The lift is super easy. Just put the drywall sheet on the lift, crank it up to the ceiling. The lift holds it in place while you screw it. Easy thing to rent. I sold my lift so did my own ceilings in the present house with the step ladder technique.
You get two tall step ladders that come within about a foot of the ceiling height. Put them into postion. Pick up the drywall sheet and put it resting on their tops flat facing the ceiling ready to be hung. Get into position and lift up one end, put in something to make up just about all the remaining space. A cardboard box stuffed with other cardboard works good. Pick up the other end and insert another cardboard box spacer to hold the drywall sheet within an inch or so of the ceiling. Do the final positioning. You have no real weight or strain once the step ladders are holding the weight. Speed is not essential.
Insert two crutches to pick up all the load of the drywall sheet from the stepladders. Crutches are just 2 x 3" sections made up in a T shape about an inch longer than the ceiling height. You jam them in to hold the drywall flat against the ceiling. Make the top of the T about two foot long. Once the crutches are in place the stepladders can be removed and the drywall sheet screwed into place. The crutches are placed at about the 2 and 6 foot postion along the sheet. They will flex and jam in very tight, kick the bottom with your foot. The height of the crutch is critical, you want it just about 1 inch longer than the ceiling height, this gives the right holding angle. Too long, they want to kick back out and the sheet can fall.
A good experienced crew can just hold the sheets in place, normally they use nails instead of screws for the first dozen or so holding points. Speed is essential. Rookies, even if two or more folks should use the crutches. It removes the strain of the work, makes everything a lot safer. Speed is not that essential. After you have about half of the sheet screwed the crutches can be removed for the rest. Beware of trying to work in the air off stepladders holding the sheets and screwing them into place if you aren't experienced at it. More than two peeps is nice for a rookie crew. I still recommend the use of crutches. There is strain involved and most folks are not fast enough. Crutches eliminate those factors making it much safer.
Last edited by Cosmic; 07-31-2009 at 11:11 AM..
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Use a crutch...............
