How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

You can also test the popcorn ceiling yourself for asbestos by taking a few small samples of the popcorn ceiling and sending them to a lab for analysis. Check your local phone book or on the internet for local asbestos testing labs in your area. They can provide you with test kits and explain how to take the samples safely.

Tools for Removing Popcorn Ceiling

Once you’re certain that your popcorn ceiling is asbestos free you can move forward and remove the popcorn ceiling. First you’ll need to gather the right tools for the job. You’ll need the following items.

• Safety glasses and mask
• Six inch putty knife
• Spray bottle with water
• Small step ladder
• Bucket
• Polyethylene plastic

Removing Popcorn Ceiling First, lay polyethylene plastic on the floor so that any dropped popcorn ceiling mixture doesn’t end up on your flooring. Then put on your safety glasses and mask and get ready for some fun! The main trick to removing a popcorn ceiling is to work in small areas at a time. Use you spray bottle to dampen a small area, e.g. approximately a 2 square foot area. Be careful not to over wet the area. Again you want to dampen the popcorn ceiling, not drench it.

Drenching the ceiling could cause damage to the drywall that sits underneath the popcorn ceiling material.

After the water has had about a minute to absorb the water use your putty knife to gently scrape away and push off the popcorn ceiling. Be careful not to gouge the drywall and cut the drywall paper facing. Dump the scraped off popcorn ceiling in your bucket and continue with this process until you’ve removed the entire popcorn ceiling. You’re neck and arms are going to get pretty sore, so take your time.

Once you’ve removed the popcorn ceiling you can then lightly sand the ceiling with a pole sander, and then prime and paint it to complete the project.