[tater03]

How do you redo your ceiling if you want to get rid of popcorn ceilings? Thanks, I so hate the looks of them.

[stav]

popcorn ceilings??? I assume its some sort of rough type rendering, like artex? when we moved into our current house the ceilings had this strange swirly plaster effect.. and others had what looked like sand mixed intothe paint...

We had to get a plasterer in to put a light 'skim' of plaster over all of them..

[tater03]

Yes, it is like what you are describing. I have no idea how you do them. But at one time popcorn ceilings were really popular. That is probably why you see so many with them.

[stav]

It is probably going to mean getting a plasterer in to put on a thin layer then tater03... not cheap either..

[HereToday]

This is a new term to me; by "popcorn ceilings"; do you mean the ceilings that look like cottage cheese? That's what we always called them..,
I have the swirly-textured ceilings, the same as the walls, and I like them much better than the cottage cheese I've had forever.

[jason]

The only solution I have really found is to scrape them off. It is messy though. Just lightly wet a small area with a water spray bottle and then use a putty knife. I found a picture so you can see what I am referring too.

I am assuming this is the type of texture you are referring too.


I have heard people sanding it down. I think this would create a lot of dust however.

[stav]

I tried the scraping it it off method Jason, and it is a nightmare.. not least because of breathiing in all the dusty fragments.. and that it takes hours and is very labour intensive.. and we are talking about being perched up on a ladder and being bent up at an awkward angle.. then getting down, moving the ladder, scraping another small bit etc... not very efficient!

[tater03]

Thanks for the information. I agree that it would be labor intensive but I don't have thousands of dollars to hire someone to do it at the moment so it would be a DIY or save it until I do have the money.

[stav]

Have a go in a smaller room in a corner that doesn't show, and see how it goes. Don't start a mammoth task and find you have to abandon it, leaving things looking a mess.

You may find that the cost of getting a pro in to do it properly is worth it in the end.

[chris1203]

Originally Posted by tater03

Yes, it is like what you are describing. I have no idea how you do them. But at one time popcorn ceilings were really popular. That is probably why you see so many with them.

I don't have any expertise in this matter but, from what the others posters have said, it can be both time consuming and expensive to fix this problem. Since they are on the ceiling, do you think that it is worth all of that?