drywall help & costs, seattle

Kmatts · 07-07-2005, 09:22 AM

ok guys, back to the drawing board.
the popcorn on the ceilings of my project house are not coming down, they are caked with paint.
so my next solution is to have someone put up drywall over it.
any idea how much this would cost? roughly?
its about 900 sq ft of ceiling.

fyi. the house has plaster walls, so i assume ceilings are too?

and if anyone has a seattle guy that could do the job, my ears are open for a recommendation.

any advice appreciated.

Cheers,
Kyle

billwagnon · 07-07-2005, 02:46 PM

I've looked at the popcorn on my ceilings and thought I could take it off with a ladder and a circular sander. Just a thought exercise so far, but it sounds easier than drywalling over it.

84porsche · 84porsche's Garage

I would think if you wet it /soak it really well it should break up the popcorn or soak with a paint thinner first and then soak with water to break up the popcorn part and scrape. I haven't done our house yet but it is on the list. To put drywall over the existing you are going to make your room(s) much smaller by at least an inch depending on thickness of the drywall. I just demolished a bathroom, now putting it back together is the problem.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

The other thing you need to be concerned with is that the popcorn was put there to cover up cracks in the plaster ceiling, not just to "update" the look, which was the reason alot of people sprayed the popcorn on the ceilings in the 70's. If you do remove it ( spraying with water and scraping, which should do it as mentioned previous) and find cracks, screw along the cracks w/ drywall screws and plaster washers, scrape out the crack with a canopener, mist w/ a spray bottle and fill in w/ new plaster. It's not that tough, and you'll still keep the integrity of the lath and plaster intact.

mikester · 07-07-2005, 03:36 PM

one word: Asbestos.

If the popcorn was put up in the 70s it's likely asbestos; you'll honestly need to have someone who can contain it remove it. Before we moved into our house we paid someone to do it for us the proper way.

MikeSid · 07-07-2005, 03:38 PM

Caked with paint is tough. Usually you can just soak it with water from a spray bottle and it will scrap right off with a wide blade knife. But if it is so covered in paint that you can't saturate the popcorn, drywall might be the easiest option.

I have had Artistic Drywall 360/652-7570 recommended to me by a carpenter friend. Pay 1/2 when it's hung, 1/2 when it's mudded and sanded. I used to do my own drywall and tape and mud. But after my 5th ceiling, no more. Overhead work kills me. So I recently asked for a recommendation, and I trust it, but haven't used them yet. So, for what that's worth, you might want to give them a try.

Kmatts · 07-08-2005, 04:44 AM

thanks for all the advice guys, this stuff is not coming down with a scraper. I used very hot & soapy water. there is a ton of paint on it. drywall is the only way to do this. the previous homeowner said there was not asbestos in it, but if there is, at least this will contain it.
MikeSid. you have a PM.
Kyle