ugly hideous textured ceiling

[Paul T]

At the risk of offending those who "like" textured ceilings, I pose the following question - has anyone had success removing texture by means other than ripping out the drywall and starting fresh?

We moved in a 2 yrs ago and every ceiling surface, and I mean every one - is textured - and I'm slowly growing to hate it. A lot. It's not popcorn, but a hard texture. The way I see it, here are my options:

1) sand it. It seems to me you will never get a perfect surface though and then THAT will just replace the texture as something to drive me nuts. Not to mention it would take forever.

2) screw a sheet of drywall over it. Would work in some rooms, not as easy in others.

3) move

4) take the 911 out for a drive and forget about it. (not today, it's snowing).

Anyone ever tackle this and have any advice?

[89911]

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infpai/popcornoff.html

Lots of stuff on the web about this. I would think the easiest is to "knock it down" with a stiff drywall knife and see if that is better. If not, then a thin skim of drywall mud after and be done.

[Dave L]

I think you scrape it with a putty knife to get it off, at least thats what they show in all those "flipping" shows. I would recommend buying a bigger TV and spend time looking at that instead of the ceiling.

[cl8ton]

I removed all of mine.

Get a pump-up water sprayer and wet sections at a time. Just enough to get it to turn dull.

Wait 10 min then it scrapes off easily with a 8in putty knife right down to the dry wall.
Makes one helluva mess though!

[Rot 911]

I removed the popcorn from the ceilings in three rooms in our old house. Easy to do, but a bit messy. You will really need to remove everything from the room you are going to do. Then lay throw away paper tarps down on the floor. Get a spray bottle and a 6" metal putty knife. Get up on your ladder and spray down a section of the ceiling within arms reach. You will get the hang of how much water to put on pretty quick. Wait about 30 seconds or so and the popcorn will scrape right off leaving the drywall in perfect condition. It will actually come off without the water, but the water makes the popcorn clump up and you don't have dust all over the room.

[javadog]

You say it's not popcorn, but a hard texture. If it's done with drywall mud and a trowel, you are better off removing the drywall and starting all over. Trying to skim coat it and get it flat again isn't worth the trouble. Frankly, you'd have to be a genius with a trowel to get it flat again; nobody I know can do it and I've been around construction since the 70's. Oblique light will show every flaw in the ceiling.

Drywall comes down quickly and doesn't cost much to get put back up. I'd pull it down myself and hire a crew to put it back up.

[cab83_750]

Be cautious about this project. Some 'popcorn' may contain a small amount of lead. You may want to have it tested so you may be fully aware of your health exposure. Using the water-route will definitely lessen your lead-inhalation.

I am pursuing this project at the moment. I have the downstairs bedroom all emptied for a renovation (ceiling, floor, walls....).

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Scrape it.

I personally despise that "popcorn" crap. It's effective at creating diffuse light in a room but it looks VERY ugly, IMHO. Architecturally, I think ceiling treatments are among the most neglected aspects of interior space planning. 99% of it is either flat gyp, flat ACT or popcorn crap. Very seldom do you see any articulation or expression on the ceiling any more. . .

Sounds like it might be an opportunity to do something interesting with lighting, form, material, color or some/all of the above. . .

[Rot 911]

My bad, I need to read closer. If it is truly some type of plaster base texture then javadog is right, pull the drywall down and start over.

[cab83_750]

Originally Posted by Paul T

........ It's not popcorn, but a hard texture. The way I see it, here are my options:.....

+1 on My Bad!


Boy, we are all getting old (can't read, can't comprehend.....) Guys, it is not popcorn!!!!!!!!

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by cl8ton

I removed all of mine.

Get a pump-up water sprayer and wet sections at a time. Just enough to get it to turn dull.

Wait 10 min then it scrapes off easily with a 8in putty knife right down to the dry wall.
Makes one helluva mess though!

wear a mask and goggles too, asbestos in that stuff more often than not, better to leave it where it is

Yours is probably texture done in drywall mud, tear down the sheet rock or put mud over it

[tcar]

Talking about 2 different things here.

The 'popcorn' ceilings, if installed before about 1980, have asbestos in them. It's nothing to fool with.

[Palum6o]

Originally Posted by tcar

Talking about 2 different things here.

The 'popcorn' ceilings, if installed before about 1980, have asbestos in them. It's nothing to fool with.

Very true... after reaserching the whole asbestos thing lately, you should have some of that material checked for asbestos content. Since the popcorn material is relatively pliable, it could be more of a PITA than you think.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Scrape it.

I personally despise that "popcorn" crap. It's effective at creating diffuse light in a room but it looks VERY ugly, IMHO. Architecturally, I think ceiling treatments are among the most neglected aspects of interior space planning. 99% of it is either flat gyp, flat ACT or popcorn crap. Very seldom do you see any articulation or expression on the ceiling any more. . .

Sounds like it might be an opportunity to do something interesting with lighting, form, material, color or some/all of the above. . .

POP - could not agree with you more, which is probably why I despise this so much! I'm in awe of some of the ceiling treatments I see in some older homes (carved wood, copper, etc) and would love to do something like that at some point in a room or 2. As with most things, the details make all the difference.

For the record, it's not true "popcorn", but rather a hard texture, I think done with drywall compound. I'm leaning toward ripping it out a room at a time as suggested...

Thanks for the advice. I'll post pics of the "fun" once it begins...

[alf]

Originally Posted by Paul T

4) take the 911 out for a drive and forget about it. (not today, it's snowing).

I vote for this

You are bored and been cooped up all Winter staring at the ceiling. Spring is around the corner and you will hate yourself for starting this now and not able to get out and play Save it for next Winter.

[MT930]

Drywall Sander w/Dust Collection - 7800
by Porter-Cable | Model Number: 7800
http://www.absolutehome.com/web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=82102&cm_ven=Froogle&cm_cat=Tools&cm_pla=Porter-Cable&cm_ite=Porter-Cable-Power%20Tools-82102&cid=8D45529139C02B914B663BA79EF78347

Dam messy no matter what you do.

I would vote for a drive in the car and a stiff drink afterward to help you forget about doing anything.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by cab83_750

Be cautious about this project. Some 'popcorn' may contain a small amount of lead. You may want to have it tested so you may be fully aware of your health exposure. Using the water-route will definitely lessen your lead-inhalation.

I am pursuing this project at the moment. I have the downstairs bedroom all emptied for a renovation (ceiling, floor, walls....).

some may have abestos in them. Everytime we encounter them, its cheap insurance to get them look at by a lab. $50-60 deal.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by MT930

Drywall Sander w/Dust Collection - 7800
by Porter-Cable | Model Number: 7800
http://www.absolutehome.com/web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=82102&cm_ven=Froogle&cm_cat=Tools&cm_pla=Porter-Cable&cm_ite=Porter-Cable-Power%20Tools-82102&cid=8D45529139C02B914B663BA79EF78347

Dam messy no matter what you do.

I would vote for a drive in the car and a stiff drink afterward to help you forget about doing anything.

Those thing works. My drywall contractor uses it on every one of our jobs. Duat is cut down by 70-80 %. You just have to have a little partice.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Ditto on the PC sander, they work very well. Paul, if you want to install some sort of wood or copper ceiling, why not just overlay it? Knock down the big stuff and go over the top. Less overall work and you get the ceiling you want.

[Tim Hancock]

Hmmm, I could not tell you what the finish is on the "ceilings" of my house I have lived in for ten years. I am pretty sure they are white .

I can tell you plenty about the headliner in my 911 however......priorities