Smoothing Out Popcorn Ceiling

Scraping the popcorn off the ceiling is a reasonably easy diy project.

Smoothing out popcorn ceiling.

However some people prefer a smooth surface to paint or on which to apply wallpaper. You are in luck because today i am sharing a step by step tutorial for smoothing out those textured ceilings. If your home was built between the 1950 s thru the mid 1980 s you will want to test your ceilings for asbestos before disturbing any of the popcorn material on your ceilings. Textured surfaces can add interest and drama to a wall or ceiling and can hide slight imperfections.

When scraping popcorn ceilings you ll want to use a 4 inch utility knife or a drywall knife to chip away at the texture and create a smooth surface. Any popcorn ceiling installed before 1980 might contain asbestos a known cause of lung cancer. Before trying to figure out how to remove any popcorn ceiling texture contact your local health department and ask about getting a sample tested. Many builders use a spray on popcorn like material as a quick and inexpensive finish.

You ll probably need to skim it with a thin layer of joint compound to smooth out imperfections then sand it smooth before repainting. The problems are it s messy and you still have to deal with smoothing out any imperfections before you can paint. Even if popcorn ceiling 1 is a good alternative to replace drywall 2 which is. The appearance of a popcorn ceiling 1 is irregular and may resemble the texture of popcorn or even cottage cheese.

Lifting drywall over your head can be challenging but you can rent a drywall lift to make the job easier. You also have to be extra cautious if the ceilings were popcorned before 1979 because of the risk of asbestos. Nothing dates a room quite like a popcorn ceiling. The drywall completely covers up the popcorn texture giving you a fresh start with a smooth finish for your ceiling.