# popcorn ceiling issues



## Hatsee (Oct 9, 2010)

Do you have a picture?


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## bryanp (Aug 24, 2011)

Hatsee said:


> Do you have a picture?


A picture of what? The popcorn ceiling thats not coming off cleanly or the roughness of me applying layers of spackling paste and then sanding it down again?


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## Hatsee (Oct 9, 2010)

I just wanted to see what was going on. :laughing:

It sounds like it's painted which means the usual removal wont work, which sucks because all you would have had to do it just spray it with some water and scrape it off.

However what it sounds like you were told to do is to cover the entire ceiling with some drywall compound to level it off? That's why I wanted a picture, it seems like you may be still attempting to take it off while they told you how to just cover it up. Unless I'm missing something here that is.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Since the OP stated that the popcorn was previously painted I am not so sure that wetting and scrapping is the easiest method???????? 

When you say spackle are you talking about joint compound?? What size knife are you using? To me spackle is for small areas, joint compound for the large. In doing the joint compound you may need two or more layers to get to a point that you can sand smooth. The bigger the knife the less streaks, for lack of a better word you will have (mud dripping over the side of the knife). After the compound is dry between coats you could run a drywall knife along ruff areas and then mud again. Your eye will tell you when it is time to sand and prime for paint. Popcorn that is painted could take three or more coats to get to where you feel it is right to sand and paint.

I just started a thread under the Painting category that explains the differences between spackle and joint compound. The painting section of this site will give you more information about your problem since it is more a painting problem than remodeling per se, lots of threads re popcorn ceilings.

Hope this helps.


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

Bryanp, you do realize that depending on thier age, a lot of popcorn ceilings contained asbestos right? Unless you've had it tested, dry scraping and sanding will certainly load up your living space with lots of airborne asbestos fibers.


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## bryanp (Aug 24, 2011)

Maintenance 6 said:


> Bryanp, you do realize that depending on thier age, a lot of popcorn ceilings contained asbestos right? Unless you've had it tested, dry scraping and sanding will certainly load up your living space with lots of airborne asbestos fibers.


Yes, I am aware. My house was constructed in 1990.


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## leungw (Apr 20, 2009)

I have done it in a few rooms in my house. This is probably not the best way but it worked for me.

1. I use a wide drywall knife to scrape all the big pieces off. It's like pushing snow off your driveway, just upside down.

2. I then use an orbital sander to get a reasonably smooth surface. No need to get all the paint off, no need to get all the way down to the drywall, and certainly no need to get it perfectly smooth.

3. Two coats of light-weight joint compound. Depending on how smooth the ceiling is at this point, one coat might be enough. But I found that sanding too much create a lot more dust around the room. I prefer to sand lightly in step 2, then two coats of compound.


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## bryanp (Aug 24, 2011)

leungw said:


> 3. Two coats of light-weight joint compound. Depending on how smooth the ceiling is at this point, one coat might be enough. But I found that sanding too much create a lot more dust around the room. I prefer to sand lightly in step 2, then two coats of compound.


We started off using the wrong product, spackling. (And its been a small nightmare of sanding and re-applying product) Is using the joint compound easy to get consistently smooth?


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## leungw (Apr 20, 2009)

Yes, light-weight joint compound is easy to sand. They come in buckets with blue lids in the big box stores. It's better to put down multiple thin coats than a thick one. Let dry between coats. A wide knife (around 12-inch) and a mud pan would come in very handy if you don't have them already.

As for the spackling that's already on the ceiling. If you are not happy with it, scrape it off. If it's reasonably smooth and even, I would just leave it on.


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## bryanp (Aug 24, 2011)

Ive already got all the equipment. 12 inch blade thing, and mud pan. Ill run and buy the joint compound and hope life can get back to normal.


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## leungw (Apr 20, 2009)

Make sure it's the one with blue lid.

There's one that comes with "dust control" but I have never tried it.

The green lid one has glue in it. It's more for taping and it's harder to sand.

Good luck.


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## bryanp (Aug 24, 2011)

Do I need to add water to it, or should it work directly out of the bucket?


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## leungw (Apr 20, 2009)

No need to add water. The mud in blue bucket is not as thick as spackle. Scoop the mud into the pan and work off the pan so the bucket remains clean. And remember to put thin coats on and let dry between coats. You will still see the marks left behind by the missing popcorns, but it should feel smooth once the mud dries. They will be completely covered up after primer and paint.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

In trying to get a smooth surface in one or two coats I would for sure stir the mud first. There is alot of air bubbles in the bucket which can transfer to the surface. You can stir the mud in your pan, whip it like pancake batter or better a mixing paddle you add to your drill is available, lots less stirring, and take care of the whole bucket at one time, lol.

On the last coat I would add a bit of water to thin it down and give a smoother finish.


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## BPC (Apr 21, 2010)

*Using Water to Remove Popcorn*

I know where you're coming from removing nasty popcorn ceiling. I did four bedrooms with walk-in closets as well as a long hallway. It was messy and time consuming, but really worth it in the end. 

I'll just tell you how I did mine. First I got a garden pump sprayer and filled it with hot water. Then I soaked the ceiling in patches, waited about 5-10 minutes then came back and sprayed again. Then I took a 12 inch drywall taping tool and just scraped it off into a metal trash can lid. Most of it just fell off like wet slop...that is until I got to the closets. 

In the closets, it had been painted over a quite a few times. I followed the same procedure, only I was usually just able to scrape off the top surface, but with enough soaking, I was able to get underneath the paint layer and it would come off pretty clean. 

I think the wet method is the best approach. I tried doing it dry and it was just too messy, and then you have the hassle of putting a skim coat on the whole ceiling and sanding.

When I was done, it was down to the bare drywall and all you could see was the finished joints. It took overnight to dry, but I didn't notice any damage and I only needed minor finishing work before paint. I did hire a drywall contractor to put a light knock-down texture on the ceiling.


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## paparocks (Jun 29, 2011)

I'm wondering how far you have gotten in the last few days? BPC has it right....even if you have paint over the top of the popcorn it will still come down by wetting it repeatedly. Garden sprayer, wet, wait, wet, wait, wet, wait......then scrape . putting mudd on your ceilings may be very labor intensive.


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## stoner529 (Nov 12, 2010)

back from the dead. i had recently gotten a referral from a friend to look at a popcorn ceiling. the house was 2000+ sq/ft of semi - gloss painted popcorn. told the homeowner it may cost up to $4k just to remove it. my friend questions me and says, "wasn't that a little high" . i told him know. i would probably be in that house for a week, with help. painted popcorn that is semi gloss is very hard to remove. with that said. it doesnt matter what bucket of mud you use. its not that hard to sand down the green lid. yes ad water. honestly call in a pro. spend the extra money and make your home look good. ive always said amateurs should never finish. especially in their own home. although this is diy. i still believe they shouldnt do it. CALL A PRO. best advice i can give.


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