How to Remove Acoustic (popcorn) From Your Ceilings Once and for All

How To Remove Accoustic (Popcorn) From Your Ceilings Once And For All  
by Donald Thomas
When I first started out in the home improvement business way back in 1984, Ronald Reagan was president, Boy George was making hits, Chevrolet's Z-28 and Rally Sport was in style and so was acoustic (popcorn)ceilings. People just loved it and sometimes those acoustic ceilings would be sprayed with silver and gold looking glitter at the homeowners' request. It was the craze all across the nation.

That was almost a quarter of a century ago and times and styles have certainly changed since then. Ronald Reagan is no longer with us and Chevrolet no longer makes Camaros, Boy George is now an afterthought and acoustic (popcorn) ceilings are viewed more as a curse than a craze.

Yes, times have certainly changed and for the better many would think. And when it comes to home improvement a lot of great changes have taken place and new exciting innovative changes have been implemented. Thanks to the ever changing technology that has made life so much better for us all...at least that's certainly how I feel about it.

But unfortunately there are some artifacts that still linger on with us today and some are down right troubling to say the least. I have gotten many calls from irate homeowners who are just about to explode because of the condition of the ceilings in their home. Popcorn ceilings that have not aged gracefully and looks terrible are the scorn of many desperate homeowners.

White ceilings that have turned to a faded out maze color with dirt and insect bile stuck on it, and if that is not enough to ruin your day you look up again only to witness that much of it has already fallen to the floor, leaving empty patches that reveal even more dirt and stains. It's enough to make you want to scream. But don't, I'm going to instruct you on how to remove all that stuff from your ceilings once and for all. And the great part about it all is that it is something most homeowners can do themselves. All you need is the right information and the desire to get it done. So let's get started.

I have been spraying on and removing acoustics/popcorn since 1984 and I have gained some valuable knowledge and experience over the years. I'm going to share this knowledge and information with you in hopes that it will relieve you of this problem and at the same time help save you a considerable amount of money.

PREPARATION

Removing popcorn/acoustics from your ceilings is really a messy job. This type of work has to rank #1 when it comes to ranking messy work. With that said let's begin your project in earnest. First, remove as much as you possibly can from your immediate work area. Be sure and cover the furniture, drape the walls with plastic coverings and be sure to protect your floors with drop cloths that are made of durable fabric that will not allow anything to soak through. Remove window treatment, cover windows, doors and everything else that you think is valuable enough to be protected.

Make sure all electrical outlets in the room are covered and by all means make sure there are no exposed electrical wires! If you were unable to remove large items like tables and large chairs make sure they are covered and covered well. I will cover items three and four times just to make sure they are adequately covered. It's just the right thing to do to protect us from potential lawsuits and legal issues.

Now that everything is covered and I mean everything, let me just say this as a word of caution. Acoustics/popcorn consist of asbestos! Asbestos have been proven to cause cancer. It has carcinogens that could prove to be fatal to humans and animals. If you choose to remove acoustics/popcorn from your ceilings by sanding or even dry scraping, you could open the door for all kinds of lawsuits and litigation that could possibly wipe you out financially.

POPCORN REMOVAL TECHNIQUE

Avoid sanding at all cost and remove it the safe and efficient way. All you have to do is purchase an inexpensive pump up sprayer from your local hardware store and fill it up with water. Spray the ceiling liberally but do not over saturate it because too much water can cause drywall damage and that can prove to be very expensive. So try and move the wand quickly and systemically to ensure equal coverage on the ceiling. Allow the ceiling to remain wet for about ten to fifteen minutes before you begin to scape off the acoustics.

Use a six inch or larger drywall knife to remove it. Note how easily the stuff falls to the floor once it has been thoroughly soaked. You really don't need to apply a lot of excessive pressure. Just gently use the drywall knife to remove it and try not to gouge the drywall with the blade. Take your time and methodically cover every square inch of your ceilings employing this technique.

Once all the popcorn has been successfully removed from your ceilings, allow it to dry. And if there were some areas where the popcorn was stubborn and refused to come off; just reapply more water carefully and wait ten or more minutes before attempting to scrape it off. It will eventually come off just continue to work at it but do not saturate the drywall with water. Patience is the key to removing popcorn from your ceilings without causing further damage to your drywall.Learn More