Removing A Popcorn Ceiling?

ChicagoTaping

Hey guys I came across a job, and the customer wants me to remove the popcorn texture. I never came across this so I was wondering if you guys have any tips on a efficient way of taking it off. Is there any special products out there that can loosen it up? Its a living room in a basement that measures 24 feet both ways, with soffits. Its painted too. Any tips will help thanks.

Mudstar

rock over it with 1/4'

firemike

For regular popcorn ceiling I use one of those pump-up garden sprayers with warm water and a little dish soap and wet an area down, let it soak up good, and it will scrape off with very little effort.

Being as how it is painted, I don't know how well the water will work. You might have to scrape off the painted layer first, wet down whats left, and see what happens from there.

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-Mike-

Frankawitz

Chicago, Get a razor blade wallpaper scraper, they have them at Home Depot in paint dept, it's a 4" razor blade on a T handle, if the ceiling is drywalled take your time cause it will cut into the board real easy just shave the popcorn off then you should be able to run a palm sander with 80 grit paper. good luck


www.frankawitz.net

Brockster

Porta Cable with at least 80 grit.

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pscinteriors

I allways use my airless paint sprayer and a bucket of water as hot as i can get it from the tap.Set your pressure fairly low so you dont get too much overspray and soak it down good.(Only works if painted with latex).I use a 10" wide floor scraper with a 5' or 6' handle.Takes it off in sheets.make sure to use some heavy plastic sheeting or tarps on floors and I also bag off the walls for easier clean up.Any thing I cant get off with the scraper I use a drywall pole sander with a medium or heavy grit sanding screen.
Depending on how many times it has been painted it usually comes off real easy. Just make sure to double the time you think it will take in your bid.
Nick

ChicagoTaping

great tips everyone! I will talk with the guy to see if he wants to rock the ceiling with 1/4 drywall. if not ill quote him on scraping it off.

JumboJack

That is the worst idea.Just scrape it.

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

send_it_all

Actually, this is the worst idea.

Brockster

Wow, the Porta-Cable drywall sander with a vacuum is the worst idea for knocking down painted acoustical ceilings? Seemed to work well for me the dozen or so times I tried it.
I assume you have no idea what this tool does for you to say such a stupid comment.

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send_it_all

1st of all, it's PortER Cable.
2nd, you didn't specify the drywall sander with vacuum.
3rd. The set-up you WERE talking about costs $800. Do you think he should run out and buy it for one job? A 14" drywall knife and 2 gallons of water cost about $10.

Brockster

You can rent one from your local rental place for about twenty bucks a day and they do work well for getting past the paint.
And if I could spell correctly I would not have been a stupid drywaller!

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Tim0282

And if we were any good at all, we would move to California. Because that is the way they do it in California. But most every label I read says it will cause cancer in California, so I don't want to move to California. Thank you very much... I'll stay in Iowa and use the Porter Cable sander vac with 80 grit and the stuff nearly jumps in the vac. Then do whatever you want with the ceiling, because it is back to raw drywall. you can check out how the first guy did his drywall. Tools or no tools. Knife or trowel.

Brock

Only two things come from California.

kgphoto

Don't forget to test for asbestos so you don't get hit with the $40K fine.

AARC Drywall

hey all....lets look at this realistically....tear it off and reboard it. Painted popcorn is the worst..boarding with 1/4" will not work, there is no flat surface, and the screws will pop. Sanding it off will work, but it will take longer and more hours than removal and reboarding..and less a lot less dust....
Its up to us as proffesionals, to give the homeowners the best ban for their bucks..and so that we are in an out making the money that we need to survive...so as to this question, it is easier and a quality job to remove and replace...

Jay

ps. thats just my opinion for what is worth...that is what i would suggest to my customers...

send_it_all

Not sure why we are re-inventing the wheel here. People have been scraping popcorn off since the dawn of time. If you can sell the customer on tearing out and re-rocking the ceiling, good job, but if you can't, spray the f'n thing with water, let it soak for 15 minutes and then spend an hour scraping. It's so easy a caveman could do it.....they probably F'N did.

jumbocactar

yep ive always just taped up plastic, set my hose nozzle to mist and scraped, sanding sounds lame (never used the setup described) and rocking over should be apparent that'll never do!

Mike Finley

I'll fifth that. It ain't rocket science. I garan-T you I can wet and scrape, skim and be done long before any of the other ways even get going.

newtonswall

And charge them preeeeeeeeeeeeemium!