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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 were 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 hope 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.
Note: In some states removing acoustic/popcorn (asbestos) ceilings without the proper license is illegal; check with your local authorities.
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.
REPAIRING YOUR DRYWALL
When you've reached the point where all the popcorn has been successfully removed from your ceilings, allow at least 24 hours to pass before you begin the next step. And if it takes more time, remember, patience is still a virtue at this stage of the game too. Depending on the temperature and humidity the drying time of the drywall will vary from region to region. But the key is to allow the drywall to completely dry before implementing the next step.
Now that your drywall is completely dry take a good look to see if there are any holes, crevices, mapping lines, indentations and of course damage paper(kraft)that covers the gypsum. If so, make a mental note of it and begin your patching work.
DRYWALL REPAIR
To implement this phase of the project you will need a drywall tray, a couple of drywall knives and drywall tape to do basic repairs.This really is something that most homeowners can do quite well. Although it can take years to become a quality drywall finisher, yet simple drywall repairs to your ceilings and walls can be mastered reasonably fast. Trust me, this is how I started out and in some circles I'm regarded as a fine drywall finisher. But this is how I got my start...repairing drywall ceilings and walls.
I recommend that you use multi-purpose drywall joint compound that is already pre mixed. It is much more user friendly than setting compounds that must be mixed by you. I prefer emptying the joint compound out of the box that it comes in and putting it into a 5 gallon bucket. Really, you can buy joint compound in the bucket but it does cost considerably more.
When it comes to taping and patching I don't spend time stirring it up, instead I just dip it out of the bucket into my tray. Small holes and cracks that are of a very short length I do not tape. I simply cover them well and allow time for drying. Cracks and mapping lines that are three inches and longer I do use tape to cover them, and this is how I do it.
First I cover the cracks/mapping lines with the drywall compound and then I place the tape in the joint compound that is covering the area in question; after which I take the knife and run it the length of the tape kind of forcefully-removing excess mud from beneath the tape. I generally make three or four passes just to make sure I have removed all the excess joint compound.
Finishing drywall consist of several steps that will help facilitate a better finish. Once the mud under the tape has completely dried (usually after 24 hours), I then take a ten inch or twelve inch drywall knife and pass over the tape yet again. After that, I generally sand the edges if necessary and apply another application of joint compound with a twelve inch knife for the final pass. I allow it to dry and then a do a final sanding. Usually after this process it is almost impossible to see where the cracks, mapping lines and even holes once were.
CONCLUSION
The key to taping and finishing drywall is patience, patience and more patience. Oh for sure, technique and fundamentals come into play, but a good quality taping and finishing job can be achieve with a little practice and desire. I'm living proof and I'm no different than you in that sense. It's not my approach in teaching to over load you with a lot of information that could be stifling as oppose to encouraging. Take your time and begin your project when you're good and ready. But if you are not ready to do this yourself, please call a reputable contractor that has the experience to do it for you. Do not risk injury or loss of life trying to do something that just may be to difficult to accomplish. But whatever you decide I wish you all the success in the world. Thanks and good luck.
The author of this article disclaim any and all responsibility for injuries that might occur from removing acoustics/popcorn from your ceilings or any other type home improvement work. This article is for the sole purpose of informing and entertaining. Please call a contractor that is licensed and insured in your area. Thank you.
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