Do Painters Remove Popcorn Ceilings?

While popcorn ceilings were extremely popular for a long period from the fifties right through to the eighties, their popularity has waned significantly in recent years and most people are opting to remove the popcorn ceilings in their homes for several reasons.

Painting contractors are a great option when it comes to hiring professionals to remove the popcorn ceilings in your home. Painters and drywall contractors both have the necessary expertise and experience for this type of job, and can advise on all other aspects of the project such as refinishing.

Whatever your reason for removing your popcorn ceiling, be it for aesthetics or health concerns, you should note that it is a rather time-consuming process that requires intensive labor and skill, while also creating a substantial mess.

Do Painters Remove Popcorn Ceilings?

Both painters and drywall contractors possess the necessary skills, expertise, experience, and equipment to be able to successfully remove popcorn ceilings. They are able not only to remove the undesirable popcorn ceiling from the room, but they are also able to repair any damage to the underlying ceiling and refinish it according to your desired expectations.

One added benefit of using painters over drywall contractors to remove your popcorn ceilings is that they are able to offer the option to create custom colors and designs for your new ceiling finish.

Before selecting a contractor to remove your popcorn ceilings, it’s important that you check several factors regarding their experience and legitimacy to ensure they are able to carry out the work as desired.

You will need to check their license to ensure that they are in fact qualified to do the job that you require. You will also need to check whether they have the correct insurances in place in order to protect you as the client when undertaking any work in your home.

Aside from this, it is important to check the surety bond of the contractor as well as their online reviews to see whether their work comes highly recommended by other clients or not.

There is another extremely important factor to consider when opting to remove your popcorn ceiling, and that is the issue of asbestos. Asbestos was frequently used in popcorn ceilings from the 1950s to the 1970s, and if this substance is disturbed it poses a major health risk.

It’s essential, therefore, to test for asbestos before removing your popcorn ceiling. This must be performed by an asbestos professional. If the ceiling test positive for asbestos, you will then need to bring in an asbestos abatement company to remove it.

It’s important that you do not attempt DIY in this instance as you could put yourself and your family in danger.

Once the asbestos abatement company has removed the asbestos-containing popcorn ceiling, you can bring in your contractor of choice to begin repairs to the ceiling along with painting or retexturing.

Benefits of Using Professionals To Remove Popcorn Ceilings

If you embark on a DIY project of removing your popcorn ceilings, you are in for a big, time-consuming project that could prove to be rather difficult to complete. With the added risk of asbestos exposure, it’s simply best to bring in professionals to do the job to save yourself time, money and stress in the long run.

If you lack experience in performing this type of project, there is a chance you might damage the ceiling underneath the popcorn finish by gouging holes in it, warranting extra repairs.

Professionals will ensure that your floors, furniture, walls, and other valuables are fully protected throughout the project. They will expertly scrape off the undesired texture from the surface of the ceiling, after which they will repair the ceiling surface underneath.

Once all repairs have been completed, the professionals in question will prepare and paint the surface, ensuring a beautifully finished result.

More About Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn ceilings, also known as cottage cheese ceilings or textured and stucco ceilings, were extremely popular from the 1950s right up until the 1980s, and these were popular mainly for their ability to hide imperfections on ceilings as well as add some sort of visual interest.

The installation of popcorn ceilings was also a good way to save money because no painting was required once installation was complete.

While this ceiling finish was once extremely popular, it has since become outdated, unattractive and extremely difficult to keep free of dust.

Reasons For Removing Popcorn Ceilings

Aside from removing the threat of asbestos that can result from damaged or exposed popcorn ceilings, there are several other reasons that you might want to remove this outdated ceiling finish.

Because of the texture, popcorn ceilings have a tendency to cause light to bounce around in undesirable ways, and so removal can result in better lighting conditions.

Popcorn ceilings have a tendency to discolor with age, making for an unpleasant aesthetic. There is also the added issue of dust that accumulates and is difficult to remove.

If popcorn ceilings become damaged, it can be difficult to repair one small area, and so it might be best to remove the finish altogether and replace it with a smooth finish that is easier to repair.

Aesthetically, popcorn ceilings are considered old-fashioned and unattractive, and so in order to update your space and create a more contemporary feel, your best option may be to replace your popcorn ceiling with a simple smooth-plastered and painted ceiling.

How To Remove Popcorn Ceilings

In order to remove your popcorn ceilings, there is a significant amount of preparation work that has to take place before the removal process can begin.

Firstly, you will need to remove all furniture, light fittings, and ceiling fans from the space. Next, you must cover all walls and floors in the space with plastic sheeting, as the popcorn-removal process can be extremely messy.

Spraying the ceiling with water can help in the process to soften it and allow for easier removal. Next, the textured finish can be scraped off, after which the underlying ceiling must be repaired before the new texture or paint can be applied.

Conclusion

Removing a popcorn ceiling is not a simple or quick process, and so it is highly recommended that you bring in a professional such as a painter or drywall contractor to do the job. By choosing a contractor who comes highly recommended, you will be assured of a quality finish and a stress-free process.