There are things that can date your home, and one example is “popcorn ceiling.” This pertains to bumpy ceiling surfaces with a sprayed-on texture that may include glittery sparkles. They are also hard to clean, difficult to repair, and can easily catch dust.
Despite these cons, popcorn ceilings became popular in the late 1950s since they made easy work of hiding imperfections in the finishing.
When it is time for you to move on to a different look, there are three ways to deal with popcorn ceiling. But before taking on the challenge, learning whether they contain asbestos or not should be done first; this way, you’ll know how to deal with it.
Asbestos fiber, when inhaled in large quantities, may cause lung disease, scarring of the lungs, and lung cancer. Once your ceiling has been confirmed to contain asbestos, appropriate precautionary steps must be taken, and only the experts must deal with your popcorn ceiling.
Here’s an overview from Tureks Plumbing Services of the three ways of dealing with popcorn ceilings.
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Scrape off Popcorn Ceiling
Scraping the popcorn ceiling off is probably the easiest way to remove it. The process is similar to getting samples for testing, but this only works on unpainted ceilings.
All you have to do is wet the ceiling and scrape the dampened texture off with a large knife until you are left with a clean, smooth surface. But instead of doing the entire ceiling at once, you have to complete small areas at a time.
Once everything has been removed, and the ceiling is dry, use joint compound to fill in the holes. After that, sand it to achieve a popcorn-free ceiling.
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Cover Popcorn Ceiling with drywall
If your ceiling is not at risk for asbestos but is painted, it might be impossible to scrape off. The porous popcorn material had soaked it up, so covering it with drywall is a better option. This is also recommended if your ceilings contain asbestos since the harmful substance will be trapped instead of being sent into the air and atmosphere while scraping.
This method involves affixing ceiling-grade gypsum board over the existing popcorn ceiling. You have to screw it into the framing. For a seamless job, you must be proficient at taping and mudding.
Hiring a team of professionals will ensure that the job is completed in no time.
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Skim Coat over Popcorn Ceiling
Another way to deal with popcorn ceiling is to skim coat over the ceilings using a different texture. This method will involve cleaning and preparing the current substrate with quick-set drywall mud. After that, a bonding agent like joint compound will be applied.
A finish compound may also be applied to create a new texture. But often, this method leaves the ceiling still bumpy, which might not be beneficial to your home decorating endeavor.
Determining which of these three methods to use to get rid of popcorn ceiling will depend on the condition and age of your ceiling. But remember that all these routes are quite messy, so make sure to cover all your exposed body parts and wear a respirator during the project. Also, remove furnishing, relocate your pets to another room, and cover the flooring. If you have any questions or concerns, please give Tureks Plumbing Services a call!