Preparing the Room Good preparation makes the work safer and easier. Clear the room of furniture and accessories. Anything that remains should be covered. Use plastic sheeting to protect floors and walls and tape it securely in place to keep dust, debris, and water away from surfaces. Turn off the electricity to the room at the breaker, then remove ceiling fans and light fixtures. Cover any exposed wiring with plastic until the work is complete. For tools and safety gear, you will need safety goggles, a filtered dust mask or respirator, plastic sheeting, painter’s tape, a putty knife or drywall taping knife, a drywall mud pan or other container for scrapings, a garden sprayer, a sander, sandpaper, paint, and a sturdy ladder. Wear clothing that covers your skin and be ready to take regular breaks. Expect the room to be out of commission while the work is in progress. handle any removal. If tests show asbestos or lead, this is not a DIY project and should be managed by a qualified abatement contractor. If testing confirms that your ceiling is free of asbestos and lead, you can move forward with replacement. At this point, many homeowners decide whether to attempt a DIY removal or hire a professional. Removing popcorn is possible for an experienced do-it-yourselfer, but it is messy, time-consuming, and physically demanding. For an experienced person, it can take around 20 hours to remove 500 square feet of popcorn ceiling. Less experienced homeowners will likely need more time and will spend many hours on a ladder. It is worth comparing that effort to the cost of having a pro handle the work.
Popcorn ceilings, sometimes called cottage cheese or acoustic ceilings, were popular from the mid-20th century through the late 1970s. Builders liked them because the sprayed texture hid uneven drywall seams and minor imperfections, softened sound between floors, and was fast to apply. In many homes, the popcorn finish was used to cover a ceiling that was never completely finished to a smooth standard. When you scrape it off, you may uncover seams, patches, or a generally uneven surface underneath. Before you disturb a popcorn ceiling, especially in a home built before 1980, it is important to consider safety. Older popcorn textures can contain asbestos, and older paint layers above or below the texture can contain lead. Both materials are hazardous when particles are released into the air. Home testing kits are available, but they can be unreliable. For older homes, it is wise to hire a professional to test and, if needed, OUTDATED POPCORN CEILINGS? Tips to Update Your Home’s Look from the Top Down
19 January 2026
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