Should I remove popcorn ceilings?

Lived in our 1982 house w textured ceilings for 10 yrs... as airframe if kitchen remodel got flat ceilings in that room.... life altering!!! It’s a mess yo do when you’re living in the house so if you can afford to do it while empty the dust will be less invasive. That said , I just used a lotta pastic tarps and it worked. To save money I did all the bedrooms and upstairs myself - it’s a long weekend per room but can be done.

Really felt like whole new house - glad I did it!

Some of the early '90s fades were ugly as hell. I'm not sure it'd impact a future sale price all that much unless the ceilings are water damaged or in bad shape... Suppose it depends on how much you can get the job done for. Might even be back in style within the next few years. All the other 90s stuff is.

I'm a former painter. I painted during my college and teaching Summers. I can tell you, from experience, popcorn ceilings are the devil!

Quite often the person who originally put them on , did not do it properly. You are supposed to prime the ceiling before spraying the popcorn. However, many painters discovered that this stuff sticks, not matter what. So, they rarely primed the surface. Now, when someone comes along to remove it, it is a pain in the a$$.

Now, when I walk into anyone's house, and see a popcorn ceiling, I cringe. It says "I'm cheap" Because it was a cheap and fast way to do the ceilings. And, it is often used in condos. That is where it is very notoriously bad. Hundreds of condo units with popcorn ceilings. Sprayed by painters who were looking to save a $.

Tristate wrote:

Because it was a cheap and fast way to do the ceilings. And, it is often used in condos.

AH! Thank you. I lived in a condo in the mid-'90s with popcorn ceilings and I always wondered what the point was. I thought it looked fairly ugly and could never understand the appeal. At the time my best guess was that it might help with sound dampening or something. Cheap and fast is a much better explanation for that garbage.

I live in a 50ies house with a weird ass pattern on the ceiling. I kinda got used to it.

Is it not possible to paint over the popcorn ceiling and make it a little smoother?

Or does that stuff come off then?

And youtube is a great resource too:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=remove+popcorn+ceiling

If you have any of these other features then the popcorn ceiling won’t matter to your resale value:

House is on a cul-de-sac

Snout house garage

House painted beige

Fixed window shutters that don’t cover window

If none of these apply put the money into the money into improving the ceiling.

Meat Tornado wrote:

Some of the early '90s fades were ugly as hell. I'm not sure it'd impact a future sale price all that much unless the ceilings are water damaged or in bad shape... Suppose it depends on how much you can get the job done for. Might even be back in style within the next few years. All the other 90s stuff is.

Early 90s?

I grew up in a house built in the 50s and we had popcorn ceilings.

Style is circular.

I’m waiting for JNCOs to come back in.

Alan

Running out of cash wrote:

Buying a house built in 1993. It has popcorn ceilings. Should I shell out the money to get them removed? How big a turn-off are they to other buyers?

They actually don’t bother me much, but will be an issue when I go to sell it, so thinking I should just get it done now before I move in. One problem is that I’ve got other repairs needed and it costs 6k.

Yes.

Before move in.

D.I.Y. Saves $$ but requires effort. And beer.

First buy 2 mil plastic tarps and put on floor everywhere affected.

Get either a pump sprayer or a garden hose with light spray setting.

Lightly spray ceilings with water but not so much it puddles on floor.

Drink a beer or eat lunch.

Do it again.

Let it almost dry but nit entirely.

Drink beer again. Maybe another too.

Now grab an ice scraper, the type that you use to chip ice off of driveway or sidewalks with a stout handle and is around 6" wide.

Scrape the ceiling of popcorn and try not to gouge the ceiling with the edge of scraper.

Good shoulder workout.

Have another beer.

Continue till its done.

Have your hot wife or gf help clean up.

Have more beer, yoy saved a thousand dollars.

....Next, hire drywall texturer to come refinish because most people suck at it.

Doityourselfer wrote:

I live in a 50ies house with a weird ass pattern on the ceiling. I kinda got used to it.

Is it not possible to paint over the popcorn ceiling and make it a little smoother?

Or does that stuff come off then?

Before 1978, popcorn ceilings often contained asbestos. According to this link, you should have it tested and if it does contain asbestos it should be removed by professionals:

I tried to remove popcorn on one room in my house. I think they made prisoners at Guantanamo remove popcorn ceilings as a form of torture after 9-11. You scrape for a few minutes until your shoulder muscles are on fire. Break for a minute and repeat.

Hire a good house painter to do it. It is worth the $ to not have to deal with the stress positions and all the mess it makes.

Youll love it! wrote:

It’s a mess yo do when you’re living in the house so if you can afford to do it while empty the dust will be less invasive. That said , I just used a lotta pastic tarps and it worked.

No matter how hard you try, dust will settle for weeks afterwards. In addition to what you did, you need to exhaust ventilate out the space. A garage style fan, with a flex hose leading outside (or through a window), that sucks air outwards is what you should do. Have the fan run for a day, or so. Also remember to put plastic over your heating ducts, and the window glass (otherwise, you'll need to wash/wipe windows).

Just think, we're very near the point where granite countertops are in this same category.

I think you should probably up your mileage. Keep the speedwork at twice a week and stop skipping those long runs.

FFF wrote:

Just think, we're very near the point where granite countertops are in this same category.

Why ?

Do it yourself if you're price conscious. It's a lot of work, but not difficult work. Use a wet method and wear proper respiratory protection. Assume it is asbestos.

Que not wrote:

FFF wrote:

Just think, we're very near the point where granite countertops are in this same category.

Why ?

You'll see.

FFF wrote:

Just think, we're very near the point where granite countertops are in this same category.

Better re-think that, those new products don’t last and look awful after a couple of years.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

FFF wrote:

Just think, we're very near the point where granite countertops are in this same category.

Better re-think that, those new products don’t last and look awful after a couple of years.

Guys, show me the design element from kitchens in the 80s or earlier that are still in use today.

For some reason I don't understand, other than the crazy prices everyone is willing to pay, OMG GRANITE COUNTERTOPS!!!!!! are believed to be better than life itself, and will NEVER be a bad idea. I suppose you think the same of subway tiles, travertine, shiplap ...

Ford and Chevy have stopped making cars, but you guys go ahead with your heads in the sand. (I think maybe the Corvette and Mustang continue or something?)