Creative and easier ways to remove popcorn ceilings

[Digit]

In an effort to save some money, I wanted to remove the popcorn ceiling in my family room. There are two areas that need repair and I would otherwise have pay someone to match the existing texture. Well, since I really, really HATE popcorn ceilings, I don't want pay to have more of the stuff put up....even if just to match what is there.

There was a youtube video of a guy who duct taped a scraper to his shop vac....interesting idea. Off topic but also interesting was his method for blowing leaves with a power washer.

Anyway, I should mention I really can't do ladders anymore, so I am thinking a scraper like object attached to a pole.

Anyone with ideas or is it hopeless.

[Warpy]

1. Slop and scrape is the only way

and if you can tie the scraper so it's at the proper angle, go for it. You can just as easily vacuum the dry stuff off the floor when you're done as increase the weight by tying a shop vac hose to it.

I just wonder why they did so many of those in the 80s. I don't know anybody who likes popcorn ceilings except the spiders who seem to love hanging their webs on them.

[mbperrin]

6. I was still working construction then. The lie they told contractors was that you could spray it on

and never need to paint it, ever.

A lie for money, of course.

But the idea of saving the labor of painting all the ceilings forever was hard to beat.

We sprayed our share and removed our share as well. I just used a pump up 1 gallon sprayer with water, and it scrapes right off onto the plastic below. Be careful scraping across the seams, though - if you use too much water, you'll release the tape.

[Melissa G]

2. Careful. I heard there was asbestos in that popcorn.

Had mine professionally removed 'cuz I prefer not to play around with asbestos, myself.

[mbperrin]

5. It's vermiculite, no asbestos.

It was designed to look like asbestos, since that was considered such a fine insulator, but dangerous. So this false asbestos came into being.

[LiberalEsto]

8. Vermiculite can be contaminated with asbestos, especially pre-1990s vermiculite

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermiculite#Asbestos_contamination

"Although not all vermiculite contains asbestos, some products were made with vermiculite that contained asbestos until the early 1990s. Vermiculite mines throughout the world are now regularly tested for it and are supposed to sell products that contain no asbestos. The former vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, did have tremolite asbestos as well as winchite and richterite (both fibrous amphiboles) — in fact, it was formed underground through essentially the same geologic processes as the contaminants. A vermiculite mine in Virginia has also been found to be contaminated by asbestos.[broken citation][4]" (my boldface)

I'd be extremely careful about scraping it. Wear heavy-duty breathing equipment, eye protection, skin protection. Use air cleaning equipment, cut the room off with plastic sheeting and duct tape in doorways. Wet the stuff down thoroughly before scraping.

[northoftheborder]

3. One way to do it which worked pretty well.

When I was repainting and readying a house for sale, I decided to ask the painter to take off the "popcorn" instead of just painting over it. His method was to spray it with water, (it softens and dissolves easily) and then scrape it off in damp clumps. He spread the floor with plastic and it was pretty messy, but he did it one room at a time, and it went fast. I would not recommend scraping it off dry, the dust created would be unhealthy to breathe and would certainly take longer than the wet method. I don't remember if he climbed on a ladder to do it, he must have in the living room, as it had a vaulted ceiling. I didn't pay attention to his equipment other than he had an electric sprayer I think (probably the one used for spraying paint.)

[X_Digger]

4. +1 to water + scraper.

I did that in a bedroom here. I picked up one of those scrapers that has a bag holder under it, that really cut down on the mess.

http://www.amazon.com/Homax-6100-Ceiling-Texture-Scraper/dp/B0002YSQSW

Spray bottle filled with water, work in a 24" x 36" section at a time. Soak a section, wait 5 minutes, scrape.

[jeff47]

7. Water only works well if it hasn't been painted.

If someone has painted the popcorn ceiling, that paint can keep the water from dissolving the popcorn.