A smooth ceiling has a neat, clean, modern appearance.
A ceilings textured with joint compound is also known as popcorn ceiling or cottage cheese ceiling. Cheesy is right -- this fad ran its course from the 1960s through the 1980s and now only serves to make a room look dated. Textured ceilings are dust traps and are hard to clean or paint. After leaks or repairs, it's almost impossible to patch a spot so it blends with the original texture. Removing it is a messy but manageable task for most homeowners, with a result you'll find worth the effort.
Instructions
Room Preparations
1. Take everything out of the room, such as furnishings, wall hangings and area rugs. Shut the electricity off in the room. Turn off the fan, air conditioner or heating. Close the windows and eliminate any possibility for drafts.
2. Remove light fixtures or ceiling fans if any are present. Cover vents, outlets and electrical wiring with plastic garbage bags large enough to cover the area, and affix the plastic to the wall with painter's tape to seal it off.
3. Cover the floors with plastic drop cloths. Tape the edges of the plastic drop cloths to the walls just above the molding or base boards, going all the way around the room.
4. Set up a ladder so you can reach the ceilings. Tape plastic drop cloths to the walls just below the ceiling. Go all around the room to cover all walls, doors and windows.
5. Wash the textured ceiling with a big sponge using mild dish detergent and a bucket of water. Go over it more than once, if necessary. Change the water whenever it starts to get dark and dirty.
6. Lay down resin paper on the floors, slightly overlapping the strips. Put on protective eye wear, a dust mask or respirator and work gloves. Wear them whenever you are in the room to protect yourself from dust and debris.
Removing the Joint Compound
7. Spray water on a 6-foot section of the ceiling using a garden sprayer or spray pump bottle. Allow the water to soak in for about 15 minutes.
8. Scrape the joint compound with a 6-inch compound knife. Keep the blade flat against the ceiling as you scrape, being careful not to damage the drywall or drywall tape behind the joint compound. If the textured compound is still hard and resistant, spray it and allow it to soak up some more water, and try again in 10 minutes.
9. Continue wetting the joint compound texture in 6-foot sections, being careful to avoid wetting the drywall. Scrape away the ceiling section by section until the joint compound is gone. Let the ceiling dry if any of the drywall has gotten wet.
10. Replace any drywall tape that has peeled off or come loose. Fill any cracks, joints or holes in the ceiling with new joint compound, smoothing it flat with a compound knife. Let it dry.
11. Sand the ceiling with a pole sander and fine-grit paper to smooth out the new application of joint compound. Give the dust 30 minutes or so to settle.
Cleaning Up The Mess
12. Roll up the paper, one strip at a time, encasing as much debris in it as possible. Place each immediately into a trash can. Try not to kick up dust as you work.
13. Remove the plastic and tape from the walls and set it on the floor. Peel off the tape and roll up the plastic floor drop cloths, directing all debris to the center of a drop cloth. Roll the plastic up and dispose of it.
14. Vacuum excess dust and debris. Your ceiling is ready for priming, painting or whatever new treatment you desire.
Tips Warnings
Use a putty knife to scrape away compound in tight areas or stubborn spots.
Homes built before 1980 may have asbestos threads in the textured ceiling. Do not attempt to remove a textured ceiling until you have it tested for asbestos. Follow the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendations for asbestos problems.
If your textured ceiling was painted with a glossy paint, it may prevent the joint compound from absorbing the water. If the ceiling has a shine to it, try wetting a test area. If the compound won't absorb the water and soften up, you'll need to strip the paint off the ceiling first.
