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How do I get rid of textured ceiling???

| Posted in General Discussion on January 20, 2008 05:02am

My brother-in-law has a textured ceiling that he knows was applied over paint.

CORRECTION — … that he knows has been painted over!!!

How do we remove the texture so that the ceiling can be painted (without any texture on it) ?

Thanks for your help!

Alan – planesaw


Edited 1/19/2008 9:27 pm ET by Planesaw

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  1. User avater
    BillHartmann | Jan 20, 2008 05:13am | #1

    If you are talking about a "pop corn" texture spray it with water and scrap.

    Comes off fairly easy.

    Might have to skim coat some dinged spots. Manybe more as their might have been some problems that they covered up with the texture.

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
    1. planesaw | Jan 20, 2008 05:20am | #3

      Bill,

      Thanks for the info.  Yes, it is "popcorn" type texture.  My b-i-l had heard that removing texture that had been applied over paint was more difficult and there was some special process.

      CORRECTION, Bill -- turns out the textured has been painted.

      Alan - planesaw

      Edited 1/19/2008 9:28 pm ET by Planesaw

      Edited 1/19/2008 9:30 pm ET by Planesaw

      1. FastEddie | Jan 20, 2008 05:34am | #6

        If it had not been painted, you could spray ity with water with a pump-up garden sprayer, let it soak for 10 minutes, and it would scrape off very easily ... but very messy.

        Since it has been painted, it will have to be scraped or sanded off.  You might rent a drywall sander with a vacuum hookup, and sand it enough to take off the high spots, then try wetting it.  There's a fair chance that by doing a little sanding you will provide enough openings for the water to soak into the texture."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

        "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

  2. alwaysoverbudget | Jan 20, 2008 05:17am | #2

    if the texture has been painted over,go get some new sheetrock and put another layer on.  larry

    if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?

  3. DougU | Jan 20, 2008 05:20am | #4

    This is something that I've heard of but never seen so take it for what its worth.

    If the texture has been painted over or wont come off easily rent/barrow one of those PC dry wall sanding units with the vac and sand it off.

    Doug

  4. dovetail97128 | Jan 20, 2008 05:31am | #5

    If you are talking about "popcorn" then wet it down using a garden type pump sprayer, scrape it off with a broad taping knife.

    Wet an area about 8 sq. ft. then let soak a bit , rewet and scrape.

    They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
  5. mguizzo | Jan 20, 2008 05:43am | #7

    The stuff that you're describing sounds like what I had on my old ceilings.  It just scraped off with a putty knife. 

    I would strongly disagree with just applying new drywall over the whole thing.  That just makes it harder for whoever has to redo the ceiling one day.  (In one of the old bedrooms, I took down 4 ceilings!!).  Also there will be problems with the electrical as the boxes won't be recessed properly. 

  6. plumbbill | Jan 20, 2008 07:04am | #8

    Mine was paint over popcorn.

    I used a garden hose with a wide nozzle.

    Since that was the start of my living room remodel I cut the carpet in 4' wide strips.

    Scraped the popcorn with a 16" wide floor scraper. Let it fall into the carpet then just rolled up the strips & threw them away.

    CAUTION more than likely that has asbestos in it------ no dust no danger---- keep it wet to keep the dust down.

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