Scraping a Popcorn Ceiling | How to and the Pros and Cons

Scraping a popcorn ceiling is not for the weak. We did it, and by we I totally mean he finally scraped the outdated popcorn from the ceiling in our living room.

I’ve said before that this house had the good bones, neighborhood, schools etc. but the inside left a lot to be desired and the two things that grated my nerves have finally been made over.

Before painting the living room walls we went ’round and ’round about whether or not the ceilings would get scraped. After hearing all of the horror stories about the pending mess to ensue we thought it wise to ignore the warnings and have a go at it.

This doesn’t even seem real 😐

Absolute worst experience. Dust was EVERYWHERE. Disclaimer being that my husband found the bag that attaches to the scraper and collects the particles hindering. To fix that minor irritation he took it off. If only foresight was 20/20.

Do the math. ALL of the dusty things hit the floor, the air, the furniture, and every room in the house.

If you are thinking about scraping your ceilings, here’s a list of the things you will need, some tips and my pros and cons

You will need:

• A ceiling scraper: These come with clips that will allow a bag to be attached to collect some of the ceiling dust. My husband opted not to use the bag. Do not be like him
• Water Sprayer
• Eye protection
• Plastic or cloth covering for floor and furniture. Again, don’t be like us and ignore this step.

Process:

• Working in small sections spray the area well, but do not saturate as you don’t want to damage the drywall. Let sit for about 3 minutes prior to beginning to scrape
• Scrape in one direction, with just enough force to get the very thin layer of popcorn off. Do not scrape too hard to avoid damage to the dry wall.
• Clean as you go, as the process is VERY messy

Cons:

• Outside of the dust my husband was hurting for days. It was such a large area and the majority of the work required him to keep his hands over his head. If you attempt to do this on your own, make a few days of it to allow your body time to rest.

Pros:

• Very cost effective DIY in terms of material. Definitely not in time and energy but if you are counting coins the savings was a major pro. We were quoted in excess of $300 to have this done. We spent $25 in materials.
• It looks amazing. Sometimes we just stare at the ceiling and forget how much of a headache it was. You know, like childbirth

Compared to this..I’m like give me  er’ him all the pain for the gain. The kitchen has since been painted all white.

Because we are DIY gluttons for punishment we’ll be taking on the hallway in a few weeks. I’ll take my own advice and let you know how it goes.

Have you ever scraped your ceiling?

 

Related articles across the web

• Lowe’s Heroes begins renovations at Frackville library
• Behold the Power of the Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree (and Basically Anything Leafy and Green)

Save

Save

Save