Popcorn ceiling removal is requested very often by homeowners all over the Treasure Valley, from older split-levels in the Boise Bench to 90s builds out in Meridian. Popcorn ceilings can look outdated and bumpy over time. Homeowners want a clean, modern look, but they also want to know what they are actually getting into before anyone starts scraping. Here are the straight answers to the questions Boise Drywall Company hears most often about popcorn ceiling removal.
Do my ceilings have asbestos in them?
Asbestos testing is the first thing we need to figure out, especially if your house was built before the late 1970s. Asbestos was a common additive in acoustic texture because it added fire resistance and durability. If your home was built during that era, do not panic. You cannot tell just by looking at it. We have to take a small sample and send it to a lab to know for sure. If it comes back positive, you will want a licensed abatement crew to handle the popcorn ceiling removal before any remodeling work starts.
Can I just scrape it off myself with a spray bottle?
You can try to scrape popcorn ceilings yourself, but you need to know what you are signing up for. Home improvement shows make it look like you just mist the ceiling with water, scrape it off into a bucket, and you are done in an hour. In reality, it is back-breaking, messy work that creates a thick paste of wet paper and joint compound that sticks to everything. If the ceiling was ever painted over—which happens a lot in older homes around Boise where people wanted to freshen things up—water will not penetrate the texture easily. You end up having to gouge the drywall underneath, turning a simple popcorn ceiling removal job into a massive skim-coating project.
How long does the whole process take?
For an average-sized living room or a couple of bedrooms, a professional crew can usually scrape, repair, skim coat, and prime the ceiling in 2 to 3 days. That timeline includes drying time for mud and primer. If you are doing an entire house all at once, expect us to be out of your hair in roughly a week. Boise Drywall Company takes time prepping the space because protecting your floors, cabinets, and furniture takes longer than the actual popcorn ceiling removal part.
What happens to my lighting fixtures and ceiling fans?
Lighting fixtures and ceiling fans have to come down before we start spraying water and scraping. We always drop all light fixtures, ceiling fans, and smoke detectors, and cap the wires safely. Trying to work around a heavy ceiling fan while balancing on a ladder over wet plastic is a recipe for disaster. Boise Drywall Company will reinstall them or put up temporary utility lights once the ceiling is fully finished and painted.
Will my ceilings be perfectly smooth underneath?
Ceilings are almost never smooth underneath the texture. Popcorn texture is often sprayed on over raw, un-sanded tape coats precisely because the texture hides all the imperfections underneath. Once you scrape it off, you are usually left with minor tape ridges, nail pops, and minor gouges. At Boise Drywall Company, we always plan on doing a full skim coat after popcorn ceiling removal. That means applying a thin layer of joint compound across the entire ceiling and sanding it flat so it actually looks modern and clean under your recessed lighting.
Can I paint it right after it is scraped?
You should not paint raw ceilings immediately. Raw drywall and fresh joint compound will soak up paint like a giant sponge, leaving you with flashing, blotchy spots, and a finish that looks terrible. You have to seal everything with a high-quality PVA primer or a dedicated drywall primer first. That seals the surface, stops the mud from reactivating with your paint, and gives you a uniform base for your final color coats.