How to Get Rid of Popcorn Ceilings

Moving into a new house is exciting, but it might also come with a lot of projects. And if one of the projects is needing to get rid of popcorn ceilings, then you’re in luck. This is one home improvement that, in most cases, can be done on your own for a huge update that’s actually a lot easier than you might think.

Like modern wall and ceiling texture techniques, popcorn ceilings were once considered to be a trendy feature that offered a visually interesting alternative to plain painted drywall. Unlike those modern techniques, however, popcorn ceilings are largely out of style in contemporary homes, and if you’ve got them, you’re probably more interested in getting rid of them than embracing them as an aesthetic choice.

Here’s what to know about this not-so-stylish ceiling texture, including what the deal is with popcorn ceilings and asbestos and how to get rid of popcorn ceilings in your home.

What are popcorn ceilings?

Popcorn ceilings were a popular choice in American homes starting around the 1930s, and were seen as a good solution for hiding drywall imperfections and muffling noises coming from other rooms.

Also known as stucco ceilings, cottage cheese ceilings, or acoustic ceilings, popcorn ceilings provide a speckled, stippled texture that’s rough to the touch. And their popularity surged throughout the mid-1970s and into the 1990s, which is why there’s a good chance that you’ll come across them if you’re buying a home from that era.

What years was asbestos used in popcorn ceilings?

Aside from being a bit of an eyesore, many homeowners are worried about the potential risk of asbestos exposure that popcorn ceilings pose.

Asbestos, a naturally-occurring but hazardous fibrous mineral, was a common ingredient in spray-on ceiling textures—including popcorn ceilings—from 1945 to at least 1980. Long-term exposure to it can lead to a number of serious complications, including lung diseases like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and even lung cancer.

Fear of asbestos is a good reason to get rid of popcorn ceilings in your home, especially if it was built during the years that it was commonly used as an additive. That being said, it was banned for use in textured paint in 1977 under an amendment to the Clean Air Act of 1970, so it’s unlikely that your popcorn ceilings have it if they were put in after that date.

There’s no way to tell by sight if your textured ceilings contain asbestos. If you want to test a popcorn ceiling for asbestos fibers, you’ll have to hire a professional company to come in for sampling and send it out to a specialized laboratory. You can also collect the sample yourself, though you’ll need to follow a number of essential safety steps if you do, including wearing gloves and a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) mask for protection.

How to get rid of popcorn ceilings

It’s pretty easy to get rid of popcorn ceilings on your own, even if it does take some time. And while you can certainly call in the pros to do the job, it might be worth tackling this one as a DIY in order to save yourself some money for other home improvements and updates. Do note however that if your home was built prior to 1980, it’s recommended that you have it tested for asbestos prior to removal to ensure that you will not come into heavy contact with hazardous fibers.

Here’s how to do it.

Gather your supplies

  • Safety goggles
  • Protective mask
  • Ladder or drywall lift
  • Plastic drop cloths (enough to cover the walls and floor of the room)
  • Painter’s tape
  • Garden sprayer
  • Drywall taping knife

Do a test scrape

Prep your space

Wet down and scrape

Repairing drywall after popcorn ceiling removal

You’ve gotten rid of popcorn ceilings, now what?

The task isn’t over yet, since you’ll need to repair (or in some cases replace) the drywall surface underneath, which involves smoothing it out and painting it.

If you’re planning on doing it yourself, keep all of your drop cloths in place and use joint compound to fill in any nicks or hole caused by the popcorn ceiling removal process. Then sand the entire ceiling to get a smooth surface that’s ready for primer and paint.

FAQs about removing a popcorn ceiling

Here are some quick answers to other questions that you might be having about getting rid of popcorn ceilings.

Is removing popcorn ceilings worth it?

That’s up to you. It’s a time-intensive job, but many homeowners undertake it anyway in order to get rid of the dated look of popcorn ceilings. Because they’re considered to be undesirable in contemporary homes, getting rid of the texture may also boost your home value and make it easier to sell later on.

How much does it cost to remove popcorn from the ceiling?

The average cost of popcorn ceiling removal is $1 to $2 per square foot if you hire a professional company, according to HomeAdvisor. In most cases, that ends up coming out to between $900 and $2,800 for the entire job. It’s a cheap project if you’re doing it yourself however, especially considering that you likely already have all or most of the tools that you’ll need on hand.

Can you remove a popcorn ceiling without scraping it?

You can’t remove it without scraping, but you can hide it. Instead of scraping, some homeowners opt to skim-coat the ceilings, which involves using joint compound to add a new texture on top of the existing one.

Do you need to use water to remove a popcorn ceiling?

It depends. You can attempt to dry scrape the texture off of your ceiling to see if it works, though a wet scrape is usually easier than a dry one. When going the wet route, just be sure not to overdo the spraying, since you don’t want too much water to get into the drywall.