Removing popcorn ceilings

[Christian M.]

I recently purchased a condo which has popcorn ceilings. Normally you can easily remove these by spraying some water on them and scraping them off. The problem is that these ceilings have been painted numerous times making it very difficult to scrape them off. Has anyone dealt with painted popcorn ceilings and if so did you find an effective way to get rid of them?

[Robert Rayford]

As a General Contractor that has done roughly over 20,000sf of acoustic (popcorn) removal I can say that removing it is a lot cheaper then hanging 1/4in drywall. If the ceilings have acquired a lot of paint over the years, then you would want to mix water with TSP in a sprayer. Apply the solution until it drips from the ceiling. Most people want to rush it but give it sometime to saturate the ceiling, at least 15mins. Always wear a mask ! Most acoustic ceilings contain asbestos , although it was banned in 1979 the law allowed it's use until all of the old product was used up, mid 1980's. The reason for the TSP is to break down the semi-gloss or enamel paint so the water can penetrate the acoustic. Hope this helps