Cost To Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture
In the past, popcorn ceilings were very popular. The first reason was given by the appearance offered and the second was because they managed to hide the imperfections without being whitewashed. The trend has passed, and people have realized that there are some disadvantages that cannot be overlooked: the texture of popcorn ceilings accumulates a large amount of dust and cobwebs, and if the popcorn ceiling texture cracks or gets holes in it, the repairs are difficult to make and quite expensive. Modern materials and solutions have determined the owners to turn to other, more practical solutions.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture?
The removal of the popcorn ceiling involves scraping the textured treatment or paint off the ceiling and after that, repainting the ceiling for finishing the work. Also, if you don’t want just to paint the ceiling, you can add another ceiling treatment. The costs of this job will depend on factors such as the presence of asbestos and whether the texture has been painted over. The cost will increase significantly if there is asbestos present on the ceiling.
You should expect to spend between $1.50 and $9 per square foot to remove the popcorn ceiling texture. In the table below you will find the cost of this project for a house with a surface of 1,500 square feet.
| Item | Unit Cost | Quantity | Line Cost |
| Materials and supplies: cseam tape, orner beads, topping compound, etc. | $60-$175 per project | 1 | $60-$175 |
| Re-finishing and painting | $300-$350 per project | 1 | $300-$350 |
| Asbestos abatement: when needed. | $4-$8 per sq.ft. | 1,500 | $6,000-$12,000 |
| Labor (waste disposal) | $90-$150 per project | 1 | $90-$150 |
| Labor (removal) | $1-$3 per sq. ft. | 1,500 | $1,500-$4,500 |
| Total Cost | $2.00-$10.00 per sq. ft. | 1,500 | $3,000-$15,000 |
In case you want to remove the popcorn ceiling texture from just one room or two, the cost will be much lower than the estimates we presented in the table above. All you have to do for finding out what would be your cost is to calculate the square footage which has to be removed and multiply it by the unit cost of every item. In general, the costs for single-room jobs are anywhere between $150 and $240.
How do you remove popcorn ceiling texture using a putty knife?
You can put the method of removing popcorn ceiling texture into practice with the help of a putty knife but take into account that you will have a lot to clean after scraping the walls.
Necessary utensils:
- palette knife;
- construction tray;
- brush;
- water sprayer or a basin;
- metal ladder;
- plastic foil.
Turn off the electricity.
You might also like our articles on the cost of ceiling fan installation, stretch ceiling installation, or house interior painting.
With a sprayer or using a basin and a bucket or a larger brush, lightly moisten the popcorn texture walls with lukewarm water. After 15 minutes, check to see if the finish has softened – if not, spray again and wait another 10-15 minutes.
Remove the popcorn texture with the palette knife.
Tips and tricks
It is recommended to work in small sections of 6.5×6.5 feet. If you spray the entire room, you run the risk that part of the surface will dry before you can scrape it off.
Cover the floors with plastic foil. Thus, it will be easier for you to clean the room and you will have less to vacuum.
If possible, remove furniture from the room. If not, cover them with plastic wrap as well.
Remove chandeliers and ceiling lights from the ceiling to avoid splashing water on them.
Cover all cables, sockets, and switches in the room where you will be working to avoid splashing them.
Important things to consider
Removal of popcorn ceiling texture should be performed by a trained professional who has the right cleanup methods in place, as well as the proper breathing equipment, and ventilation because this job produces a lot of particles and dust in the air.
In case asbestos abatement is required, you may have to leave your house until all the asbestos is removed and disposed of in safety conditions, and your house is clean.
You are not allowed to remove the asbestos by yourself as there are strict rules for proper abatement procedures. You must immediately contact a qualified removal specialist in case you find asbestos in your popcorn ceiling.
Although the first method most people probably think of is to scrape off the popcorn texture from the walls, you have to consider the mess that results from this process. What’s more, there’s a good chance that after you take off the finish, you’ll have all kinds of repairs to do.
For these reasons, some professionals recommend covering the walls with plasterboard, a more straightforward, faster, and mess-free option.
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