bathroom ceiling repair

harryr3

Hi All: Have a bathroom ceiling 6'x10'. Popcorn finish. I have a fair amount of hairline cracks in the popcorn. Should and how should I repair them? Drywall compound applied with a toothbrush?

In addition I have an exhaust fan in the bathroom. I do not believe it is vented to the outside, just into the attic space. From what I've read it should be vented directly to the outside? I believe it was added after the popcorn finish was put on as there is some popcorn coming off around the base of the fan. Take a putty knife, remove any loose popcorn around the fan, and reapply popcorn in that area via one of the popcorn repair spray cans?

Hate to think about it, but should I take down the whole popcorn in the bathroom, and paint it? The majority of it seems sound.

Thanks
Harryr3

AtlanticWBConst.

Generally, such repairs on popcorn ceilings require the popcorn texture to be scraped and removed around the cracks, prior to the repair procedures. Please do not use a toothbrush to attempt to perform the repairs.

The exhaust fan must be vented to the exterior of the home. This is code required. You do not want to direct any moist-air into your attic, or any other interior area of your home. Such moisture-laden air can create mold over time.

The spray cans do not do a very good job at matching existing popcorn texture surfaces. One reason for this is because there are several different kinds of popcorn mixtures (Very fine, fine, medium, large, etc). In addition, the way each is mixed, and the way that it is applied, will also vary the finish. A basic store bought can, will not match such a range of variations.

Based on these factors:

1.) You have cracks that may require you to remove various areas of the existing popcorn texture. These may already require you to repair, or alter, a large portion of the ceiling (dependant on how many cracks there are).
2.) You have a small ceiling 6x10.
3.) The repairs you will do, will change the look of the repaired areas in comparison to the areas not repaired. It is hard enough for the pros to match such differences...it would be near impossible for a novice to do so.

My suggestions are:

1.) Remove the old ceiling, replace with new sheetrock, and go with a smooth finish.
2.) Scrape down the ceiling, and overlay with new 1/4" to 3/8" sheetrock and finish smooth.
3.) Scrape the entire ceiling down. Perform your repairs. Skim coat the entire ceiling. Sand to a new smooth finish.
4.) Perform your repairs, and apply a new popcorn texture over the entire 6x10 ceiling, so that the whole surface matches with no variations.

Good Luck

__________________
- Build Well -

Workaholic

I agree with Atlantic's approach.# 3 would be the best bet.
One thing to consider though is the age of your home. They put asbestos in pocorn mix up into the early 80's.

__________________
Sean

slickshift

Also: fix the exhaust fan issue as venting to an attic can lead to your next failure

I'm not a fan of texture in a bath, as it makes a great Mold Farm and is difficult to clean properly if that stuff starts to grow

bjbatlanta

As I recall, the asbestos was removed from spray/mud in the mid '70s ('around '76??). It took a while before they got a formula down that gave good coverage with spray and we were "flash coating" ceilings with a coat of white paint to make sure no drywall paper showed through. I think '80 and newer houses are a safe bet for non-asbestos materials. Any of the recommended methods will work. I would personally not tear out the existing ceiling, just because of the additional mess (especially if you have blown insulation above). I'd recommend #2 or 3. Texture is not a good thing in a bathroom....

__________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier. Support our troops.

AtlanticWBConst.

".....In the late 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos fibers in these products could be released into the environment during use. Additionally, in 1979, manufacturers of electric hairdryers voluntarily stopped using asbestos in their products. In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos; uses established prior to 1989 are still allowed. The EPA also established regulations that require school systems to inspect for damaged asbestos and to eliminate or reduce the exposure to occupants by removing the asbestos or encasing it (2)...." - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos


http://www.maacenter.org/asbestos/

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ban.html

__________________
- Build Well -