[jclee]

Option 1: scrape the heck out of the ceiling. Fix, re-tape with mud if necessary, skim with mud? Seal it with gaurdz, do all the necessary sanding. Paint

Option 2: drywall over drywall using 1/4 inch drywall, mud and tape, first coat, paint
Option 3: plaster ceiling smooth,sand, paint


Op

 

[jclee]

Option 3. Plaster ceiling, sand and prime and paint

 

[joecaption]

Get rid of it while you can.
Wet it down let it sit and scrape it all off.
Cover everything with plastic before doing anything.
Fix all the flaws, prime and paint.

 

[jclee]

Get rid of it while you can.
Wet it down let it sit and scrape it all off.
Cover everything with plastic before doing anything.
Fix all the flaws, prime and paint.

remember it's painted. wetting it will not work well.

 

[ktkelly]

remember it's painted. wetting it will not work well.

Not nessarily so.

I've wetted and scraped painted popcorn before.

If it's been painted with water base paint, it usually comes off just as easily as the popcorn that hasn't been painted over.

Now if it were painted with oil base paint, you would certainly be correct, as oil base paint will tend to not only saturate, it will tend to seal it to some extent.

 

[ToolSeeker]

If it seems hard to scrap off you may need to hit it with a pole sander first. That will knock the ends off then the water can penetrate.

 

[tjansen]

remember it's painted. wetting it will not work well.

Wet with warm water and a little dish soap / vinegar (I tried both).

My popcorn ceilings were painted with an acrylic paint so as I started scraping the paint actually held the texture together and under the weight of it the stuff just started peeling itself off in sheets.

Cover everything as tight as possible though, it's a messy job.

 

[paparocks]

spray the piss out of it with a garden sprayer and let it sit for 15 minutes, scrape. Even with the paint over the popcorn the popcorn will turn loose when dampened. use a 10" drywall wall knife and find the right angle to scrape and use that angle repeatedly until you've finish the whole ceiling. Fix repairs and sand,paint. It's fairly easy if you follow this method. Also seanse what you remove has been dampened...it makes less of a mess as well.