Remove popcorn ceiling or skim coat it?

[Red Squirrel 556]

To all the people saying it's fine. Yes it's fine, as long as it's holding up and patches aren't falling off, like at my house.

 

[41mag]

Would acoustical tile be easier, cheaper ?
I know cars, not home improvement. That is why I hire peeps to do stuff I don’t know and don’t want to screw with, lol.
(Of course, right now I can’t do squat with the health issues that has popped upon me )

 

[BHPSteel]

And some of the consideration is esthetic. A really flat ceiling provides best refelection of light if you want a really bright room.

 

[harrycalahan]

I've done close to 2400 sq ft (not including vaulted ceilings) myself. Would I do it again? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Ok its not that bad but living in the same house you're fixing up requires additional patience. Regardless of whether you or a contractor does it. It makes a mess....

 

[killerv]

Buddy just had his whole house done, painter told him to hit it with water through a pump garden sprayer, stuff fell off, painter came in and did the rest

 

[pistolgrip]

congrats on your new home

 

[lostchild]

Another thought: Install 1/4" sheetrock over the popcorn. Tape rhe seams, mud, sand, paint

Lol that sounds easy, but to do the job properly you have to mud, scrape, wait 24 sand and repeat at least three times. If you don’t do it really well it, it will show every screw and tape line.

Really not a problem. We did that during a bathroom remodel, it’s relatively painless when you hire it done.

 

[basstracker89]

I like the covering it idea. Also a stipple ceiling is a good idea as well. That popcorn looked OK back in the day. If I had a choice I wouldn't pick it today

 

[Red Squirrel 556]

This seems to me like it would be the easiest(least cleanup) if you were dead set on removing it. Google "popcorn ceiling scraper". My wife scraped the kitchen with a 4" knife and it looked like ****...

 

[harrycalahan]

This seems to me like it would be the easiest(least cleanup) if you were dead set on removing it. Google "popcorn ceiling scraper". My wife scraped the kitchen with a 4" knife and it looked like ****...

View attachment 5030840

I found a 6" knife to work the best. Better control of blade pressure without having too much surface area. Used that with a 12" pan and I moved real quick. I had very little touch up afterwards. Mostly had to worry about feathering the corner tape joins in the rooms I didn't crown. I actually got my wife on stilts and she probably did around 1/3 of the house. After a little instruction and learning curve, she was off...