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You might find it cheaper (and less messy) to hire a drywaller to skim coat over the existing popcorn ceiling and then you can just repaint. Worked on a rental we had (although a ceiling in a small room).
I found the same thing in the suburbs of Kansas City when helping my parents house hunt. (I don't live there) I was shocked to see that crap in new construction! I told the sales guy that I had recently paid good money to have it remove from my 30 year old condo in California, and explained that "popcorn removal" was big business on the West Coast. He seemed clueless.
I'm not sure if it's an entirely true story or not, but when I was buying my current home, the home inspector told us how popcorn ceilings came to be. He said back when the first condo crazes started, the ceilings would often be concrete and flawed or uneven, so a clever developer invented "popcorn ceilings" to cover up the flaws in the ceiling, and called it an "upgrade!"
I recently had my popcorn ceiling tested and it came back positive . I am thankful that I had it tested before I did any scraping to remove it . Get it tested before you do anything it cost me twenty dollars . Not my life !!
I recently had my popcorn ceiling tested and it came back positive . I am thankful that I had it tested before I did any scraping to remove it . Get it tested before you do anything it cost me twenty dollars . Not my life !!
Our home, built in 1970, had small amounts of asbestos in the popcorn ceiling and in some of the tape and insulation used on the heating vents. We hired an environmental group to come out and examine our home after hearing stories about asbestos and getting scared. After thinking about it, and being bullied by one environmental company who wanted $$$ to deal with our "serious problem" by sending out men in bio hazard suits we called a painter who we knew and asked him about it. He took the ceiling down for us and retexured/painted at his usual rate. He wasn't worried and said since it was encapsulated by many coats of paint and his removal method didn't cause it to disintigrate we shouldn't worry either. Then we had a heating/air conditioning company replace the system and vents and they weren't worried either so bye-bye tape and insulation.
Our home, built in 1970, had small amounts of asbestos in the popcorn ceiling and in some of the tape and insulation used on the heating vents. We hired an environmental group to come out and examine our home after hearing stories about asbestos and getting scared. After thinking about it, and being bullied by one environmental company who wanted $$$ to deal with our "serious problem" by sending out men in bio hazard suits we called a painter who we knew and asked him about it. He took the ceiling down for us and retexured/painted at his usual rate. He wasn't worried and said since it was encapsulated by many coats of paint and his removal method didn't cause it to disintigrate we shouldn't worry either. Then we had a heating/air conditioning company replace the system and vents and they weren't worried either so bye-bye tape and insulation.
That was 15 years ago and I'm still not worried.
I'm with you on this. I think the asbestos hazard is over-rated in many cases. Sure, if you're exposed to the dust over time, it there is a risk, but for most houses, the risk is minimal to none.
We too removed the popcorn texture and since it was encapsulated and we soaked it down before scraping, there was no dust from the removal. Like you, I'm not worried.
I think that popcorn ceilings wouldn't be so hated if builders PAINTED them. They look like crap when the unpainted texture starts to discolor and turn grungy yellow, and I think this is what most people hate, not that there is texture. I always paint popcorn ceilings, first with an oil primer and then latex top-coat, and I prefer the look of a clean, white popcorn ceiling than 99% of the half-a$$ed DIY removal projects I have seen, where I can see every seam and every nail patch. Even new construction flat ceilings, often aren't truly flat, and it can be especially obvious when you get natural light coming in a window. A clean, white texture hides all that ugliness. Just my $0.02
The house I owned from 1979 to 1999 had silver sparkles in the popcorn ceiling. The old owners said it was sprayed on like that when they'd re-done the (1952) house.
The painters were there the day escrow closed. Gods, it was horrible.
Ye gads!! Sparkle popcorn! I had glittery popcorn in the foyer of a previous house also. Not only was it sparkly, but the ceiling was domed and the foyer surrounded by a circle of Corinthian columns, creating a sort of scary Greek temple! Happily I moved in less than a year.
Yes, please do have the popcorn tested for asbestos.....you don't want minute particles free floating in your house and once released, overpainted or not, it's nasty stuff to get rid of. A neighbor of mine had her vaulted living room scraped which served to reveal a truly half-arsed taping job, so now the very large ceiling must be skimmed. One never knows what lurks beneath!
I think that popcorn ceilings wouldn't be so hated if builders PAINTED them. They look like crap when the unpainted texture starts to discolor and turn grungy yellow, and I think this is what most people hate, not that there is texture. I always paint popcorn ceilings, first with an oil primer and then latex top-coat, and I prefer the look of a clean, white popcorn ceiling than 99% of the half-a$$ed DIY removal projects I have seen, where I can see every seam and every nail patch. Even new construction flat ceilings, often aren't truly flat, and it can be especially obvious when you get natural light coming in a window. A clean, white texture hides all that ugliness. Just my $0.02
I must be the only one, but I still do like the popcorn ceilings, I like the texture of it different than the walls. When they were first done they were white with the silver glitter in it, but obviously times have changed and now I painted then a creamy color with no glitter, and the walls are a different color. I like them and am happy. Plus all the aggravation and mess it was to get them in the first place the thought of removing it, well it isn't even a thought.
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