Would you recommend painting a popcorn ceiling?

[nestsman]

Please give your reason why a homeowner should or should not paint their popcorn ceiling.

Thanks!

[Greg]

You will not believe how dirty they get over time. If you do paint it you will need to dab the paint on lightly. If you try to roll it on the popcorn will soften and pull off on the second or third pass.
It will take some time but it will look much better & brighter when you are done. Use a ceiling paint with stain blocker in it.

Greg

[nestsman]

Would it be much easier to just scrape the popcorn all off and then just paint the bare wall underneath it? My home was built in 1995, so hopefully it does not contain any asbestos.

[ponch37300]

Asbestos was out in the late 70s and early 80s so you are fine there. Scraping it off is a messy job. Here's an article about painting popcorn ceilings, http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/painti ... index.html. You can do it if you're careful otherwise it will soften like Greg said. Use the right roller and only go in one direction, not back and forth in a "W" pattern like you normally paint a wall. Then let completely dry and do another coat if needed. It can be done but just have to be more careful not to ruin the texture.

[Mark440]

Popcorn can hide a multitude of sins. And, based on some of the less-than-high-quality craftsmenship I have found - I wouldn't scrape it off. It's messy!!

I have tried rolling a ceiling or two - and it is always hit or miss. You can be doing everything perfectly - and all of a sudden a chunk of the ceiling will wad up on the roller. It's not you did anything wrong - it's that the previous 'painter' didn't do it well.

Before I moved in to my place, I bought a roll of painters plastic - and several rolls of regular old vanilla masking tape. First step is to cover the entire floor with plastic. Tape the edges to the bottom of your walls. Then I ran a line of tape all the way around at the ceiling (on the crown molding) - leaving the bottom edge of it peeled up a bit. Next, start hanging plastic - using that bottom edge of the tape to hold it in place. Cover the walls, doors, furniture, etc. If the plastic is 'billowy' - use some thumbtacks (the plastic knob ones work best) about 4 feet down the wall.

From there, I rented a sprayer from HD. Poured all my paint into a single 5 gallon bucket. If your ceiling has stains - use Kilz or something with a stain blocker. (NOTE! Kilz will usually make the popcorn 'hard' as it seals up all the holes in the popcorn itself.) OR, pre-treet the stains with a spray can of Kilz - then do all of the ceiling with regular ceiling paint. Go easy with the kilz on spots - too much and your final coat of paint will have a glossy spot in it.

The BIG, BIG trick is to NOT overspray the ceiling. Too much paint and it will crack. So, using a light coat - start spraying an area that is about 6ft x 6ft. Go back and forth across the entire area - starting at one side and work your way to the other. Let it set. Go to the next section and repeat - until you have covered the whole ceiling. Now, start over - but instead of going back and forth - go up and down - again LIGHT paint. Take your time - this isn't a race! The end result will be a smooth looking finish with no lines or waves.

But! This is no time to sit on your duff. As soon as the last bit of paint is sprayed - get that tape/plastic off the crown molding!!! You will probably find a ridge of paint on the top edge of the crown molding at the tape line. You can either brush it out...or use a damp, white, T'shirt to wipe it off. Pull all the "wall" plastic to the center of the room. Then use the floor plastic to wad it all up into a big ball. Watch out for paint on your shoes once the plastic is off the floor.

If you rented the sprayer - wheel it outside and hose off the hose and gun first to keep the paint from drying on it. Put a fresh bucket under the intake with fresh clean water. Spray water through the gun until it is clear. DO NOT PUT YOUR FINGERS DIRECTLY AGAINST THE NOZZLE!! I still have paint embedded in a finger due to a little accident!

Some points:

Do not turn on the AC/Furnace or have a box fan in the area. The atomizer in the paint gun produces a very fine mist that will carry everywhere. Note: if the AC comes on while you are painting - the plastic in the room you are working in is gonna go wild. Turn OFF the AC!

If the airborne paint ain't good for the AC - it also isn't good for you. Wear a respirator. Not one of those little surgical gizmos - a REAL respirator. You will thank me in your later years. Latex is not pretty coming out of your lungs.

Make sure you have an exit out of the house. Cover the floor, steps, deck etc of your exit with plastic. You WILL get paint on your shoes !

[nestsman]

Thank you for the detailed instructions! I think I will pass.

[AbbottsManor]

I used a rough textured painting pad to do mine. It's easier to work the paint into the texture and less likely to drip. I tried to scrape off a small section but they must have used oil based paint or something because it was hard as rock. I never got it to budge. I had to remove a bit for a ceiling molding and had to use a multitool with a scraper blade to do it!

Chris

[Mark440]

The details make it sound like a 3 day event. With an extra pair of hands to help with the plastic - you should be done with it all within 2-3 hours. Spraying the ceiling itself is about 20-30 minutes at most. Prep and cleanup take the most time.

When I did mine, I had to do the kitchen and LR as there is no break in the ceilings. With a helper, both rooms were done in 3 hours time.

[HouseMedic]

If it was my place I would use a pump sprayer and wet the ceiling then just scrape it off if it is on drywall. I hate popcorn ceilings. They are just there to either cover something up or make it a cheap way to hide things from the manufacture.

Ron

[Steve-WA]

Mark440,your detailed instructions crack me up. Been there, done that. Heater kicks on - WHOOOAAA! And yes, you *will* get paint on your shoes... And in your hair, in your nose, on your face... Hahahaha