Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, popcorn textured ceilings were all the rage. This texture was an easy way to cover up uneven ceilings and imperfections without having to apply any paint. Some homeowners even added overcoats with elements like glitter or “sparkle” to their ceilings. If you purchased a home with this texture and are far from impressed with its appearance and maintenance, then you are not alone. They can be hard to dust and clean and the old plaster scrapes away or falls off easily leaving a mess. So how tricky is it to remove this fabulous fad from decades past?

• First, it is important to find out whether your ceiling contains asbestos. Some of the plasters used during these decades still contained asbestos and therefore will require a professional to remove from the ceiling. If asbestos is found, you may decide to cover the ceiling with drywall or other materials like planks instead of removing the texture.

• Actual removal of the popcorn texture may take a couple of tries. Start with a small corner area to see if it can be scraped away easily. If the texture has been painted over it will be a little tougher to scrape off. If it has not been painted, then you may want to wet it down a little to make the scraping easier.

• The mess will be real. Cover your floors, remove the furniture and if not possible cover completely, remove all wall coverings and light fixtures. Scraping these ceilings will make a huge mess in the room and you won’t want the dust all over your belongings.

• Before you repaint the ceiling, it will need to have cracks and dings mudded and sanded down. Prime the whole area before applying your first coat of paint.

When it comes to paint and repairs you don’t have to go it alone. The pros at JK Paint and Contracting are here to help and get the job done right.