How to Fix Your Popcorn Ceilings Before Selling
Look up at the ceiling in your home. What you see says a lot about the era in which your home was built. Textured ceilings are still seen in new homes, featuring various patterns that add interest to rooms. What many people don’t realize is that this type of ceiling is also a clever way to disguise flaws.
If what you see above you looks like cottage cheese, you have a popcorn ceiling. Popular in the mid-1900s, these ceilings can immediately mark a home as an older one, although it probably won’t stand out like other pre-2000 design elements. However, for some homeowners, the sight of a popcorn ceiling evokes fear, since some popcorn ceilings before 1980 contained asbestos and some people mistakenly believe this makes the home dangerous. To prevent dealing with this headache during a house sale, you may want to take the following measures to remove the popcorn texture first.
Test It
While experts say popcorn ceilings aren’t dangerous when left alone, removing the asbestos can be very hazardous. Before you do any work on your ceiling, you should test the texture of pre-1980 ceilings to make sure they don’t contain asbestos first. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends hiring an asbestos expert to come in and gather a sample for testing, since doing so yourself can lead to health problems.
If you’re sure your ceiling doesn’t contain asbestos, you’re ready to proceed. First, though, you’ll need to test to see if the ceiling was painted after being textured. You can do this by spraying a small amount of dishwashing soap mixed with warm water. If the water doesn’t soak in, your ceiling has been painted and you’ll need to use a chemical stripper to remove it. If not, warm water and soap will do the trick.
Spray and Scrape
Before you start work, you’ll want to cover everything in the room with tarps, including all furniture. Take paintings off the walls and cover outlets and power switches. Once the texture gets wet and starts coming down, it will cover everything beneath it. Then, using a water sprayer, spray in small sections and scrape using a ten-inch scraper. Once wet, you’ll find the popcorn slides off and falls to the floor.
Be careful as you scrape that you don’t damage the sheetrock beneath. Once you’ve cleaned up the mess on the floor, you’ll be painting the ceiling your desired color. You’ll need to prime it first, then add two coats of paint. Once it’s dried, you’ll have a perfectly smooth ceiling that will appeal to home shoppers searching for a contemporary look in a home.
If you prefer to leave your popcorn ceilings intact, you can rest easily that you’re safe as long as the ceiling remains undisturbed. However, if your home was built before the 80s and you suspect your popcorn ceiling may contain asbestos, you can bring in an asbestos expert to test anyway. Perhaps having your home cleared as asbestos free will allow you to rest more easily. You’ll also have the results of the testing to show concerned guests and future homebuyers, should you decide to sell the home someday.
