Getting rid of a popcorn ceiling will update the look of your home. Popcorn ceilings, also called stipple, acoustic, or stucco ceilings, were all the rage between the 1930’s to the 1990’s. If your home was built before the new millennia and it has not been upgraded, chances are you have a popcorn ceiling in one or all of the rooms in your home. Homeowners and contractors liked them because they were cost-effective, hid blemishes well, were great sound insulators, and were considered stylish once-upon-a-time. But those days are now long gone and many home owners want to remove their popcorn ceilings.
About Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Removing a popcorn ceiling is a messy, time-consuming job that many homeowners prefer to leaven to professional contractors. Along with the amount of work involved before, during, and after getting rid of your popcorn ceiling, there is also the potential of a serious health risk in removing your acoustic ceiling. Asbestos was a common ingredient in stucco compound between the 1930’s to the 1970’s. If you have older popcorn ceiling application, you must get it tested for asbestos prior to planning any removal project.
Popcorn ceiling removal is a labour intensive job that often takes anywhere from three days or longer to complete. Before even starting the scraping of your ceiling, your room must be prepared to minimize the spread of dirt and dust throughout the rest of your home. Plastic, tarps, or drop sheets are used to cover walls, floors, and entranceways to stop the dust and debris from damaging the surfaces and spreading to the other rooms.
It is usually recommended that your remove all furniture from your room first to protect it, however, if that is not possible, your furnishings can be moved to the middle of the room and covered with plastic.
Once the room is prepped, the popcorn coating is scraped and sanded off and any underlying damage to the drywall is patched. Applying water to the stipple compound will make it easier to remove.
If the damage is extensive, ceiling drywall panels may need to be replaced altogether. Once the stucco is completely removed and any damaged areas are repaired, your ceiling is ready to be sanded, primed, and painted.
What Affects Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Popcorn ceiling removal gives your room a cleaner, brighter, and more modern look. Stucco ceilings are hard to clean so dirt and discolouration makes your ceiling and room look old and dingy. The puckering compound is also prone to cracking or breaking off over time. If you have to replace an area, it is unlikely that you will match the existing popcorn design so the blotchy, look further takes away from the aesthetic look of your room.
However, the costs of removing a popcorn ceiling can be more than some homeowners want to spend. Labour is a major part of the price. If your ceiling needs to be repaired, that could also add to the popcorn ceiling removal costs.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Costs
Popcorn ceiling removal cost per square foot averages between $6 to $10. At the lower end, homeowners can expect to pay between $1,600 to $5,000 to remove a popcorn ceiling and paint the drywall underneath. However, if there is asbestos in the stipple or extensive damage to the underlying drywall, the cost could quickly climb to $7,000 to $10,000.
Labour and materials make up a large part of the cost. There is a lot of prep work needed before the stipple compound can be removed to prevent damage and dust from spreading to other areas of the home. The average job takes three to five days to complete, however, if there are unexpected issues with the stucco or underlying drywall, getting rid of a popcorn ceiling will be more expensive.
Homeowners can reduce the cost to remove a popcorn ceiling by choosing main living areas only. Removing an acoustic ceiling from the main floor hallway, living room, or dining from can lower the popcorn ceiling removal cost per square feet to $6.
Removing your popcorn ceiling will not only update the look of your room and increase the value of your home, but a smoother ceiling will give your room a cleaner, brighter, and a more aesthetically pleasing look. At Prestige Painting & Contracting, we are experts in all areas of stucco ceiling removal.