• Home
  • DIY
    • Accessories
    • Art
    • Drywall
    • Lighting
    • Flooring
    • Painting
    • Tools
    • Window treatments
    • Woodwork
  • Decor
    • Closet
    • Dining room
    • Guest bedroom
    • Hallway
    • Kitchen
    • Living room
    • Office
  • Life
    • Home ownership
    • Organization
  • Archives
  • Get the latest updates
  • FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
  • Get your wall prep freebie!
    Social Icons
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hello home, girl!

making a home on a tiny budget.

04/13/2022

Removing a stubborn popcorn ceiling


Initially, I had no intention of removing the stubborn popcorn ceiling. However, I got a wild hair and a fleeting urge to wreak havoc! Popcorn ceilings are notoriously difficult to remove, but I got a secret method for getting the stubborn texture off.

scraping the ceiling

Removing a stubborn popcorn ceiling

Let’s get right to it! To get rid of the tough popcorn texture, you’ll need:

  • Plastic sheeting to protect the floor
  • A drywall knife for scraping
  • A paint sprayer filled with hot water
  • Proper eye protection and mask for PPE
spraying the popcorn ceiling

How to remove a stubborn popcorn ceiling

It’s all pretty simple: protect the floors with some inexpensive plastic wrap. Then, spray some hot water onto the texture. The hot water breaks up the surface of the texture. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Beware – it’ll be raining indoors after spraying the ceiling!

scraping popcorn ceilings

After that, carefully scrape the texture off.

how to remove a stubborn popcorn ceiling gif

You’ll want to hold the drywall knife flush to the texture at around a 30 degree angle. If the knife isn’t flush or isn’t at another angle, you may gouge the drywall! That means you can accidentally add extra holes to the drywall. It’s super easy to do, especially with wet drywall paper.

If you gouge the drywall, it isn’t a major deal. You can patch that later.

The texture will come off neatly with minimal dust! It’ll hit the plastic sheeting covering the floor. When the job is done, simply throw away the plastic!

Follow the complete this One Room Challenge journey! See the previous week here!

Warning

Test your popcorn ceilings for the dangerous chemical asbestos before removing a stubborn popcorn ceiling. If asbestos is present, you will need to hire professionals for abatement. Therefore, proceed at your own risk.

Sincerely,
Felicia

PS: Take a look at the other week 2 One Room Challenge posts!

Related

DIY, Drywall, Hallway

Posts you may like

  • How to make a ceiling fan look better

    How to make a ceiling fan look better

  • New homeowner? Buy these six tools now!

    New homeowner? Buy these six tools now!

  • DIY is not easy.

    DIY is not easy.

Want to know the next post?

Reader Interactions

10 comments

  1. Carly says

    04/13/2022 at 11:47 am

    Sounds like the perfect project for wreaking havoc! I’m sure it’ll feel so good once it’s all cleaned up!

    Reply
    • Felicia | hellohomegirl says

      04/13/2022 at 1:09 pm

      For sure! I can’t wait!

      Reply
  2. Jamala says

    04/15/2022 at 1:22 am

    Girl… I’m amazed you’re tackling that… lots of work but definitely worth doing

    Reply
    • Felicia | hellohomegirl says

      04/15/2022 at 6:57 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Maria says

    04/16/2022 at 11:24 am

    So impressed and motivated Felicia! I’m literally going to try this today in our basement. The kids will not be pleased because of course they’ll have to help, but I’m very excited .:)

    Reply
    • Felicia | hellohomegirl says

      04/16/2022 at 11:44 am

      Oh so cool! Hope it works out!!!! Let me know how it goes and make sure you got some happy music bumping! 🎶🎶🎶

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Next post

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Felicia.
Welcome to hellohomegirl.com, my passion project about the musings of home decor, DIY, homeownership, and life. Here, you'll find helpful tips to creating your home with a lot of heart and a tiny budget.
Archives
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
Latest Grams

hello_home_girl

📸 Free photo op in Dallas! 📸 Check out the 📸 Free photo op in Dallas! 📸

Check out the Design District Playground Park if you're in Dallas!

Especially perfect for my fellow interior design lovers, The Design District is an awesome spot to hang out.  Hit up all the vintage shops and other interior design stores in the area. Then, walk over to this fun attraction!

The murals change every so often, so you may see something different when you visit. You can even visit at night (hence the lights over each mural)!

Have you ever visited the Design District Playground before? Let me know in the comments if you have or if you'd want to go!

#visitdallas #dtx #designdistrict #murals #dallas #dallastx #ddd #214 #travel #photoop
Just a dining room vibe. A place to make memories. Just a dining room vibe. A place to make memories.

#eclecticdecor #diningroomdecor #gallerywall #myeclectichome
Alright y'all...let's cut a rug! 🪩🕺🏾 Ser Alright y'all...let's cut a rug! 🪩🕺🏾

Seriously -- the rug thing has been a point of contention for my #livingroomdecor . Do I stay neutral or mix it up with color? For years, I kept sweeping the decision under the rug. 🙃

Shout out to Unique Loom for the fabulous rug that I've been in dire need of for my living room. Of course, I made the decision to ✨ keep it spicy ✨ with the colorful selection. It even inspired me to paint the big yellow picture in the background! Now I feel like I can go in many different directions with my color palette for the truly eclectic and collected look.

Now call me as snug as a bug in a rug with this corner now complete for now! Let me know what you think in the comments. And did I miss any rug clichés? If I did, tell me which ones in the comments! 🤣🤣🤣

#gifted #myeclectichome #discoballdecor #rugdecor
I'm officially a Pinterest Pioneer! I'm super exci I'm officially a Pinterest Pioneer! I'm super excited to join this exclusive group of volunteer helpers and leaders. 

Our mission is to help others find success on Pinterest by answering your questions and sharing exclusive content on the Pinterest Business Community forum. Our PBC community is super helpful, supportive, and encouraging for all of your Pinterest needs.

I hope you join us on the PBC soon! 

#PinterestPioneers #pinterestpioneer #pinterest

#PinterestCommunityAmbassador
Springtime in Texas is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The Springtime in Texas is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

The bluebonnets only last for about one month out of the year. If you visit Texas between March-April, get your picture in a field of these.

Most people pull over on the side of highways to take pictures. Sounds crazy dangerous, I know. Here are a couple tips:

1. Check the fields for snakes before letting the kids run free. 

2. Don't step on the bluebonnets!!!!!! Tiptoe between.

3. If there are several cars on the side of the highway, that's a sign that's a good place for pictures.

4. Sometimes, you may find fields of bluebonnets on empty lots or in parks. Ask locals for tips.

Have you seen bluebonnets before? And Texans, how many bluebonnet photos do you have?
Stop procrastinating. Yup...there are lots of th Stop procrastinating. 

Yup...there are lots of things I did incorrectly in this video. Yes, I still have more to do. However, I can close the door without it sticking for the first time since we bought the house.

A win is a win!

I let all of the things that had to be perfect stop me from just completing the simplest task. Sometimes just getting something done is better than getting it perfect.

Just do the thing.

#homerenovation #motivation
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

About
  • Just a little about me…
Privacy
  • Privacy
Recent Posts
  • How to hide an ugly shredder in plain sight
  • How to decorate using your favorite music and colors
  • The best primer for cigarette smoke in 2023
  • 5 quick and simple ways to create a cozy home
Hello home, girl! © 2023. Design by Kate.