the_joseph•3d agoProlific Poster

Knocked out a 1970s popcorn ceiling in my living room last week

I finally got around to scraping that awful popcorn texture off my living room ceiling (about 400 square feet) and the difference is night and day. I thought it would be a quick weekend job, but it took me three full days from start to finish. The trickiest part was getting the texture wet enough to scrape without damaging the drywall paper underneath, you know? I used a pump sprayer with warm water and let it soak for about 15 minutes per section. My arms were killing me by day two, but seeing that smooth ceiling made it worth it. Has anyone else tackled one of these old Edmonton ceilings and found a faster method I should try next time?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_allen3d ago

I saw a guy on a renovation forum who swore by using fabric softener mixed with water instead of just warm water... said it helps break down the glue way faster without damaging the paper underneath.

tyler_wilson3d ago

Is that the same guy who tried to use mayonnaise to fix his hardwood floors? I'm only half joking, I swear I read that somewhere too. Anyway, I heard that fabric softener trick a while back but I've never had the guts to try it. Last time I tried a shortcut like that, I ended up with a giant bubble under the wallpaper that looked like a tumor. I figure if the steam stripper has worked for 50 years, maybe I should just stick with it instead of trying to be clever. At least my walls won't smell like a dryer sheet.