You Scraped the Popcorn Ceiling. Here's Exactly What to Do Next.
Content Idea: From Scraped to Smooth: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Finishing Your Ceiling After Popcorn Removal
Description: This comprehensive step-by-step guide (video series or detailed blog post with photos/GIFs) will walk DIYers through the entire process of finishing a ceiling after removing popcorn texture, especially if it was done dry. It will cover:
- Surface Preparation: Assess and repair any damage (gouges, tears in drywall paper) caused during the scraping process. Clean the surface.
- Skim Coating: Detailed instructions on how to apply one or more skim coats of joint compound to achieve a smooth, flat surface. This includes choosing the right compound, tools (taping knives of various sizes, mud pan/hawk), mixing to the correct consistency, application techniques, and feathering edges. Address the common issue of needing multiple coats.
- Sanding: Techniques for sanding the skim coat(s) effectively and minimizing dust (e.g., wet sanding, using a drywall sander with vacuum attachment, proper grit progression). How to check for smoothness using light.
- Priming: Explaining the importance of priming after skim coating, choosing the right primer for ceilings and fresh mud, and application tips.
- Painting: Best practices for painting a ceiling to achieve a uniform, professional finish, including paint types (e.g., flat ceiling paint), roller techniques, and cutting in.
- Troubleshooting & Common Pitfalls: Addressing common issues like visible tool marks, flashing, unevenness seen in different lighting conditions, and managing dust throughout the project. It would also cover the "cry moments" mentioned in comments by preparing users for the effort and providing solutions.
Target Audience: DIY home renovators and homeowners who have recently removed or are planning to remove popcorn ceilings. This audience is often facing a challenging, labor-intensive task and is looking for clear, actionable guidance to achieve a professional-looking result, especially if they've already encountered difficulties like those from dry scraping. They are likely feeling overwhelmed by the "now what?" stage.
Origin Reddit Post
r/diy
Removed popcorn ceiling (no water). Now what?
Posted by u/briklot•06/08/2025
Hi there!
I just removed popcorn ceiling from my recently purchased condo. It’s a pretty big job (~970sqft), so I decided not to dampen it cause I thought it would make the whole thing much
Top Comments
u/TheFilthyMick
First, how old is this dwelling? A majority of popcorn ceilings up until the 80s contain asbestos. If it's even close to that age, you need to stop and have it tested. If it tests positive, y
u/DunkBird
I want to also stress how much sanding sucks. I had to remove popcorn ceiling (all of it) from my house when I got it a couple years ago.
It was awful. Truly awful. It gets in your nose. It
u/DudebuD16
Rofl I did that in my own house after I used my DeWalt drywall sander rather than a pole sander. Re-skimmed the entire room and sanded it with the pole sander and was happy with the result.
u/DudebuD16
Rofl I did that in my own house after I used my DeWalt drywall sander rather than a pole sander. Re-skimmed the entire room and sanded it with the pole sander and was happy with the result.
u/mariogolf
you didn't wet it? why? it's 10000% easier, faster and cleaner.
u/eerun165
Or just use a light, shine across at a sharp angle from 3 or 4 directions.
u/Acab365247
Youre not done yet. Fill on old spray bottle with water and scrape the rest and save yourself a few coats of mud. Wouldnt recommend this project for a diyer. Ever skimmed drywall before? Neve
u/satchmo64
looks good from my house
u/HapGil
Skim the worst, most obvious, give it a sand, flat primer. Once everything is the same color and flat you'll be able to see where it needs work and where it's good enough for you. The flat wi
u/Vicsvenge1997
Nobody has ever gotten that far… let us know…
u/RexCarrs
Put a few coats of paint on ceiling. Invite friends over, both day and night. When they leave ask them if they noticed if the ceiling looked bad/unusual. If not, problem solved. If so, read o
u/briklot
Heyo!
Apologies I should’ve mentioned it in the post. The building was finished in 2006, so I’ll be fine. No asbestos here in Canada after 1990 🙂
Okay that’s what I’ll do, thank you 😁
u/briklot
hahahaha guess you know the area pretty well?
u/xlr8_87
Hire a pole sander and a GOOD vacuum to plug into the sander. Then wear a respirator and safety goggles (you don't want the dust in your eyes). Frequently clean the vacuum filter
u/Shwa112
My buddy did this. Did the dry removal like OP, put a coat or 2 of paint up and it looks like a more “busy” version of knock down texture but looks great honestly.
u/mazzotta70
You'll get used to it once you move out
u/ww2HERO
My guess is rub butter and salt into it?
u/Vicsvenge1997
Nobody has ever gotten that far… let us know…
u/TheFilthyMick
First, how old is this dwelling? A majority of popcorn ceilings up until the 80s contain asbestos. If it's even close to that age, you need to stop and have it tested. If it tests positive, y
u/briklot
Bro….. that’s heavy…..
I did some sanding manually and jesus the amount of dust.. even worse than scraping it off
Fun times ahead i guess…
u/burntdowntoast
Just want to throw this out there for others who read this, Canada stopped production of products with asbestos in 1990. Products were still allowed to be sold with asbestos and were used unt
u/glazedfaith
Top Tier Comment
u/YinzJagoffs
Forgot the last few steps:
Be very happy with it after two coats of paint.
Walk through the room at random but different time.
Notice all of the missed spots due to new lighting.
Cry.
u/DudebuD16
Skim coat, sand. Skim some more, sand, prime, touch up, prime, paint
In that order
Had you wet it, you would've removed a lot more and made less dust.
u/vintagefaithful
So we dry scraped down to this texture and it looked so close to the knockdown/orange peel texture that we sanded it very lightly, wiped down with water, primed, and painted with flat ceiling
u/jmtyndall
Agree. Ceilings tend to be large uninterrupted surfaces compared to walls which have distractions and furniture. They're very hard to get looking good. Even just cleaning some portions of my
u/briklot
Heyo!
Apologies I should’ve mentioned it in the post. The building was finished in 2006, so I’ll be fine. No asbestos here in Canada after 1990 🙂
Okay that’s what I’ll do, thank you 😁
u/brooklyn_random
Is it weird that I know you’re in Montreal by the view outside your window?
u/brooklyn_random
Is it weird that I know you’re in Montreal by the view outside your window?
u/Junior_Yesterday9271
Skim coat spending time with as wide a blade as you can manage, skim coat again and then carefully sand at the end. If you’re not good with a trowel then maybe 3 skims then sand. In between s
u/Rootman
Many people do a skim coat as the popcorn removal often scars up the drywall. At least fix and obvious damage with joint compound and sand, then prime and then go over the entire ceiling wit
u/briklot
Bro… 😂😂😂😭😭😂😂😂
u/dollydingle
I agree with this 100%. when it is lighty damp it just peels right off leaving smooth drywall. Mist it and let the water soak in a few minutes, use a wide knife at an angle. If you damage
u/RexCarrs
Put a few coats of paint on ceiling. Invite friends over, both day and night. When they leave ask them if they noticed if the ceiling looked bad/unusual. If not, problem solved. If so, read o
u/briklot
Bro… 😂😂😂😭😭😂😂😂
u/mariogolf
you didn't wet it? why? it's 10000% easier, faster and cleaner.
u/vintagefaithful
So we dry scraped down to this texture and it looked so close to the knockdown/orange peel texture that we sanded it very lightly, wiped down with water, primed, and painted with flat ceiling
u/DunkBird
I want to also stress how much sanding sucks. I had to remove popcorn ceiling (all of it) from my house when I got it a couple years ago.
It was awful. Truly awful. It gets in your nose. It
u/Acab365247
Youre not done yet. Fill on old spray bottle with water and scrape the rest and save yourself a few coats of mud. Wouldnt recommend this project for a diyer. Ever skimmed drywall before? Neve
u/AdmirableJello1609
This is what I did. I knocked it down and sanded it with a drywall screen hooked up to a shop vac. My ceilings were already painted, so I couldn’t do it wet. The dust wasn’t too bad. I’m fine
u/dollydingle
I agree with this 100%. when it is lighty damp it just peels right off leaving smooth drywall. Mist it and let the water soak in a few minutes, use a wide knife at an angle. If you damage
u/DudebuD16
Skim coat, sand. Skim some more, sand, prime, touch up, prime, paint
In that order
Had you wet it, you would've removed a lot more and made less dust.
u/YinzJagoffs
Forgot the last few steps:
Be very happy with it after two coats of paint.
Walk through the room at random but different time.
Notice all of the missed spots due to new lighting.
Cry.
u/Rootman
Many people do a skim coat as the popcorn removal often scars up the drywall. At least fix and obvious damage with joint compound and sand, then prime and then go over the entire ceiling wit
u/Ohmygodarielle
It is still being imported. China still uses it and it is in new products again in both US and Canada now.
u/satchmo64
looks good from my house
u/Pungentpelosi123
Should have used water
u/D1rtyH1ppy
Why do people always try and scrape off the popcorn? Why not just cut out the drywall? It's not that expensive or that big of a job to do.