Few things date a home as much as popcorn ceilings do. Besides looking old and unattractive, they catch dust easily and are hard to clean, so they end up looking grimy and dull more often than not. And let’s face it—they’re not exactly high-end home design. Popcorn ceilings became popular in the 1950s because they were an easy way to hide imperfections. Smooth, flawless ceilings aren’t the easiest thing to accomplish. Textured finishing made it easier and less time-consuming for contractors to build houses more quickly as demand increased in the middle of the 20th century. The good news is if you have popcorn ceilings and are ready to do some updating, you can do it yourself. The process is messy and tedious, but it’s simple enough that even the newest homeowner can accomplish it in a weekend.* Read on for six easy steps to removing those dated popcorn ceilings.

First Things First

Before you begin, it’s extremely important to test for asbestos. You can have this done professionally or do it yourself. Asbestos test kits can be found at most hardware stores. If the test is positive, it is imperative that you consult a professional instead of DIY-ing this project.

Prep the Room

Remove furniture from the room or cover everything with plastic sheeting. This is going to get messy! Even if the room is empty, covering the floor with a drop cloth and plastic sheeting will make for a faster, easier cleanup. Remove ceiling fans and lighting fixtures. You’re going to be working with water, so make sure to turn off breakers to any electrical fixtures in the room.

Get Started

Fill a spray bottle or garden pump sprayer with warm water and spritz one small section of the ceiling at a time. We recommend starting with about a four-by-four-foot area. Allow it to sit for about fifteen minutes. Be careful not to saturate it. Too much moisture could damage the drywall underneath.

Down to Business

Using a wide drywall scraper, slowly remove the popcorn coating from the drywall. Be careful not to gouge out any chunks of drywall with the corners of your scraper. Do one small section at a time. To mitigate the mess, hold a mud pan underneath the area you’re scraping. You can also use the edge of the pan to clean off your scraper. Keep spraying and scraping until the entire ceiling is free of popcorn texture. (See what we mean? Tedious, but simple enough!)

Clean Up and Touch Up

Carefully roll up your drop cloth or tarp and take it outside to shake the debris into a garbage can. Lay the covering back down on the floor before proceeding. Touch up any problem areas on the ceiling with drywall compound. Allow to dry overnight, then lightly sand and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Finish the Ceiling

Using a paint roller with an extension attachment, apply primer and paint to the ceiling, or use a paint that has primer mixed right in. For a little extra help, you can use a tinted paint that dries white. As an alternative to painting, you can cover the ceiling with new drywall, gypsum board, decorative tin tiles, or wood planks.

*An Important Note:

While this is a fairly simple process, it definitely takes some elbow grease. Make sure you’re fit to take on a job like this before getting started. You’ll need to be able to stand on a ladder and look up for long periods of time. Safety goggles are also a must. Please use utmost caution when taking on any home improvement projects.