How to Take a Popcorn Ceiling to Flat
- 1). Wearing a P2 respirator mask, rubber gloves and safety goggles, dampen a small section of the ceiling with water. Remove a section of the popcorn coating with a wide putty knife, making sure to avoid damaging the flat ceiling below. Place the removed section into a zippered plastic bag. Double-bag the material and place it into a small box. Send this sample to a laboratory that can test for asbestos contamination.
- 2). Remove the furniture and window treatments from the room, if there was no asbestos detected. Wrap any light fixtures and ceiling fans with plastic secured with masking tape. Protect the windows by covering them with clear plastic as well.
- 3). Cover the entire floor with plastic drop cloths and secure these to the baseboards with masking tape.
- 4). Wearing safety goggles and a dust mask, ascend a ladder and spray a small section of the ceiling with water until damp, not soaking wet. Scrape along the popcorn coating with a wide putty knife, making sure to not damage the main ceiling below. Catch the debris that is falling from the ceiling with a bucket, if desired. Otherwise, allow the debris to fall to the floor and remove it with a broom and dust pan. Continue this process until the entire room is free of the popcorn ceiling.
- 5). Remove the larger chunks by placing them in garbage bags with a broom and dust pan. With a shop-vac, vacuum the excess dust that will be found on the ladder and take it out of the room. Fold the drop cloths and place them in a garbage bag. Take the plastic off the windows and light fixtures. Run the shop-vac over the flooring and use the vacuum's attachments to clean along the corners of the room and around the window sills.
- 6). Paint the ceiling, if desired.
