Ask Candy: How Do I Get Rid of a Popcorn Ceiling and, Well, Should I Bother?
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Dear Candy,
I have a home with what they call a popcorn ceiling. My Realtor thinks I should get rid of it, but doing so is going to make a huge mess. And guess what? I am a princess and do not like messes. Do you think I need to follow her advice, sand down that ceiling (ugh, makes me sneeze just thinking about it) or let it go. Don’t buyers have any imagination these days?
Thanks, Lita
Wow, is that really your popcorn ceiling? I’ve only seen one more like it, and that was in San Antonio with sparkles! Someone really liked — pink!
OK in a word, YES, get rid of that damn ceiling. Pretend it’s toxic: it is, to your home sale. Not to be mean, but where have you been these past three years. We are in a RECESSION and it’s hard as hell to move properties. Buyers think of every excuse possible not to buy unless they are IN LOVE with a property. Just think of a buyer who loves your home, but all she can think of is that pink popcorn ceiling and how hard and messy it will be to get rid of, capiche?
I have an argument with my husband daily, he being of the “drop the price and let the buyers do whatever they want” school. I am of the “buyers have zero vision. Period. End of story.” school. Why? Because they don’t, and it’s getting worse: Gen Y just doesn’t tinker in the home much — they tinker on PED’s! Just go get lots of plastic and cover everything up, get a Miele vacuum (the best, at Capital Distributing).
Remove all of the furniture from the room before you start. Or move it all to the center of the room and cover it with plastic sheeting. Next, tape plastic sheeting to the corner formed where the walls meet the ceilings. Make sure the plastic hangs to the floor, covering all the walls, windows and doors. Tape the plastic to the floor. Completely cover the floor with drop cloths, not plastic. It’s too easy slip on plastic.
Cover you, too. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat or cloth painter’s hood, and grab a respirator and eye protection.
“Popcorn” is the nickname for sprayed-on textured coating. It was “the look” in the 1960s and ’70s. Some ceilings even had sparkles mixed in, and oh my, I have seen those. Eyes still hurting.
Until around 1978, the sprayed-on coating likely contained asbestos — ostensibly for its fire-retardant qualities. In 1978, asbestos was banned as a carcinogen. Any post-1978 “popcorn” should be asbestos-free. So it’s quite possible that a 1968 (or older) popcorn ceiling contains asbestos.
If you were planning to remove it, first test for asbestos. If positive, you will have no choice but to hire a licensed, insured and bonded hazardous material contractor. If the test is negative, you could save money and do-it-yourself. Remember, asbestos is dangerous only if it is crumbling. …
Experts laud the wet and scrape method, basically wetting the ceiling until the popcorn crap falls off, or peels off with a scraper. Once it’s all off and the ceiling is dry, re-texture whatever your heart desires, then paint and presto — you are all done! Bye bye popcorn ceiling!
Note: Homes built prior to 1978 require a Lead Based Paint Disclosure to be completed and signed by the seller. The seller must disclose if they have any knowledge or reports of lead based paint on the property. The key words are knowledge and/or reports.
This does not address asbestos. They must note on the standard seller’s disclosure if there have been any repairs or treatments to remediate environmental hazards such as asbestos. There is also nowhere on the seller’s disclosure where a seller must disclose that their popcorn ceiling may or may not contain asbestos.
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You are right on Candy! The popcorn ceiling shouts 'dated' and 'lots of work' to potential buyers. Thank you for mentioning the precautions to take when removing it. The dust from removal could settle over everything in the house – door frames, wall hangings, dishes, …
Get rid of it and then clean, clean, clean.
You are right on Candy! The popcorn ceiling shouts 'dated' and 'lots of work' to potential buyers. Thank you for mentioning the precautions to take when removing it. The dust from removal could settle over everything in the house – door frames, wall hangings, dishes, …
Get rid of it and then clean, clean, clean.
I agree with your husband. In this market, why waste resources fixing up a home that you might get an 80% offer on? Our home has been sitting on the market now for months, and we spend $35K on renovations. I'd rather have my cash and wonder how others feel about this.
I agree with your husband. In this market, why waste resources fixing up a home that you might get an 80% offer on? Our home has been sitting on the market now for months, and we spend $35K on renovations. I'd rather have my cash and wonder how others feel about this.
I'm going to have to side with Candy on this one. Seems like buyers want more plug-and-play these days, especially as the price range goes up. My house has popcorn and I despise it. I just can't seem to motivate myself to get scaffolding to work on my 24-foot living room ceiling, move a houseful of furniture around and then deal with the aftermath.
On another note, my dad's house has the sparkly popcorn ceilings. I remember laying on the floor as a kid and staring up at them. What a bizarre trend that was.
I'm going to have to side with Candy on this one. Seems like buyers want more plug-and-play these days, especially as the price range goes up. My house has popcorn and I despise it. I just can't seem to motivate myself to get scaffolding to work on my 24-foot living room ceiling, move a houseful of furniture around and then deal with the aftermath.
On another note, my dad's house has the sparkly popcorn ceilings. I remember laying on the floor as a kid and staring up at them. What a bizarre trend that was.
Scrape, scrape, scrape….lather, rinse, and repeat…
Scrape, scrape, scrape….lather, rinse, and repeat…
I disagree with the comment regarding “not fixing” things because you will only get 80%. A)you live in your home why isn’t it perfect to begin with? B) perfect homes attract multiple contacts. Case in point? We sold our 1956 ranch style in Dallas this past summer for in 2 days. 6 offers, 2 of them competing so we got well over asking. And for the record, we put in museum finish walls and ceilings when we bought the house. You WILL get your money back if put in the right places. The house before this one we sold in one day for over asking because of our updates. The buyers of my latest sale has decorated the home with identical furniture to mine. You have to show them what they want!
I disagree with the comment regarding “not fixing” things because you will only get 80%. A)you live in your home why isn’t it perfect to begin with? B) perfect homes attract multiple contacts. Case in point? We sold our 1956 ranch style in Dallas this past summer for in 2 days. 6 offers, 2 of them competing so we got well over asking. And for the record, we put in museum finish walls and ceilings when we bought the house. You WILL get your money back if put in the right places. The house before this one we sold in one day for over asking because of our updates. The buyers of my latest sale has decorated the home with identical furniture to mine. You have to show them what they want!
Everyone knows the popcorn ceiling is dated. Even if your house has a more modern floor plan and other updated amenities, the popcorn ceiling could cause potential buyers to think the entire house is dated. Just bite the bullet and do it.
Everyone knows the popcorn ceiling is dated. Even if your house has a more modern floor plan and other updated amenities, the popcorn ceiling could cause potential buyers to think the entire house is dated. Just bite the bullet and do it.
Popcorn ceiling? Hope you like it, cause it ain't gonna sell. Same thing with that cute purple bedroom. Buyers have to see it through a filter that's screaming "THIS IS MY HOUSE!!"and not a filter that says "who in the hell would live in this pig?"
Popcorn ceiling? Hope you like it, cause it ain't gonna sell. Same thing with that cute purple bedroom. Buyers have to see it through a filter that's screaming "THIS IS MY HOUSE!!"and not a filter that says "who in the hell would live in this pig?"
The primary objection to popcorn ceilings is the texture was made with styrofoam balls and if it was not properly applied, it would fall off. The notion it's entirely obsolete is absurd. You can find popcorn texture at any building supply store, any place you care to shop. A lot of people like it. What if after spending thousands of dollars to remove it, the first buyer through the door is someone who happens to like popcorn ceilings? Unless your real estate agent is planning to buy your house, it is absurd to remodel in order to please your agent. Your buyer is someone who likes the home as much as YOU did, when YOU bought it – popcorn ceilings and all.
With that said, however, it doesn't hurt to be flexible. Contact several contractors and get bids on removing the texture. In this market, there should be no shortage of contractors hungry enough to work at a reasonable rate. Have your agent list the home with a note that removal of the texture is negotiable, then be prepared to reduce the price accordingly, with funds left in escrow to cover the work after the sale closes. You move out. The contractor does the work and is paid from the reserve in escrow when the work is completed. The buyer moves in. No big deal. Everyone is happy.
The primary objection to popcorn ceilings is the texture was made with styrofoam balls and if it was not properly applied, it would fall off. The notion it's entirely obsolete is absurd. You can find popcorn texture at any building supply store, any place you care to shop. A lot of people like it. What if after spending thousands of dollars to remove it, the first buyer through the door is someone who happens to like popcorn ceilings? Unless your real estate agent is planning to buy your house, it is absurd to remodel in order to please your agent. Your buyer is someone who likes the home as much as YOU did, when YOU bought it – popcorn ceilings and all.
With that said, however, it doesn't hurt to be flexible. Contact several contractors and get bids on removing the texture. In this market, there should be no shortage of contractors hungry enough to work at a reasonable rate. Have your agent list the home with a note that removal of the texture is negotiable, then be prepared to reduce the price accordingly, with funds left in escrow to cover the work after the sale closes. You move out. The contractor does the work and is paid from the reserve in escrow when the work is completed. The buyer moves in. No big deal. Everyone is happy.
Removing popcorn ceilings is actually easy. Spray it with water and it scrapes off like warm butter. Unless of course, you painted with oil over it, then good luck.
I still paid a contractor but that is all they did to remove popcorn hideousness from a house we bought…
"Pretend its toxic" is an understatement – it may ACTUALLY BE toxic – as in asbestos. Definately get it gone and have a licensed contractor do it for you. They'll take great care to minimize the mess and the potentially toxic particulate you won't want to deal with – and either will any buyer!
Removing popcorn ceilings is actually easy. Spray it with water and it scrapes off like warm butter. Unless of course, you painted with oil over it, then good luck.
I still paid a contractor but that is all they did to remove popcorn hideousness from a house we bought…
"Pretend its toxic" is an understatement – it may ACTUALLY BE toxic – as in asbestos. Definately get it gone and have a licensed contractor do it for you. They'll take great care to minimize the mess and the potentially toxic particulate you won't want to deal with – and either will any buyer!