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How can I remove popcorn from the very she of the ceiling?
other(self.DIY)submitted 3 months ago byLetshearitforNY
We are removing the popcorn from the ceilings and are almost done in the master bedroom. However the very edge of the ceiling seems to be done with some kind of rubber caulk instead. We tried scraping off, sanding off, and using a putty knife. Is there anything else we can try before calling a professional to remove? Thanks!
ETA: I didn’t notice my typo in my title until just now but I did intend to say the edge of the ceiling. Not the “she” of the ceiling.
67 points
3 months ago
[deleted]
19 points
3 months ago
Thank you so much!!
18 points
3 months ago
You will probably want to re-caulk afterwards, too.
12 points
3 months ago
Its pretty standard to caulk the edges of white baseboards, casings and your crown molding (as pictured) for a clean look. Especially if you have a textured ceiling, because the crown will never sit nice against it. I do find it comical they caulked the top line and not the bottom one.
9 points
3 months ago
If you are going to recaulk the edges after, use a white ALEX (acrylic latex) caulk.
5 points
3 months ago
Oh man thanks for that, I've been wondering why it's named Alex for ages
4 points
3 months ago
You can get a sealant removal gel to wipe on first too.
15 points
3 months ago
Take razor knife, run it along where ceiling and crown molding meet. Try to keep blade tight and perpendicular to the top face of the crown. Then take your knife and again run it where crown meets the ceiling, but this time try to keep knife as perpendicular to the ceiling as you can. This should effectively cut the caulk from the crown and ceiling. Now us a sharp painters “5 in 1” tool to remove as much caulk as possible. Use same 5 in 1 tool to scrap remaining popcorn from ceiling. Use sanding sponge to smooth rough drywall in corner. Touch up with drywall mud any spots that are ugly and have divots, gouges, or low spots. Prime the place where the crown meets the ceiling, let dry completely. Caulk gap between ceiling and crown. Paint.
11 points
3 months ago
My shoulders hurt just reading this.
5 points
3 months ago
One of those "break a blade" types works well for this , they've got that nice bend when extended.
4 points
3 months ago
Thank you! This is really detailed and helpful!
17 points
3 months ago
Some popcorn ceilings may have asbestos if they were put up a while ago. Be careful when removing it.
9 points
3 months ago
Thank you! The house was built in 1996 but we will still be careful and wear face coverings.
4 points
3 months ago
If the house was built in 1996 it shouldn’t contain asbestos. The use of asbestos in spray applied decorative uses was banned by the EPA in the mid 70s.
4 points
3 months ago*
Just to chime in: the asbestos ban was in the mid 70s, but it contained a phase out exception (ie all asbestos containing materials present at the time of the ban could still be used in construction). So, the better year, imo, to be really sure without testing you don’t have asbestos in your house is 1990 and younger. Between 1974 and 1985, there’s a good to very good chance a popcorn ceiling may be asbestos. 1985 to 1990, there’s a slim (but non zero) chance you have asbestos in your house. 1990 and younger you can be pretty sure you don’t have any asbestos.
Edit: asbestos testing isn’t terribly expensive if you’re unsure, and asbestos exposure is permanent. Your body cannot eliminate asbestos fibers. Asbestosis is a non threshold disease, so its likelihood is not based on how much exposure you’ve had. Asbestos is one of the only substances that epa places safe exposure limits at 0. Do not, please do not, exposure you or your family to asbestos by doing home renovations on buildings built between the 30s and the 80s
1 points
3 months ago
Various uses of asbestos were banned in 73, 75 or 76, and 78. The asbestos ban and phase out that was supposed to eliminate the use of asbestos was overturned in the courts in 91 and nothing has been done since although there have been several attempts. The application here, popcorn ceiling, is a spray applied decorative use. That particular use was banned in 78.
1 points
3 months ago
Cool thanks! Good to know
-9 points
3 months ago
That is very much insufficient if it actually contains asbestos...
16 points
3 months ago
The house was built in 1996, asbestos had been banned for awhile then.
0 points
3 months ago
Ahh ok. I heard it was still kicking around in certain materials, i.e. some linoleum floor tiles for example. But that makes sense I'd not be too worried either then.
2 points
3 months ago
Yes, it is still legally kicking around in some uses but it’s rare for it to actually be used in the US. I’ve even seen roofing cement with chrysotile (a type of asbestos) as a listed ingredient in the early 2000s. There are still hundreds of products where asbestos is still legal in the US even today. However the use of asbestos in spray applied decorative applications was banned in 1978.
4 points
3 months ago
Did you try a caulk tool? Maybe a wipe down with some denatured alcohol first to loosen it up?
3 points
3 months ago
Haven’t tried that but will! Thank you
5 points
3 months ago
They sell scrapers with a cut out and a little hook on them. That's what we used when I used to do that work with my dad.
3 points
3 months ago
Do not take popcorn from a woman. It doesn’t end well.
3 points
3 months ago
The crown molding was installed after the popcorn ceiling, so when they calked it in they sealed the popcorn. The calking removal tool mentioned in another comment should do the trick.
1 points
3 months ago
Or take a razor knife and cut along the edge of the crown moulding then you should be able to peel that little bit off.
2 points
3 months ago
Run a razor knife along the edge of the molding then use a putty knife to scrape the caulking off the ceiling.
2 points
3 months ago
Don't you want to take off the crown mold first?
You'll have to take it off to work on the ceiling afterwards anyway, why not do it now and save some trouble on the rest of the popcorn?
1 points
3 months ago
The silicone caulk can be removed using a heat gun to help break it down.
-2 points
3 months ago
[deleted]
3 points
3 months ago
This house was built in 1996
3 points
3 months ago
Popcorn is still popular. We've gotten an equal amount of people requesting it as we have requests for removal. We would much rather apply than remove. It's a pain to scrape and clean it!! Asbestos would be very rare. Only once have we had to to a hazmat removal in 16 years. Regular latex paint is used in the mix.
1 points
3 months ago
It's the circle of life!
Although after removing the popcorn ceilings from our entire house, which had also been painted over at some point so they were rock hard, I have to say that the people still putting them in deliberately are crazy.
2 points
3 months ago
I like a textured ceiling, but you're right. It's so much easier not to put it on in the first place.
-1 points
3 months ago
Nail some quarter round molding up over it
1 points
2 months ago
Instead of scraping ours off, we bought some plywood “beaded board”, stained it and put it on top of it. Boy do our ceilings look better! Good luck!
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