Popcorn Ceiling Removal South Florida

Popcorn Ceiling Removal in South Florida

Popcorn ceiling removal without dust all over your home. I seal the room, wet-scrape the texture by hand, then sand with Festool dust extraction. A small room usually takes about 3 hours to scrape; a typical apartment, about a day and a half. Free estimate from a few photos.

Fully Insured $1M General Liability 5.0 on Google

How it works

Protect the room.

It's best to move furniture out. If that's not possible, I cover everything with plastic sheeting and tape it down, including curtains, so nothing gets into the fabric.

Wet and scrape.

I mist the popcorn with water and carefully scrape it off by hand. Wet texture comes off in clumps instead of dust, and careful scraping keeps the ceiling underneath from getting gouged.

Sand with dust extraction.

Once the ceiling is dry, I sand off what's left with a Festool sander connected to a dust extractor. No cloud of dust in the rest of the house.

Prime and paint, or skim coat first.

If the ceiling underneath is in good shape, which is common with drywall ceilings, it just needs primer and paint. Concrete ceilings and damaged surfaces get a skim coat first for a smooth, flat finish.

Cement popcorn ceilings

Some older ceilings have a hard, cement-based popcorn texture. It can't be scraped off. Instead, I cover it with skim coat. The texture is usually deep, so it takes two coats to bury it completely and get a smooth ceiling.

Test for asbestos first

Popcorn ceilings in homes built before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos. Homes built later are very unlikely to have it. If your home is older, or you'd like peace of mind, test before any work starts. It's simple and inexpensive: a mail-in kit costs a few dollars, you take a small sample following the instructions, and a lab sends you the result. If it comes back positive, removal has to be done by a licensed asbestos abatement company. I'm glad to take over for the skim coat and painting after that.

5.0★ on Google

★★★★★

"Eduard was recommended to us as an experienced and responsible contractor. We needed to remove the popcorn from the ceiling and make the ceilings completely level. Halfway through the work, we had a hurricane and the water, passing through the vents in the roof and micro-slits in the windows, left wet spots on the ceiling and walls. OMG! So more work). We were very lucky to hire Eduard before hurricane happened... He immediately began replacing all the wet parts. We were saved from mold!"

Lana Kolesnikova

Popcorn ceiling removal FAQ

How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?

It depends on the size of the room, the ceiling height, the type of texture and the condition of the ceiling underneath. Text me a few photos or a quick video on WhatsApp and I'll give you a free estimate, usually the same day.

How long does it take?

A small room takes about 3 hours to scrape. A typical apartment takes about a day and a half. Paint, and skim coat if it's needed, add time because each coat has to dry. You'll get a clear timeline with your estimate.

How messy is it?

Much less than you'd think. The room is sealed with plastic, the popcorn is wetted so it falls in clumps, not dust, and the final sanding is done with dust extraction. You can keep living in the rest of your home while I work.

Does my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?

If your home was built before the mid-1980s, it might. Test before any work starts. A mail-in kit is the easiest way (see above).

Can I just paint the ceiling after the popcorn comes off?

Often, yes. With careful removal, drywall ceilings are usually in good enough shape for primer and paint. Concrete ceilings, and ceilings that were gouged during removal, need a skim coat first, otherwise every scratch and seam shows through the paint.

What if my popcorn won't come off?

That's usually a cement-based texture. It can't be scraped, but it can be covered with two coats of skim coat for a smooth finish.