What Is a Rough Ceiling?

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• Rough ceilings are created in a variety of different ways. Ceilings may simply have years of plaster and paint buildup, causing a rough and uneven finish on the ceiling. Spray-on acoustical texture became popular in the 1950s through the 1980s and is still seen in many homes today. Knockdown and skip trowel textures may be sprayed on or applied with a trowel or roller.

Advantages

• Rough ceiling plaster has a variety of advantages. A ceiling with popcorn or other applied texture may decrease loud noise and echoing in a room, especially when high ceilings are present or floors are hard. Drywall work does not have to be perfect when texture is present. Slight flaws are no longer noticeable to the naked eye when the ceiling is roughed up with plaster. Visually, some people prefer to have texture applied to the ceiling instead of a smooth wall. In fact, creating a smooth ceiling finish is more expensive than creating a textured finish. More man hours and knowledge are required to produce the perfect smooth ceiling instead of adding a texture to the surface.

Removal

• Some types of rough ceiling texture may be removed. When layers of paint and light plaster create a rough ceiling look, the ceiling may need to simply be sanded and skim coated. Use a hand sander and medium-grit sanding block. Skim the surface with joint compound to smooth out any rough areas. If your home is asbestos free, saturate popcorn ceilings with water. Let the water absorb completely into the ceiling for about 15 minutes. Scrape and scratch the surface of the wet popcorn ceiling to remove the plaster. Heavier rough ceiling plasters may remove at all unless a great amount of work is used. Still, these heavier textures may be be altered with paint and faux finishes.

Alterations

• When a rough plaster finish is present, alter the look by repainting the finish with acrylic paint. Ceilings are painted flat to avoid light casting a glare onto a glossy surface. Mix glaze and paint to create a color wash effect. Add additional plaster by troweling on more drywall compound. The plaster may also be watered down and added to a hopper and then sprayed onto the ceiling.