How to Remove Popcorn Spray Texture From a Ceiling

Scrape a small portion of the popcorn material from the ceiling into a plastic bag. Send the sample to an EPA-approved testing lab to test for asbestos. If your ceiling tests positive for asbestos, you will need to have a qualified contractor complete the work.

Turn off the electricity to the room and use a screwdriver to remove any lighting fixtures. Also remove all the furniture from the room.

Cover the floor and the walls with plastic, using painter's tape to secure the plastic.

Wet the ceiling with a garden sprayer filled with warm water. Wet 4 to 5 square feet of ceiling at a time. Thoroughly wet the ceiling, but do not soak it.

Round the edges of a 6-inch drywall knife using a grinding wheel or heavy-duty file. This will help prevent the drywall knife from gouging the ceiling.

Scrape the popcorn texture off the ceiling with the drywall knife in the wet area. If there are spots that will not come off, wet them and wait a few minutes and scrape again. Work your way around the ceiling using this process until all the texture is removed. Remove the plastic from the walls and roll it up with the plastic on the floor and dispose of it.

Fill a drywall pan about half full of joint compound and use a drywall knife to spread the compound over the joint lines in the ceiling. Soak drywall tape in water and squeeze out the excess. Use a drywall knife to press the tape into the joint compound on the seams. Repair any other damage and fill in nail holes with two or three coats of compound.

Sand the ceiling with a pole sander. Make sure there are no high spots in the surface of the ceiling. Fill in low spots with joint compound and sand again. Repeat this process until the surface of the ceiling is completely smooth. Paint the ceiling with a primer made for drywall. Paint or texture the ceiling to your liking.