Un-Popping the Popcorn Ceiling

So after the home inspection we discovered some work that needed to be done in the attic.  The part we decided we could do ourselves was to remove the insulation from around the can-lights.  We survived crawling around the attic dragging a board to kneel on with just a few scratches from those pesky nails (Why do they use nails 5 times longer then needed to put on roofs?) only to lose my balance trying to get turned around to go back down the ladder and low and behold there is now a hole in my kitchen ceiling.

I told you I needed to look into reactivating that AFLAC accident insurance policy we had.

So this led us to learning how to patch and repair holes in drywall.  (Here's my favorite how-to-video for this job.)  While that turned out to be simple enough it wasn't as easy to match the popcorn ceiling.  No matter how we tried, we couldn't get it to look the same as the rest of the ceiling.  I also personally hate popcorn ceilings.  So, we decided our next project would be to un-pop the popcorn ceiling.

After trying several different methods I was beginning to think that this was a bad idea.  That stuff just didn't seem to want to come off.  I finally decided to branch out on my own and try something totally different.  I remembered this stripper I had used to take about 10 different layers of paint off an old dresser I refinished and wonder if it wouldn't make the process easier.  So off to Home Depot I went.  Here's the supplies I returned with...

I must say that the Citristrip worked really well.  I won't say that it made the popcorn texture wipe off, but it definitely scrapped off easier than anything else we tried. An added benefit of the Citristrip is that it smells like oranges instead of the strong chemical smell of other brands.  The gel is thick enough that it will stay on the ceiling without dripping.

Step 1 - Tape plastic sheeting up over the cabinets, counters and floor.  DO NOT SKIP this step.  Removing popcorn texture is a messy job that is extremely dusty...a lot like dry walling itself.

Step 2 - Pour some of the Citristrip into a metal paint can.  Use an All Purpose paint brush to paint a small area of the ceiling with the Citristrip.  I found moving the brush in small circles worked better than just going back and forth.  Leave the Citristrip sit for 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Use the scraper to start removing the popcorn texture.  BE CAREFUL not to go too deep with the scraper and actually take off some of the drywall paper.  For tough sections, you can use a block sander to remove residual texture.  For REALLY tough sections, reapply a small amount of the Citristrip and try again.

Here are some pics of the final product.