Ceiling texture/plastering ?'s

[gone-a-milkin]

My diningroom ceiling has popcorn texture. It was NOT put on over a primer. The roof leaked around the chimney, etc...I can vaccuum the stuff right off.

What I *think* I want to do is try my hand at a texture coat.The drywall is sound under the finish, though the seams will need to be retaped. Maybe fans or circles or a fishscale pattern. Surely someone here could point me to a few reference materials.

I have been googling and not really seen anything too helpful. This popcorn is ugly and I already learned what happens when you try to paint over unprimed ceilings...

I have lots of patience and decent drywall skills, and I guess I will MAKE the time.

Ideas, tips, dire warnings?

[gone-a-milkin]

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Wow, it even looks worse in the photo, probably from the good lighting.

The sheetrock seems sound, just stained from some water damage. I see where it has bowed a little too, but I think I can screw it back up there.

This has bugged me for 3 years, but now that the roof is finally 'really' fixed (new metal) I want to tackle this particular eyesore.

[Callieslamb]

We had luck doing a basic spackling coat to fill in the edges and even it out a bit - then use that can of texturing that sprays up. We sprayed a bit, let it dry then sprayed again, rather than trying to get it right the first go round. The spray really didn't make that big of a mess either. We did it over a couple of days - just kept going back to see how smooth it was and adding a tad more here and there. You could still see where the problem had been if you looked really close. So if you want a perfect fix, hopefully someone will know more than I do.

[edzz]

What I would do.
1. Dampen the ceiling with water in a pump bug sprayer, and then scrape the old popcorn off with a 12 inch sheetrock knife.
2. Let it dry, and coat with Kilz
3. Paint it with a mixture of 1 five gallon bucket of sheet rock mud, and one gallon of flat ceiling white rolled on with a heavy roller, then “stipple” it with any brush. I have used an old feather duster to do it in one case.

By the way all above steps are messy.

[greenacres]

If you scrape off the texture cover everything with plastic. It gets really messy. Me and my husband re did the ceilings in my in laws house. He scraped while I sprayed the water. Then we put decorative ceiling tiles from Lowe's up.

[Tiffin]

Just a thought, but wonder if you should put up new sheetrock, perhaps even right over the drywall. Or take the drywall up and put new sheetrock, basically starting over. Too much work? Too much money? I don't know.

[pookiethebear]

I cleaned off this popcorn stuff out of every ceiling in a single wide trailer. U ised a spray bottle and worked in sections. If you get it too wet the sheetrock will gouge and will be difficult to fix. I scraped it off with a wide dry wall knife into an old cake pan so I did not just drop it on the floor.

[gone-a-milkin]

Getting the popcorn off is not going to be the hard part.It mostly will just come right off when I vaccuum,(or when someone RUNS upstairs...)

I want to do a deeper type of texture coat to replace it. Maybe like "comb circles", I don't even know the real name for that type of texture coat...you see it a lot in the South?

I am hoping someone here has done something similar or maybe knows of a good book. It is probably just that I am not using the right terminology in my searching.

Thanks for your help.

I know it will be messy,...(that seems to be the primary status of my life.)

[frogmammy]

I believe I know what you mean about "circles"...looks like someone scraped a comb in a half or three-quarter circle?

There is a trowl with teeth that they use to make that...you could probably made do and use a small saw blade to do it.

Also can make a nice design with a LARGE flat sponge...put the plaster on, then texture with the sponge...place sponge against and pull off...to keep it somewhat smooth you lightly run a trowl/whatever over the high spots that stick up.

Also nice, esp for ceilings is to use a large round brush...like for floor scrubber...dip in plaster, dab on ceiling.

As someone mentioned, mix paint in with plaster...and don't be afraid of mistakes...you can always plaster over!

Mon

[gone-a-milkin]

Thank you frogmammy. I am wondering if my trowel that I use for floor mastic would work for the circles. Or maybe an actual comb.

One thing is for sure, I am not afraid to make mistakes. Remodelling this old house has been one gigantic lesson in how to rid yourself of self-importance!

Perfection isn't even an option here. I judge everything by how many % better it is than before I started.

I was just hoping someone here would give me a good link to a 'how to' site...the only thing I have found that was close was a man wanting to sell me a DVD.

I am thinking to do this (like edzz says)

~scrape, screw, tape and prime ceiling
~ mix my mud with paint and roll it up there
~then scrape it off into whatever design with whatever tool
~then (probably) repaint the whole thing nice and white

Now to figure out the 'whatever' tool...the 'whatever design' will be the fun part, once I decide. Can't really just attack it w/ no design in mind. I am STILL hoping somebody has some more advice for me....

[Avalon Acres]

I have used a stiff straw broom several times. Wet the broom, sling out excess water, and swirl. Takes a little practice, but the broom handle allows you to work from the floor.

[snoozy]

Didn't some of that popcorn stuff have asbestos in it?? Be careful what Pandora's box you open...

[gone-a-milkin]

snoozy, I don't think this ceiling is that old. Someone did some quick 'remodelling' in order to hide the fact that the roof had been leaking. I am guessing it was after the last time they put shingles on it in the 80's. The only rooms that had popcorn are this one and the downstairs bathroom, both places where the roof was poor.

You are right though about Pandora's Box. We could talk about lead-based paint too...been there and dealt with it.

[treasureacres]

Personally, I would tear down all existing drywall, and see how much damage was caused by water. Unless this is a huge room, the cost will not be that bad, and you will be starting with a clean slate to texture however you would like.

[April]

One of the most beautiful ceilings I've ever done was with two shades of paint, some drywall compound and a sea sponge.

After your popcorn is removed and you've Kilz'd the area, try this:

Get two shades of paint... I like a cream and a light tan for this.

Mix drywall compound into each shade of paint. How much drywall compound depends on what you like. Start with a little and sponge it onto a scrap piece of sheetrock or something, then mix more if you prefer. Mix it up thoroughly, though.

Using the sea sponge, just dab the paint on like you were blotting up a spill on the carpet, only not quite so hard. After that has had a few minutes to get tacky, go back in and dab the second color on. What I usually do is dab the first color onto one section, then dab the first color onto the next section. Then dab the second color onto the first section, etc.

You don't want to totally cover the section with either color, you're just aiming for a blotchy effect. I rinse my sponge occasionally, wring it out and use it to sort of blend the blotchier spots together.

It ends up looking like aging plaster - sort of rustic Italian. With a red and black you can get a lovely leather look, but I dunno if that goes with your room.

I usually pick two colors that are pretty close to each other, but I'm not a very bold person.

-April

[gone-a-milkin]

treasureacres, I hear what you are saying about starting with fresh sheetrock. Once I get the popcorn off, I will have to make that decision. I have run a few screws into what is there in select spots and it is holding them fine. I know that doesn't mean the whole thing will be that way, but hopefully...

Putting new sheets on ceilings is right up there with the ugliest and most backbreaking of tasks to have to do, IMO. Those suckers are heavy and so easy to damage.

April, that is a cool idea, mixing 2 colors. I have done that on walls before. I will keep that in mind for when I repaint the walls...

This is (or will be) a 'formal' space, the diningroom, and the house is 4 Square Arts and Crafts Style. I am trying to get a certain depth of texture. There are no 'whole' walls, every wall has a doorway (or 2) in it and one wall has 2 small windows. The ceiling (such as it is) is one of the only things to unify all these openings. It also has a nice wood floor, which needs refinished. Ceiling first though.

Thanks for all the good ideas. I think the broom makes a lot of sense, I would almost bet that a LOT of what I have seen was done with the broom. It seems like the perfect and most common tool.

[MN Gardener]

Check out the hardware store, they have some ceiling texture stuff. I remember we did something like that in one of our rentals a few years back. I just can't remember what we did exactly. I just remember we bought it at Menards and they were helpful in explaining what to do. Which isn't always the case when we go to Menards! LOL

[frogmammy]

Oh ya, do NOT use that fiberglass tape...looks like mesh....doesn't go on as well, nor look as good as paper tape. And let me tell you, paper tape can be HARD to find anymore!

Mon

[gone-a-milkin]

frogmammy, that is the TRUTH! That mesh stuff is only good for filling deep cracks, nothing else. I haven't had problems finding the paper tape. I have plenty left over from finishing out my back porch...which was last Fall's big project. (this is small, by comparison).

[Mrrsteelers]

I am a drywaller and painter. We use a wallpaper brush to do our swirls. Just roll or spray sandtexture on very thick. Then do your swirls one row at a time, making sure to cover the previous rows bottoms with the newer rows tops. Keep the rows straight. As said, make sure you use a stain blocker on the water spot or it will bleed through no mater what texture or paint you use.

As for mesh vs paper tape, they both work great, mesh has a sticky side so it's great for repairs but works for anything. Paper tape needs mud to stick but our taping tools lay the tape right on the wall with mud so it's way faster.