Our middle daughter is turning 18 next month. I have been thinking about her party for a while now, so when she told me she didn’t want one, I was disappointed, to say the least.
Guess what she wants instead? A bedroom makeover. And I can totally understand why. It has been years since we’ve done anything to it, and it was back when she shared with her younger sister.
We will be doing a major overhaul, ceiling, patching holes, painting, new flooring, you get my drift?
We decided to start with removing the dreaded ‘popcorn’ from the ceiling. Not the funnest project out there, but the results are so worth it!
If your home was built before 1979, your ceiling ‘popcorn’ most likely contains asbestos. It is perfectly legal for you to remove it on your own, just be sure you follow some safety guidelines. You can also have a professional removal company take care of it for you, but it is rather expensive{roughly $3000-$5000 for a 15×20 foot room}.
***Due to the nature of this project, people with breathing problems should refrain from participating***
You’ll need a few things:
- painter’s plastic
- painter’s {or masking} tape
- utility knife
- step stool or short ladder
- drywall taping knife {about 10″ wide}
- mask {one for each person, HEPA masks for homes with asbestos}
- Spray bottle filled with water + a few drops of dish soap
- safety glasses {we didn’t wear any, but I plan to next time}
- disposable protective clothing {if you believe asbestos to be present}
Here we go!
You’ll want to begin by emptying the room of all furniture. Next, cover your floor with the painter’s plastic, taping it about three inches up the sides of the walls. You will need to overlap the plastic so that you are sure to completely cover the floor {be sure to tape the plastic where it overlaps so that it stays down}
Be sure to cover any light fixtures or fans with plastic as well.
Using the utility knife, score the ‘popcorn’ where it meets the ceiling/wall. This will make it easier to remove. Just be sure not to score too deep.
Working from the farthest corner of the room {so as to work your way out of the room}, use the spray bottle to wet the ceiling. Thoroughly wet a 3’x4’area, letting it sit for a minute or two, allowing the water to soak in a bit.
Standing on the ladder, hold the drywall taping knife at a 22* angle{just between 0* and 45*}. Begin scrapping the ceiling away from you. Also, to avoid having the ‘popcorn’ fall on you, be sure to start several inches in front of you.
Continue this process until finished.
We found that the best way to clean up is to take off your shoes and put them outside until you can clean them off.
Then, after you have taken the ladder out of the room, carefully roll up the plastic covering the floor. Vacuum any mess that may have gotten on to the floor. The mess on the bottom of your shoes is easily cleaned off with a hose.
A few things to remember:
- When scrapping, the ‘popcorn’ should fall in clumps. If dust appears, re-spray with water.
- Be careful not to scrape too hard, as the drywall on the ceiling will be wet and you don’t want to gouge it.
- Keep an extra pair of shoes just outside the room you are working in. This way, if you need to leave the room for any reason you will have a clean pair of shoes to wear around the house. {Trust me on this one. This stuff is a pain to clean off of the floor!}
This is what the floor looked like when we were finished scrapping. The ladder was a mess as well.
The ceiling still needs texture and paint, but it is already looking better than before!
**For information on how/where to properly dispose of asbestos-containing debris, contact your state health department or air-quality agency***
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