Interior & Exterior Painting
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Learn More about Interior & Exterior Painting →Popcorn Ceiling Removal · Scarborough, ON
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Scarborough
A dated popcorn ceiling you've been putting off for years is a same-week job for our crew, scraped, skim-coated, and repainted for a modern, updated look.
We scrape the existing texture, skim-coat the ceiling smooth or apply a modern re-texture, then prime and repaint. Most residential rooms are done within the same week. Dust containment and floor protection are standard on every job, so the rest of your home stays clean while we work.
Popcorn ceilings in homes built before the early 1980s can contain asbestos in the texture material. We recommend testing before removal if your home falls in that range. We're happy to advise on next steps and can pause the quote process until results are back.
Every popcorn ceiling removal quote is free, and since we handle the taping, mudding, and painting in-house, the finished ceiling gets the same multi-coat standard as a brand-new install.
Stipple was the standard ceiling finish for an entire build period, which is why it turns up on so many North York bungalows and backsplits.
What’s Included in Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Room containmentFloors, walls, and anything left in the room sealed off before scraping starts.
- ScrapingThe stipple removed down to the original board, worked in sections to keep the mess contained.
- Ceiling repairsSeams, cracks, and old damage exposed by the scrape are re-taped and repaired, not skimmed over.
- Skim coatThe full ceiling skimmed and sanded flat, which is what actually produces a modern smooth ceiling.
- Finish of your choiceLeft smooth, or re-textured if you'd rather keep a finish on the ceiling.
- Primer and paintCeiling primed and painted, since a freshly skimmed ceiling won't take a topcoat evenly without it.
How We Remove a Popcorn Ceiling
- Test first on older homesIf the house was built before the mid-1980s, we recommend having the ceiling tested for asbestos before any scraping begins. That test governs how, and whether, the work proceeds.
- Protect the roomFloors and walls are covered and the work area sealed. Popcorn removal is a wet, dusty job, and containment is what keeps it to one room.
- Scrape and repairThe texture comes off in sections, then the seams and defects underneath, usually never finished properly because texture was hiding them, get taped and repaired.
- Skim, sand, and paintThe ceiling is skimmed flat, sanded, primed, and painted. The skim coat is the step that separates a smooth ceiling from a scraped one.
Before You Start
What to Know Before Scraping a Popcorn Ceiling
Popcorn removal looks like a weekend job in videos and is the one most likely to go wrong. Two things decide how it should be approached.
- Age of the house
- Textured ceilings applied before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos. It is not dangerous while intact and undisturbed, but scraping is exactly what makes it airborne. Have it tested before any work starts. That result governs how, and whether, the ceiling comes down.
- Whether it was painted
- Unpainted texture usually softens with water and scrapes off reasonably. Painted texture is sealed, resists water, and comes off in stubborn chunks that tear the paper facing underneath. That torn paper then needs repair before anything else.
- What is underneath
- Once the texture is off, you find out how the original ceiling was finished. Texture was often used precisely because the taping underneath was rough, so seams and fasteners usually need real repair rather than a skim over the top.
- Smooth or re-texture
- Smooth is the modern look but demands the most from the finishing, since a ceiling catches light across its whole surface. A light re-texture hides more and costs less to finish.
Either way the ceiling needs priming before paint. A freshly skimmed surface absorbs very differently from the older painted areas around it, and skipping primer leaves patchy sheen once the topcoat dries.
Recent Work
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Photos
Photos from recent popcorn ceiling removal jobs are coming soon. Call us for examples of recent work.
Keep Exploring
Related Services
Drywall Repair & Patching
Water damage, cracks, and holes patched and texture-matched.
Learn More about Drywall Repair & Patching →Taping & Mudding
Multi-coat taping and mudding so seams disappear under paint.
Learn More about Taping & Mudding →Common Questions
Popcorn Ceiling Removal FAQs
It might, if the texture was applied before roughly the mid-1980s. It is not a hazard while intact and undisturbed, but scraping is exactly what would release it. The only way to know is a test, and we recommend having one done before any work starts, because the result governs how the job proceeds.
Scraping and skim-coating gives the better result and keeps the ceiling height. Covering with new board is sometimes chosen where the existing ceiling is in poor condition, but it adds thickness at every wall junction, light fixture and vent.
Paint seals the texture, so it no longer softens when wetted. It comes off in stubborn pieces that tend to tear the paper facing of the board underneath, and that torn paper then has to be repaired before the ceiling can be skimmed and finished.
Usually not. The work area is sealed off and floors and walls are covered, which is what keeps a wet, dusty job contained to one room. Most homeowners stay in the house and simply keep out of that room while it is in progress.
Yes, and smooth is the more common request now. It asks more of the finishing, because a ceiling catches light across its whole surface and hides nothing, so the skim coat and sanding have to be right before paint.