Popcorn ceiling removal in Charlotte
Popcorn ceiling removal takes an acoustic or stipple texture off a ceiling, skims the surface flat with joint compound, sands it and paints it. In most Charlotte houses built before the mid 2000s it is the single change that makes a room look current. MDO Contracting removes popcorn ceilings across Charlotte, NC.
A textured ceiling dates a room faster than anything on the walls. Taking it off is messy for a day and then it is simply gone, and every light fixture in the room looks better for it.
What the job involves
- Room sealed with plastic, floors and furniture covered
- Texture wetted and scraped, or skimmed over where scraping is not the right call
- Two or three skim coats, sanded flat, corners and edges cleaned up
- Ceiling primed and painted, walls touched up where tape lines land
- Can lights, fans and fixtures reinstalled or upgraded while the ceiling is open
How the work runs
- 01
Check the ceiling
Age of the house and the texture itself decide the method. Ceilings from before the early 1980s get tested before anything is disturbed.
- 02
Seal the room
Plastic on the walls and floors, fixtures dropped or bagged. The mess stays in the room.
- 03
Scrape and skim
Texture comes off, then the ceiling is skimmed in coats until it is flat under raking light.
- 04
Prime and paint
A ceiling primer and two coats, fixtures back up, room cleaned.
Popcorn ceiling removal questions
- How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?
- A typical room is a day or two from sealing to paint, depending on size and how many coats of skim it needs. Whole floors are scheduled room by room.
- Can my ceiling be tested for asbestos?
- Ceilings in houses built before the early 1980s should be tested before any texture is disturbed. If a sample comes back positive the work is handled differently, and you are told before anything happens.
- Scrape or cover?
- Scraping gives the flattest result when the texture is unpainted. Texture that has been painted many times often skims over more cleanly than it scrapes. That is decided in the room.
- Will it be messy?
- For a day, yes, and that is why the room is sealed. Furniture is moved or covered and the floor is protected before the first scrape.
- Can I add recessed lights at the same time?
- Yes, and it is the best time to do it. The ceiling is already being finished, so new can lights or a fan box get patched in as part of the same job.
Popcorn ceiling removal across the Charlotte area
MDO Contracting works Charlotte and roughly 50 miles out from it.