How To Smooth Popcorn Ceiling

How to Smooth a Popcorn Ceiling

Popcorn ceilings were once a popular way to add texture and soundproofing to a room. However, they have since fallen out of fashion, and many homeowners are now looking for ways to smooth them out. If you're one of those homeowners, then you're in luck. Smoothing a popcorn ceiling is a relatively simple and inexpensive DIY project that can be completed in a weekend.

Here's what you'll need:

A ladder
A drywall knife
A bucket of water
A sponge
A drop cloth

Here's how to do it:

Prepare the room. Move all of the furniture out of the room and cover the floor with a drop cloth. Open all of the windows and doors to ventilate the room.
Wet the ceiling. Using a sponge, wet the popcorn ceiling with warm water. Don't soak it, but make sure that it's evenly wet.
Scrape off the popcorn. Using a drywall knife, gently scrape off the popcorn ceiling. Start at one corner of the room and work your way across. Be careful not to gouge the drywall beneath the popcorn.
Rinse the ceiling. Once you've scraped off all of the popcorn, rinse the ceiling with clean water. Use a sponge to wipe away any remaining popcorn or debris.
Dry the ceiling. Allow the ceiling to dry completely before painting or finishing it.

That's it! Smoothing a popcorn ceiling is a simple and inexpensive DIY project that can be completed in a weekend. With a little effort, you can give your home a more modern and updated look.

Tips

If the popcorn ceiling is particularly thick, you may need to wet it down and scrape it off in multiple layers.
Be careful not to gouge the drywall beneath the popcorn. If you do, you'll need to repair it before you can paint or finish the ceiling.
Once the ceiling is dry, you can paint it or finish it any way you like. You could paint it a solid color, add a texture, or even install new molding.