- Using a spray bottle (Figure 3) filled with water, dampen a section of the ceiling.
- Place the scraper (Figure 4) or drywall knife (Figure 5) at less than a 30 degree angle to the ceiling in the area where the moisture has been applied, see Figure 6. Push the scraper or drywall knife forward and it should remove the popcorn and leave a smooth finish.
- Inspect the ceiling and fill any gouged areas with joint compound. Sand any areas that are rough or edges against bare drywall that are not feathered.
- Paint ceiling using a quality primer and finished coat of paint. Follow the paint manufacturer's instructions.
Figure 3 - Spray Bottle
Figure 4 - 4" scraper
Figure 5 - 8" Drywall Knife
Figure 6 - Holding scraper at correct angle to remove popcorn texture
Make sure that the scraper or drywall knife is flat to the ceiling and that you scrape with an even pressure on both ends of the blade as shown in Figures 7a and 7b. Failing to do so will cause the blade to gouge the ceiling.
Figure 7a - Correct angle to hold scrape or drywall knife.
Figure 7b -Incorrect angle to hold scraper or drywall knife.
In some cases finding a starting point can be difficult as there is no area where you can lie the scraper or drywall knife flat against the ceiling. In this case, use a small 1 inch scraper to remove enough popcorn in order to have a flat starting point for the scraper or drywall knife.
Be careful, having too great an angle on the scraper or drywall knife will cause them to leave gouge marks in the ceiling. Should you inadvertently create gouge marks they can be repaired using drywall joint compound.