How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling & Increase Home Value

Updating your ceiling could make your home more appealing should you sell it.


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The much-despised "popcorn" ceiling actually does have benefits. The texturizing material controls sound inside of the room and it easily hides any flaws in the ceiling. Because people often consider the popcorn look to be outdated, this might deter some buyers from purchasing your home for just this reason. You can often remove the popcorn ceiling yourself and replace it with something more stylish to raise your home's value and encourage a sale.


In the past, asbestos was used in some formulations of popcorn ceiling texture. These materials typically are not harmful to you so long as you don't disturb the ceiling, but removing the popcorn stirs up the asbestos. Asbestos was banned in 1978, but any ceiling material that had been manufactured until that point was still allowed to be used, and so can be found on ceilings that were installed as late as 1986. Unless you are certain your ceiling does not contain asbestos, have a sample taken by a certified asbestos professional and tested at a lab. If it contains asbestos, you must either leave the ceiling alone or hire an abatement professional to safely remove the popcorn.

Removing Popcorn

Removing asbestos-free popcorn is fairly simple process, but is tiring and messy. Remove everything in the room and cover the floor with tarps or drop cloths. For extra protection from dust, cover any light fixtures or ceiling fans in lightweight plastic and plug outlets with childproof plugs. Protect yourself by wearing goggles and a dust mask. Dampen the popcorn lightly with a spray bottle of water, then scrape with a large putty knife or drywall knife. It's also possible to sand it off with a power sander.


After removing the popcorn, you may need to do some repair to the ceiling beneath. Popcorn ceilings can be used to cover up flaws in installation or you may accidentally damage the ceiling yourself during the removal process. Drywall compound hides holes, gouges and screws or nails that you might see in the ceiling, and is applied with a putty knife. Sand the ceiling down with a pole sander after the compound has dried to smooth the ceiling.

Ceiling Covering

Once you've removed the popcorn and repaired the ceiling, you have options for the new covering. You can paint the ceiling with ceiling paint, which can enhance a room. However, if you're selling the house, the next owners may or may not like the color you choose, though classic white is a safe choice. You can add a new texture that is a bit more stylish, like knockdown or orange peel. You can also cover the ceiling with something like ceiling tiles, but the smoother and less obtrusive the finish, the better for your bottom line.

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