Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceilings

Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceilings can be a nightmare to clean. Although you cannot clean popcorn ceilings like you would clean a typical ceiling, because the popcorn would drop off if you tried. However, there a few options to do the job.

Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceilings

Basically, you have three choices when it comes to repairing smoke damaged popcorn ceilings. Certainly, this article will go through each method, plus the pros and cons.

Though these are do it yourself options, I highly recommend using a professional specifically for option three. Although you may choose to bring in a professional for option two also, because working with popcorn is a very messy business.

Let’s get straight into your options. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included a shopping list for those doing DIY.

Choices for Repairing Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceilings

1. First of all, yes you can cover smoke damage popcorn with a sealer. However you have to use a special roller sleeve and roller frame.
2. Another option, scrape all the popcorn off ceiling, repair imperfections and paint it.
3. Also you can scrap all the popcorn off and respray the popcorn or other texture to hide imperfections.

Sealing and Painting Your Smoked Damage Popcorn Ceiling.

Although you can’t clean popcorn ceilings without knocking the popcorn off the ceiling, you can seal and repaint. Certainly this is the easiest way by far and the least messy option you have.

First, you must remove all furnishings, and cover the floor and anything remaining in the room with drop clothes.

Most Importantly, always open windows for ventilation when painting or using any chemicals.

Using a paint roller and extension with a special sliced foam roller for painting rough surfaces and popcorn ceilings. Paint the ceiling with a sealer first, like water based Kilz sealer. When rolling the sealer use just enough pressure to apply the sealer. Do not over push the roller, this may loosen the popcorn. The sealer will cover and hide the smoke stains and the odor. When dry, the sealer will help hold the popcorn on the ceiling.

Once the sealer is dry, using the same tools with a new sliced foam roller sleeve, repaint the ceiling with paint. Because the sealer is holding the popcorn in place, rolling should be easier at this point.

I also have another post on using a paint roller the correct way if that’s helpful for you.

First A Word Of Caution On Options Two and Three

When you have a large area of smoke damaged popcorn ceiling, and are planning to scrape all the popcorn off. I would recommend having a professional do the work.

Before you Scrap Popcorn

While it is possible for you to do the work yourself, it is a very messy job, removing the popcorn.

I have included the details on each method and what is involved. This will give you a better understanding of what you are about to get yourself into. So before you start, you can decide if you are going to do the work yourself ? If so, what method are you going to go with ?

In many cases applying popcorn helps to hide small imperfections. So when you scrape all the popcorn off to paint, you may have to patch these imperfections before painting.

Scraping All Popcorn Off Your Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceiling to Paint.

One way to remove smoke damage from your popcorn ceiling is to actually remove the popcorn itself. This is definitely a messy option. However, it’s also the most popular, as popcorn is no longer a desirable ceiling texture.

First, remove all furnishing and cover complete area with drop cloths. As it gets very dusty, I recommend taping drop cloths to the walls with painters tape, in addition the covering the floors.

Using the 12-inch ceiling scraper, carefully remove all popcorn from ceiling. Make sure to get all corners and edges.

I know there’s lots of guidance out there on wetting the ceiling first, but I actually don’t recommend it. Though it makes scraping slightly easier. This is a messy process as is. Wetting the popcorn means you will have a white milky substance dripping from the ceiling.

What I do recommend, is going over the ceiling with a damp sponge after scraping the ceiling. This will help smooth out any remaining texture.

Finally, completely check the ceiling and cover any cracks or imperfections with the patching paste before painting.

Once done, you can paint the ceiling using a regular 3/8 nap roller sleeve. You can use a good ceiling white paint, or a color of your choice. Two coats may be required to cover correctly.

But before you do, make sure you don’t want to replace the popcorn.

However remember, when contractors apply popcorn to a ceiling, they use a hopper, or a machine that sprays thick materials. This can be a very messy process. Keep in mind, when they spray the popcorn in the house, it is mostly a new home and totally empty. Unlike your home which has finish floors/carpeting and furnishings.

Scrape All Popcorn Off Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceiling and Respray Popcorn

For those who will miss their popcorn ceilings, or are only working on a small section so need to replace their popcorn to match the house, here’s how you do it.

I highly recommend using a professional to respray the popcorn (or other textures) as they have special sprayers for this type of work.

Again, remove all furniture and completely cover the entire area with drop cloths, including the walls.

Cover walls to the ceiling. Use painters tape to hold the drop cloths on the wall. If you don’t use tape, the spray equipment may blow it down while spraying.

Completely scrape all popcorn off ceiling as discussed in option two above.

To add back on the popcorn, mix popcorn material as per the instructions on the product.

Using a hopper, or other equipment meant for spraying popcorn, spray the popcorn slow and evenly on the ceiling.

Another word of caution on this particular option. Using one of these specialty sprayers is not that easy. It sprays a lot of popcorn very quickly and powerfully. You can end up doing more damage from spraying incorrectly.

There’s no need to paint over the freshly sprayed popcorn.

Materials and Tools and Safety Equipment for Working with Smoke Damaged Popcorn Ceilings

Before you get started, let’s make sure you have everything you need. Safety gear is important on this job. If you choose to do any scraping, you will need to protect your eyes and lungs from the small dust particles in the air.

• Goggles – a must.
• Mask – you need something that will filter out tiny particles of dust if scraping, like a respirator mask. If you are only sealing and painting, a standard painters mask for fumes should be fine.
• Coveralls – protective clothing.
• Drop clothes – enough to cover the complete area you are going to work on. Including the walls.
• Painters Tape – to hold the drop cloths to the walls.
• If you choose to roll sealer and paint over the popcorn (Option1).
  • You will need 2 special sliced foam paint roller sleeves. One is for the sealer the other is for the paint.
  • Roller tool and an extension handle.
  • Paint sealer, like water-based KILZ
  • Ceiling paint. I suggest a close to a flat white color.
• If you choose to scrap and paint ceiling (Option 2).
  • Ceiling Scraper- at least 12 inches wide.
  • Patching paste.
  • Regular 3/8″ nap roller sleeve
  • Roller tool and an extension handle.
  • Ceiling paint. I suggest a close to a flat white color.

In closing

I hope you find this post on cleaning smoke damaged popcorn ceilings valuable and were able to salvage your ceilings.

If you need more information on using a paint roller correctly, please see my other post on the subject.

See my video How to clean Smoke Damage correctly

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