We have popcorn ceilings in my house, and two summers ago, we gutted our kitchen. Because we removed a wall, we had to make the new open space match the rest of the ceiling.
Popular back in the day, popcorn ceilings were used to create texture, as well as hide any imperfections. To remove it, we moistened the ceiling with a pump sprayer and scraped the icky oatmeal texture with a putty knife. It was messy, and I have no desire to do it ever again.
I recently stumbled upon this video and wish I had known about this way to remove popcorn ceilings sooner. This man is brilliant. He taped a 6-inch spackle knife to the end of his Shop-Vac.
So when the spackle knife scraps off the popcorn, the Shop-Vac quickly sucks it up before it has a chance to fall onto the floor. Voila! Quick and easy removal of the usually messy task.
*Note* Some popcorn ceilings have asbestos in them. To ensure your family’s safety, be sure to get the area tested before removal. If it contains asbestos, you will need to hire a professional to come in and safely remove the material from your home.