Ceiling Refinishing Archives - RemoveCeilingTexture.com

April 29, 2014November 23, 2023

Covering Popcorn Ceilings

If you’re reading this, you probably have popcorn ceilings that you’d like to have disappear forever. Welcome to the club–we hate them too.

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, as our name points out very clearly, we remove ceiling texture. But what we really do is provide smooth ceilings. And while the end product of smooth ceilings is always the same, our method to achieve this sometimes differs.

Our usual process is to grind the texture down with a special machine made for the ceiling industry, then we resurface the ceilings using a hawk and trowel method. The final step is a light sanding and then your ceilings are done and ready for paint. However, in some cases it’s preferable to skip the grinding step and start with the resurfacing. This means that the texture will remain on your ceilings, but it will be covered up and sealed with the compound that we use for resurfacing.

When is Covering Popcorn Ceilings Preferable?

Covering Popcorn Ceilings: Before and after photo of a hallway in Delta

If you live in a home that was built prior to about 1982, there is a chance that your ceiling texture could contain asbestos. Asbestos was used for various reasons (read our article about asbestos for more information). Anytime there is asbestos involved, you do not want to scrape it. Scraping can cause the asbestos fibres to become airborne, which is when they can be dangerous. The only way to know for sure if there is asbestos is to have a lab examine a sample under a microscope. In cases where asbestos is confirmed (or suspected, but an asbestos test has not been done), we always skip the grinding and instead cover the texture directly with our compound. This seals in the texture and any possible asbestos fibres. The ceilings then get at least two more coats of the compound to ensure proper coverage and to make sure your ceilings are smooth.

Will Covering Popcorn Ceilings Make My Ceilings Shorter?

Covering Popcorn Ceilings: Before and after photo of a bedroom in Delta

When covering popcorn ceilings, we make sure to apply very thin layers of compound. Since we apply it by hand, we can control the depth of the compound and only put enough to cover the texture and make the ceilings smooth. They will be a small fraction of an inch shorter but it won’t be noticeable. In fact, the smooth ceilings will actually make the room feel larger and brighter. It’s surprising how popcorn ceilings can make a space feel small and restricted. People often don’t even notice this until the ceilings are smooth. It’s like a weight has been lifted from the room.

The Before & After images throughout this article are from a home in Delta that we worked on. We applied our compound directly onto the popcorn instead of removing it first. Below are some “During” photos of this project.

Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo - bedroom — Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo – bedroom

Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo - dining room — Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo – dining room

Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo - hallway — Covering Popcorn Ceilings: During photo – hallway

Whether the popcorn needs to be removed or covered, RemoveCeilingTexture.com can provide you with smooth ceilings. Contact us today for a FREE quote! Give us a call at 604-420-7578 or contact us by email.

Want your popcorn ceilings covered or removed? Contact RCT today for a FREE quote!

February 27, 2014November 23, 2023

Ceiling Corner Cracks

Ceiling corner cracks. Cracked corners of the ceilings. Entrances to other portals. Whatever you call them, popcorn-texture cracks in the corners of your ceilings are ugly and should be taken care of. And if they are indeed entrances to other portals, you risk the possibility of Narnia-like creatures invading and eating all the cookies in your cupboard. So there’s that.

But aside from thwarting mystical beings, there are practical reasons to get these cracks fixed. To start with, the cracks look terrible. Also, dust and moisture can get in there and create problems, possibly leading to more cracking in the texture. And if that’s not bad enough, just think about insects and spiders setting up shop in there. The ceiling corner cracks have to go if you want peace of mind.

Why Do Ceiling Corner Cracks Appear?

Ceiling texture can crack around the walls

Ceiling texture often cracks in the corners and around the edges of walls because of the way the drywall was finished. If insufficient amounts of mud are applied to the drywall tape at these critical wall-ceiling meeting points, the tape will eventually become too dry and will start to lift off the drywall. The ceiling texture is lifted with the tape and this creates a crack. If you are experiencing this problem, we can fix it during the process of removing the ceiling texture and resurfacing the ceilings with fresh mud compound. This stops the corners from delaminating and cracking again in the long run.

Fix the Cracks and Seal off the Portals

Ceiling Texture Removal in Kamloops - Close-up of ceiling texture in Kamloops — Close-up of ceiling texture in Kamloops

These homeowners weren’t sure what to do about their cracks. They decided to find someone who specializes in ceilings. That’s when they contacted us. At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we deal with ceilings and ceiling texture each and every day. Our experience makes us qualified in a way that drywallers and general contractors aren’t because they don’t specialize in ceilings. In fact, we’re often contacted by general contractors who know they don’t have the expertise when it comes to ceilings.

Because the drywall tape underneath the ceiling texture is the culprit, trying to fix the texture won’t solve the problem. The corners are likely to keep cracking in the future. So the homeowners opted to remove the texture altogether and have the ceiling resurfaced. The mud compound we use will stop the tape from lifting. This fixed the ceiling corner cracks problem, but also gave them modern, smooth ceilings that literally freshen the home. Air quality is better after ceiling texture is removed because dust and other allergens can no longer become trapped up there. Now they don’t have to worry about ceiling cracks, asthma aggravation, or half human-half goat fauns leaving muddy hoof marks in the living room.

Other types of ceiling cracks that we often see:

Water damaged ceilings in the living room. You can see the texture has cracked and is peeling. — Cracked, water damaged ceilings

Another crack fixed in the den of a Burnaby condo

Another view of ceiling cracks in Burnaby

Ceiling cracks in the living room of a Burnaby condo.

Living room ceiling cracks were repaired by RemoveCeilingTexture.com

If you have ceiling cracks, or you just want more information on removing ceiling texture, contact us today. Call us at 604-420-7578 or contact us by email for a FREE quote.

Have ceiling cracks, or want your texture removed? Contact us today!

February 4, 2014April 8, 2023

The Lowdown on Textured Ceilings

This condo at 518 Moberly Rd in Vancouver had the textured ceilings removed

If your home was built from about 1950 onwards, there’s a good chance you have textured ceilings, also known as popcorn ceilings or stippled ceilings. It’s even being used today in the countless highrises sprouting from the earth like fungi. You might think, wouldn’t they be able to sell the units for more money if the ceilings were smooth and actually looked finished? Yes, they most likely would, but the problem is that old adage: time is money. Textured ceilings are quick and cheap and they need to sell the units as quickly as possible. This keeps us at RemoveCeilingTexture.com quite busy.

The Nitty Gritty of Textured Ceilings

So let’s break it down. What are the arguments for and against textured ceilings?

“Textured ceilings are quick and cheap to build.”

This argument really only works for the developer. But this is about you, the homeowner.

Ceilings transformed from textured to smooth at a condo at 1230 Haro Street in Vancouver

You’re likely not pocketing the savings the developers made by spraying the

texture. Do you know what else is quick and cheap? Leaving the concrete floors unfinished and not painting the walls. How many developers do that? For some reason textured ceilings have become almost an industry standard and people put up with it.

“Textured ceilings mute sound.”

If you live in a modern condo building, the texture is not making a difference in sound transmission. Generally, you shouldn’t be able to hear your neighbours walking around.

Living room of Vancouver condo now has smooth ceilings - 1230 Haro St, Vancouver — Living room of Vancouver condo now has smooth ceilings – 1230 Haro St, Vancouver

However, if your upstairs neighbour insists on channeling her inner Victoria Beckham by walking in heels at all hours, textured ceilings will not make one iota of difference. You’re going to hear that clickety-clack whether or not you have textured ceilings. Likewise, the creaks and groans of an older home are going to come through regardless of the texture on your ceilings. The sound may not even be coming through the ceilings. If walls are missing insulation, sound will travel through. Unless you have a seriously sound proofed room that can silence a nine-year old boy and his drum set, you’re going to get some sound transfer.

The other sound issue people talk about is echo within a room.

Removal of textured ceilings in the dining room of a Vancouver Condo - 1230 Haro St. — Removal of textured ceilings in the dining room of a Vancouver Condo – 1230 Haro St.

Echoes occur when sound waves bounce off of hard surfaces such as walls and ceilings, multiple times. It’s true, if you have an empty room with no furniture, textured ceilings will slightly dampen echoes. But once you add softer components such as sofas, chairs, beds, carpets, rugs, etc., the sound waves will be absorbed by these softer items and won’t create an echo. So your textured ceilings are not helping.

“Textured ceilings don’t bother me.”

Are you sure about that? They may not bother you visually, but what they harbour could be affecting your health. Asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems can be aggravated by the dust and allergens that are present in every home. In most homes you vacuum, you dust…problem solved, right? Not so fast. The dust gets stuck in the nooks and crannies of textured ceilings. It can then fall back down at its leisure, making your symptoms worse.

Smooth ceilings appear higher - Vancouver condo at 1331 Homer St. — Smooth ceilings appear higher – Vancouver condo at 1331 Homer St.

Resurfaced concrete ceilings at a Vancouver condo - Bedroom at 1331 Homer St. — Resurfaced concrete ceilings at a Vancouver condo – Bedroom at 1331 Homer St.

Smoothing Out the Nitty Gritty

The good news is that you’re not stuck with textured ceilings. From penthouse condos to heritage homes and everything in between, we can provide smooth ceilings for pretty much every type of dwelling (we’ve yet to do a hobbit-hole, though).

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, our name only tells part of the story. Removing the ceiling texture is only the first step to smooth ceilings. Once the texture is gone, you’ll often see inconsistencies in the ceilings. If you were to paint at this stage, they wouldn’t look very good. The next, crucial step is where our expertise really shines: resurfacing the ceilings. Our process will leave you with flawless, smooth ceilings that look fantastic.

Contact us today for a FREE QUOTE for getting rid of your textured ceilings. Send us an email, or call us at 604-420-7578.

Close-up view of corner after ceiling texture removal at a condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver

Living room with smooth ceilings - condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver — Living room with smooth ceilings – condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver

Tired of your textured ceilings? Contact us today for a FREE quote!

January 8, 2014November 23, 2023

Ceiling Finishes

Your Own Personal Sistine Chapel

Ceiling finishes are pretty much only limited to your imagination. From Michelangelo-esque works of art to wallpaper to coffered ceilings, the one thing required before beginning is a flat surface. Popcorn ceiling texture gets in the way of most ceiling finishes.

Ceiling Finishes: Smooth ceilings in North Vancouver - Fireplace — Ceiling Finishes: Smooth ceilings in North Vancouver – Fireplace

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we specialize in not only removing the texture, but more importantly, in creating sleek, blemish-free surfaces. They are beautiful left this way, or use them as a base to apply mouldings, medallions or stencils to get the look you want.

Sashimi, Steak Tartare, Egg Nog: Must Our Concrete be Raw Too?

If you live in a highrise building, you likely have concrete ceilings. Designers of these buildings use various concrete ceiling finishes to achieve whatever look they’re going for. Sometimes they’re left bare for a raw, industrial look. This look isn’t for everyone.

Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings - Texture removed from concrete ceilings in Vancouver — Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings – Texture removed from concrete ceilings in Vancouver

While it may look glamourous in magazines or movies, in real life it can feel cold, impersonal and just plain unfinished. Other times the concrete’s sprayed with ceiling texture just like drywall ceilings are. Why? It’s cheaper to spray popcorn texture than it is to finish them to a nice smooth surface. If you have over 100 condos in a building to finish, speed usually triumphs over quality. RemoveCeilingTexture.com can remove the texture, fix any cracks and holes and skim over the concrete to create a warmer, finished look.

Smooth Ceiling Finishes

Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings - Dining room in Port Coquitlam has the texture removed — Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings – Dining room in Port Coquitlam has the texture removed

Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings - Close up of texture removal around a light fixture in North Vancouver — Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings – Close up of texture removal around a light fixture in North Vancouver

Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings - Stain in North Vancouver living room is gone, along with the ugly texture — Ceiling Finishes: Smooth Ceilings – Stain in North Vancouver living room is gone, along with the ugly texture

Contact RemoveCeilingTexture.com today for a FREE, no obligation, quote for ceiling texture removal. Send us an email, or give us a call at 604-420-7578. We’d love to discuss your project and answer any ceiling related questions you may have.

December 17, 2013November 2, 2016

Popcorn Ceiling Removal

You know the saying, popcorn doesn’t grow on trees? Oh, that’s not the saying? Well, it doesn’t grow on trees. And it shouldn’t grow on ceilings either. Popcorn ceilings is another term for textured ceilings. I guess they started calling it popcorn ceilings because warty ceilings just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?

*On a side note, I did a Google image search for warts when writing this post. Do not do that. Ever.

Whether you call it popcorn ceilings, textured ceilings, stippled ceilings, or what it really looks like, diseased ceilings, you can have it removed. RemoveCeilingTexture.com specializes in popcorn ceiling removal.

So Popcorn Ceilings Look Bad, What’s the Big Deal?

Apart from the fact that they’re hideous to look at, popcorn ceilings are harmful to your health.

Entrance area of a Vancouver condo that has had popcorn ceiling removal

Since they are next to impossible to clean, dust gets trapped up there. Do you know what dust is composed of? It’s a mixture of many things, including plant pollen, hair, and skin cells. Yes, all those things are trapped up in your popcorn ceiling. If you or a family member has allergies, you’ll benefit from smooth ceilings. Even if you don’t have respiratory problems, I think we can all agree that when it comes to breathing in skin cells, less is better. Now that you’re completely grossed out over popcorn ceilings, how can you have them removed?

Popcorn Ceiling Removal by the Experts

Popcorn ceiling removal in Vancouver - Living Room — Popcorn ceiling removal in Vancouver – Living Room

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we’re experts in creating smooth ceilings. But it’s not as easy as simply scraping the popcorn off. There are a few steps involved. First the popcorn is removed with a special machine to minimize any mess. After this step, the ceilings look rough and unfinished. The second step, ceiling resurfacing, is where the real magic comes in. This is where we even out any dips, waves, or other blemishes apparent when the popcorn comes off. The last step is a quick sanding to make the ceiling flawless. Read more about RemoveCeilingTexture.com’s unique process.

Bedroom of Burnaby condo after popcorn ceiling removal

Brighter hallway after popcorn ceiling removal

Popcorn ceiling removal in the living room

No Strings Attached

If you’re like us, you believe that popcorn belongs at the movies, not stuck to your ceilings. Contact RemoveCeilingTexture.com today for a quote on popcorn ceiling removal. Unlike some companies, we don’t charge for providing a quote and our quotes are always obligation free. So send us an email, or give us a call at 604-420-7578.

Get a FREE quote on popcorn ceiling removal!

December 2, 2013November 2, 2016

Increase the Value of Your Home

We can work around things like fire sprinklers when removing ceiling texture.

Do you want to increase the value of your home? That’s kind of like asking someone if they like pancakes. No rational person answers no to that! So unless you’re one of those weird, pancake-hating ~~monsters~~ people, here’s a simple way you can add some value to your home. (If you do hate pancakes, that’s okay. I’m sure your mother still loves you.)

Increase the Value of Your Home with Ceiling Renovations

Easy way to increase the value of your home: This West Van condo had ceiling texture removed

Renovations. The very word invokes fear in some and manic glee in others (you know who you are). But before you haul out the chainsaw and start hacking away at walls, a huge mortgage-your-house transformation may not be necessary. If your home is in decent shape but could use some tweaking, consider having RemoveCeilingTexture.com remove your ceiling texture and refinish the ceilings. Removing the popcorn ceilings can dramatically change your home’s appearance. Ceiling texture is outdated, dusty and full of allergens. It also makes rooms feel small. Smooth ceilings reflect light better and make spaces appear larger.

If you are planning a large renovation, smooth, refinished ceilings can be the crowning glory. But a smooth ceiling is also a great option if your house just needs a little bit of TLC and you’d like to increase the value of your home. The great thing about RemoveCeilingTexture.com’s ceiling texture removal process is that you don’t have to put your life on hold while the renovations are being done. We can work around you. In just a few days your ceiling will go from a lumpy, breeding ground for spiders to a smooth surface that makes the space feel more welcoming.

The kitchen in a Main Street condo gets an update simply by removing the popcorn texture on the ceilings

Seller Beware: Smooth Ceilings Sell Better

We’ve dealt with many buyers who are in the process of putting an offer on a home.

Living room of Vancouver condo feels larger with smooth ceilings

They contact us to see how much it will cost to have the ceiling texture removed, and they’re going to factor that into the offer. If your ceilings are already smooth, your home will naturally fetch better offers from potential buyers. If the choice for a buyer is between your home and a similar home, you want to get whatever edge you can. If one has modern, smooth ceilings and is move-in ready and the other has dingy popcorn ceilings that will need to be dealt with before the buyers move in, it’s clear which one is going to be the winner. *Unless the purchasers hate pancakes. In that case they are loose cannons and there’s telling what they’ll do!

Ceiling texture removal in Vancouver - Bedroom — Ceiling texture removal in Vancouver – Bedroom

It couldn’t be easier to increase the value of your home. RemoveCeilingTexture.com provides FREE, no obligation quotes for ceiling renovations and ceiling texture removal.. Contact us today at 604-420-7578 or send us an email.

Would you like to increase the value of your home with ceiling texture removal? Contact us today for a FREE quote!

November 23, 2013November 2, 2016

Ceiling Refinishing

Most fads of the 60s and 70s have pretty much disappeared. Except pet rocks. Like parrots and other long-living animals, pet rocks often outlived their owners, ending up abandoned in animal shelters.

This condo at 55 Blackberry Drive in New Westminster has had ceiling refinishing

Anyway, for some unexplainable reason, popcorn ceilings, sometimes known as stippled ceilings, are also still hanging in there. What you may not know is that you can do something about it! Ceiling refinishing is an option that will leave you with smooth ceilings.

Can’t I Just Scrape Off My Ceiling Texture?

Getting smooth ceilings isn’t as simple as scraping off the texture. There are other things to consider, outlined below, and this is why a professional who has a lot of ceiling experience should be hired. At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, our entire business is built around ceiling refinishing. We have the expertise necessary to turn your outdated, textured ceilings into smooth, flawless surfaces.

Asbestos:

If your home was built prior to the early 80s, the ceiling texture could contain asbestos. Asbestos fibres are generally not dangerous unless they are airborne, which they will become if you scrape the texture. These fibres are microscopic and when breathed in can get lodged in your lungs. This can lead to breathing problems, scarring and in extreme cases, mesothelioma. If you do have asbestos in your texture, you can still have smooth ceilings. RemoveCeilingTexture.com’s unique process can give you smooth ceilings without disturbing the asbestos fibres. The fibres are sealed in and won’t be disturbed unless there’s some sort of home demolition, or a major earthquake, in which case, ceiling texture would be the least of your problems.

Painted Ceiling Texture:

People often don’t know what to do with dirty ceiling texture. It can’t be cleaned, so they just slap some paint over it. This method is not an ideal solution. Who wants to repaint their ceilings every 6 months? If the texture has been painted, it won’t scrape off easily, if at all. It’ll be very difficult to remove it without gouging the ceiling. This is another great reason to have the professionals at RemoveCeilingTexture.com deal with your ceilings.

Uneven Ceilings:

The reason stipple is applied to ceilings is so that they don’t have to be finished properly. This saves the builder time and money. If you do manage to remove the texture from your ceilings, you will likely find that they’re in rough shape. They may be uneven or wavy. Wavy ceilings are seen especially in condos with concrete ceilings. The concrete frames they use are not perfect, so you’re left with waves, ridges, holes and other blemishes. This is where ceiling refinishing comes in.

What is Ceiling Refinishing and What is Remove Ceiling Texture’s Process?

If there is no asbestos in the ceiling texture, the texture is removed with a special sander/vacuum. This is not some Red Green inspired duct-taped contraption, but a refined piece of German engineering created specifically for the wall and ceiling industry.

*If there is asbestos in the ceiling, we skip the sanding step and add an encapsulant to the mud compound for the skim coating step below.

The first step to smooth ceilings is sanding the texture with the Festool specialty sander

The Festool sander is German-engineered for the wall and ceiling industry

Next comes the crucial step that will make your ceilings look professional: ceiling refinishing. A mud compound is applied by hawk and trowel, the same method used by plaster artisans for centuries. Depending on the condition of the ceiling, one to three coats are applied in this fashion, with time for drying between each coat.

During the ceiling refinishing process a mud compound is applied

The last step is sanding. Our method of applying the compound is so precise that the ceilings don’t really need much sanding at all. Just a light sanding and the finished product is revealed: a smooth, flawless surface.

Ceiling refinishing and repair in Vancouver

Refinished ceilings with potlights in Vancouver

I Immediately Regret This Decision

A North Vancouver homeowner called Remove Ceiling Texture after a failed DIY attempt

So you thought getting smooth ceilings would be easy. You armed yourself with a scraper and the same single-minded determination that wives often witness when husbands refuse to follow the IKEA directions (seriously though, you need the Rosetta Stone to figure out those Swedish hieroglyphics). You thought, “I’m a handy guy (or gal), how hard could it be?” You got up on your ladder and you began the tedious process of scraping the popcorn texture. You soon regretted this decision. Either the texture didn’t come off nicely and you’ve damaged the drywall, or the texture did come off, but then you saw that the ceilings were uneven and looked terrible.

Failed DIY ceiling texture removal attempt in North Vancouver. RCT was called to fix the ceilings.

It’s shortly after this happens that we get a lot of calls from bashful homeowners. Our name may be Remove Ceiling Texture, but only because “Remove Ceiling Texture & Refinish Ceilings & Repair Ceiling Imperfections & Fix Homeowner’s Ceiling Mistakes” makes for a pretty long domain name.

Instead of trying to do it yourself, contact us from the start. We provide FREE, no obligation quotes for ceiling refinishing. Call us today at 604-420-7578 or contact us here or use the form below.

Do your ceilings need refinishing? Contact us today for a FREE, no obligation quote!