Category: Fixing Bad Ceilings

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Ceiling Corner Cracks

This Vancouver condo had ceiling corner cracks in the texture
This Vancouver condo had ceiling corner cracks in the texture
This Vancouver condo had ceiling corner cracks in the texture

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 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 crack fixed in the den of a Burnaby condo
Another view of ceiling cracks in Burnaby
Another view of ceiling cracks in Burnaby
Ceiling cracks in the living room of a Burnaby condo.
Ceiling cracks in the living room of a Burnaby condo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living room ceiling cracks were repaired by RemoveCeilingTexture.com
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!

 

 

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Ceiling Refinishing

Ceiling refinishing using the same method used by plaster artisans

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
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 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
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.

 

Ceiling refinishing using the same method used by plaster artisans
Ceiling refinishing using the same method used by plaster artisans
During the ceiling refinishing process a mud compound is applied
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
Ceiling refinishing and repair in Vancouver
Refinished ceilings with potlights 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
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.
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!

 

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Fixing Bad Ceilings

Once RCT filled in the waves, resurfaced the ceiling and painted it, it was perfect.

Cheapest price and best quality don’t always go hand in hand. Just ask this unfortunate person. While we don’t know much about fixing bad tattoos, we do know a lot about fixing bad ceilings.

RemoveCeilingTexture.com was recently contacted by a homeowner in Delta. We had given her a ceiling texture removal/resurfacing quote a few months earlier and she had declined to go with us. She was calling us again now because she regretted that decision. She had hired a cheap “renovation” company that didn’t have a lot of experience with ceilings.

 

Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Fixing Bad Ceilings: You can see how RCT needed to fill in the waves left in the ceiling after ceiling texture removal was attempted by an inept company.
You can see how RCT needed to fill in the waves left in the ceiling after ceiling texture removal was attempted by an inept company.

 

Unfortunately for her, the company she originally hired did not realize that removing the ceiling texture is the easy part, and is just the first step. While the popcorn ceiling texture was technically gone, the finished result was far from professional. Instead of being perfectly flat (the result she had hoped for), the ceiling had visible, undulating waves that created shadows. They had removed the texture and apparently decided that it was good enough as is. This could have explained their low price.

 

 

Fixing Bad Ceilings: RemoveCeilingTexture.com to the Rescue

She decided that she couldn’t live with the imperfect ceilings and asked if we could fix the mess. We assured her that we had experience with wavy ceilings and fixing bad ceilings was definitely something we were familiar with. We filled in the waves and resurfaced the entire ceiling so that it was level and perfectly smooth. Ceiling resurfacing requires an artisan’s touch and this is what we specialize in. Most “renovation” companies don’t take the time and effort necessary for a perfect finish.

Fixing Bad Ceilings: Once RCT filled in the waves, resurfaced the ceiling and painted it, it was perfect.
Once RCT filled in the waves, resurfaced the ceiling and painted it, it was perfect.
Fixing Bad Ceilings: The homeowner was thrilled with the ceilings once RCT was called in to fix the mess from a previous contractor.
The homeowner was thrilled with the ceilings once RCT was called in to fix the mess from a previous contractor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Man’s Mistake is Another Man’s Lesson

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Don’t make the same mistake this homeowner made. If you have ceiling texture you want removed, or other ceiling repairs done, contact the ceiling experts, RemoveCeilingTexture.com from the start. You could save yourself time and money. If you’re in the same situation as this Delta homeowner and would like your ceilings fixed, contact us online or call us today at 604-420-7578 for a FREE quote.

Click through to our gallery to see more examples of our ceiling repair and ceiling texture removal.

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Scraping Texture From Ceilings

The before photo is after the homeowner tried scraping texture from ceilings. In the end he ended up calling RemoveCeilingTexture.com to fix the mess.

Not a DIY Project

Some people may tell you that scraping texture from ceilings is easy. They may also have a bridge for sale. It’s probably best not to buy it, despite the fantastic price.

This is what DIY texture removal and ceiling smoothing looks like. RemoveCeilingTexture was called in to fix the mess.
This is what DIY texture removal and ceiling smoothing looks like. RemoveCeilingTexture was called in to fix the mess.

 

In actuality, scraping texture from ceilings is messy and difficult work.  Once the texture is gone, it still won’t be paint ready. Popcorn texture is applied so that builders don’t have to finish the ceilings properly. This saves them time and money. So once you’ve scraped your ceilings, you’ll see all the imperfections. This applies to both drywall and concrete ceilings.  If your ceilings are concrete, you may have to deal with waves and ridges caused by the concrete forms.  The ceiling will need to be professionally finished if you want it to look decent.

 

Asbestos–The Fire Resistant Gift That Keeps On Giving

You also have to consider the fact that houses and apartments built before 1980 could have asbestos in the ceiling texture. Asbestos was used in all sorts of building materials, including some ceiling textures, because it is fire resistant. At the time, they thought it was a miracle product. They later learned that microscopic, airborne asbestos fibres are extremely dangerous to breathe in. The fibres get lodged in your lungs and can cause scarring and mesothelioma, a type of cancer. You definitely don’t want to be scraping texture from ceilings if there’s a chance it could have asbestos fibres. At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we test the texture to make sure there’s no asbestos if the building was built prior to 1985. This is for our safety as well as yours.

 

Scraping Texture From Ceilings:  A Friendship Saved

The before photo is after the homeowner tried scraping texture from ceilings. In the end he ended up calling RemoveCeilingTexture.com to fix the mess.
The before photo is after the homeowner tried scraping texture from ceilings. In the end he ended up calling RemoveCeilingTexture.com to fix the mess.

We were recently contacted by a homeowner in downtown Vancouver who had figured that scraping his ceiling texture would be a piece of cake. His condo was built in the late 1980s, so asbestos was not a concern. He started in the living room with a friend’s help. What would take one professional no time at all ended up taking them a combined time of over 20 hours, and that was for the living/dining room only! And even with all that work, the ceiling looked horrible once the texture was gone. On top of that, he had a major mess on his hands, as the scraped texture ended up covering every surface in the apartment.

The floor was a complete mess after the homeowner tried scraping texture from ceilings. RemoveCeilingTexture.com's process is not nearly this messy.
The floor was a complete mess after the homeowner tried scraping texture from ceilings. RemoveCeilingTexture.com’s process is not nearly this messy.

The homeowner soon realized that he was in over his head, quite literally. When you don’t have the tools and most importantly, the expertise, the project quickly turns into a nightmare. He decided there was no way he could ask his friend to continue this madness with him, if he valued his friendship. So he contacted us. We fixed the living and dining room ceilings that they had worked on and resurfaced the ceilings in the rest of the condo. We also repaired a section of ceiling where a wall had been removed. The ceiling transition between the two rooms is now seamless.

 

Wall removal left a large section of the ceiling to be repaired. We fixed this with no problem.
Wall removal left a large section of the ceiling to be repaired. We fixed this with no problem.
After deciding that scraping texture from ceilings himself was too difficult, the homeowner called us in to do the rest of the condo.
After deciding that scraping texture from ceilings himself was too difficult, the homeowner called us in to do the rest of the condo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, our area of focus is quite specific: We take ceilings from lumpy and dated to smooth and modern. We have the tools and the expertise and so we were able to rescue his DIY attempt, save his sanity and quite possibly save a friendship.

World peace is next on our list.

The laundry room gets updated thanks to popcorn ceiling texture removal.
The laundry room gets updated thanks to popcorn ceiling texture removal.

And Now You Know…The Rest of the Story

The truth is, scraping texture from ceilings is only the first step in the process of getting smooth ceilings. Once the texture has been removed, we apply layers of compound, by hawk and trowel, to ensure the finished ceiling is level and free of any blemishes. This takes an expert eye and years of experience.  Since your ceilings will need to be professionally finished even if you scrape them yourself, why not save yourself the headache and mess and have a professional work on them from the start? Call us today at 604-420-7578 for a FREE QUOTE on ceiling texture removal, or contact us by email.

 

Did you try to scrape your ceilings yourself and now need them fixed? Contact us today for a FREE quote!