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.
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
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’sunique process.
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.
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
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.
Seller Beware: Smooth Ceilings Sell Better
We’ve dealt with many buyers who are in the process of putting an offer on a home.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Smooth is better: Update your ceilings by having them resurfaced
Interior design is the art of taking a space and making it functional and pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, ceilings are an often overlooked piece of the interior design puzzle. This is such a shame because the surface area is so large that any change will make a big difference in the feel of your home. A simple thing such as having the popcorn texture removed from your ceilings, will make the space feel larger, brighter and more modern. In addition, smooth ceilings provide better air quality. Once the ceiling texture is gone and the ceilings have been resurfaced, there will be no nooks and crannies for dust, spider webs and other allergens to hide. Modernization and less asthma attacks: a win-win situation.
Bulkheads & Valances: Ceiling texture doesn’t make them more attractive
Let’s face it. Bulkheads and valances are not the most attractive features in a home.
No Realtor selling a home advertises all the first-class bulkheads. However, they can be necessary to cover up ducts or pipes, especially in basements. Without doing a major renovation, you just have to live with them. Likewise, no interior designer or architect designs a home trying to get as many valances in as possible. Sometimes they’re just unavoidable. But what if your bulkheads or valances are also covered in ceiling texture? It’s as if the builders said, “Ceilings covered in horrible, popcorn texture that collects dust? Check. Now let’s see where else we can spray this nasty stuff.” While you may have to put up with these unwelcome necessities, they should at least not look diseased. Ditch the texture. At RemoveCeilingTexture.com we can remove texture from anywhere.
Lighting: What’s interior design without a little mood lighting?
The new flooring is in, the furniture is picked out and now you’ve found the perfect lights. When you show off your interior design and the new light fixtures, do you really want people inspecting your dusty ceiling texture too? A smooth, texture-free surface will make the important things, like fantastic lighting, stand out.
Whether you have bulkheads or valances covered in texture, or you have new lighting that requires smooth ceilings or you just want the modern look that texture free ceilings give, contact us today for a FREE quote on ceiling texture removal and ceiling resurfacing. Or give us a call from anywhere in BC at 604-420-7578.
Do you want smooth ceilings incorporated into your interior design? Contact us now for a FREE quote on ceiling texture removal!
Not to alarm you, but…Christmas is right around the corner!! How does the song go…Deck the halls (and smooth ceilings) with boughs of holly?
While renovations may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of holiday preparations, it’s a good idea to plan ahead a little. Fall is the perfect time of year for renovations, including ceiling texture removal.
The Frazzled Festive Holiday Season is Upon Us
What is it about the holiday season that makes otherwise sane people act crazy? Everyone (myself included, unfortunately) seems to be in a tizzy trying to get everything “just right”. But you know what? Unless Martha Stewart’s visiting, no one is going to remember the lavender infused whipped cream afloat your gourmet hot chocolate. As long as no one dies from food poisoning, no fingers or toes are lost and your cousin doesn’t show up in his RV prepared to stay for weeks, I’d say it’s a successful Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Thanksgiving or Festivus.
North Pole-Worthy Ceiling Renovations
While your home may not be featured in the Christmas edition of House & Home, there’s no reason why it has to look shabby or outdated, either. A quick and painless way to spruce up your home before the holidays is by doing ceiling renovations, specifically popcorn ceiling removal. This can really change the look of your home. Smooth ceilings reflect light much better and make a space feel larger and brighter. There’s a health benefit to removing ceiling texture also. Allergies and asthma can be aggravated by the dust and allergens trapped up there. So not only will ceiling resurfacing make your home look more modern, but there will be less sneezing and itchy, watery eyes as well. We’re sure your guests (including Santa!) will appreciate this.
At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we’re in and out in in under a week. An added bonus is that we can work around you while you still live there because our custom process of ceiling resurfacing isn’t messy like you generally see with major renovations, do-it-yourself attempts or even other ceiling contractors.
We’re ceiling professionals who know that your time is important. Rather than stressing over large renovations, have your ceilings renovated so you can spend time on more important things. Like finding the perfect Christmas outfit for your pet.
For a FREE quote on ceiling texture removal, call RemoveCeilingTexture.com at 604-420-7578 or send us an email.
Need a quick makeover before the holidays? Contact us today for a FREE quote on ceiling renovations!
Renovations such as moving or removing walls can greatly improve your home’s layout. Not to mention the therapy demolition can provide! *Sidenote: Make sure there’s no plumbing before you go swinging the sledgehammer!
Removing walls also provides the perfect opportunity for ceiling texture removal. Once a wall is removed, there will be a section of ceiling that is missing the popcorn texture. At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, we can remove the texture on your ceilings and blend the missing area in with the rest of the ceilings to give you a seamless look.
Ceiling Repair After Removing Walls
We’ve dealt with this many times. In downtown Vancouver, a couple was renovating their Burnaby Street condo with guests in mind. They had removed a closet wall in their den for a murphy bed installation. We were called in to repair the ceiling and remove the popcorn ceilings throughout the condo. Once we were finished, the ceiling showed no visible sign of the former wall.
We saw this again in another Vancouver condo on Homer Street. A wall had been removed and there was a large strip of concrete ceiling that was unfinished, and without ceiling texture. The homeowner decided to have us smooth all of the ceilings instead of applying new texture to try to match the existing texture. This was a smart move, as it’s nearly impossible to match it exactly.
A young couple in Langley recently updated their home by removing walls dividing the kitchen from the living and dining rooms. It opened up the floor plan nicely, but they were left with strips of ceiling that they didn’t know how to finish. We were contacted to remove the ceiling texture everywhere and resurface the entire ceiling so that it was one continuous surface.
If you’re going to be moving or removing walls, contact Vancouver’s ceiling experts, RemoveCeilingTexture.com for ceiling repairs. Call us at 604-420-7578 for a FREE quote or send us an email.
Are you moving or removing walls? Contact us today for a FREE quote on ceiling repairs!
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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 FREEQUOTE 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!
Ceiling renovations are often overlooked when it comes to home improvements. The focus tends to be on flooring, fabrics and furniture—all the exciting, pretty things that can transform a room.
These details are important and should demand attention, but don’t forget about the large canvas above your head. Having the popcorn ceiling texture removed can be one of the biggest changes a room can undergo. You may be surprised at what smooth ceilings can do for a space. Besides being a health hazard and having a dated look, ceiling texture absorbs light rather than reflecting it, so it can make the space appear darker and smaller. With smooth ceilings, the space opens up and feels larger.
With Ceiling Renovations, It’s All in the Timing
So when is the best time for ceiling renovations?
At RemoveCeilingTexture.com we work on ceilings anytime. Even if you’re living in the space, we can work around you. However, if you are planning a full renovation, it’s best to start from the top down. It’s easier for everyone involved in the reno if the ceilings are done first. While our custom process of creating smooth ceilings is not messy, the light sanding at the end to ensure a perfectly smooth finish means that there will be some minor dust. The perfect time for this is before you’ve installed new cabinets or flooring.
Picture Proof
Below are before and after photos of ceiling renovations we’ve done in Metro Vancouver. The comment we hear over and over again from homeowners we’ve worked with is that they wish they had had their ceiling texture removed sooner. They can’t get over what a difference smooth ceilings makes in the look of their home.
Whether you’re planning a full-scale home renovation, or want to renovate bit by bit, contact us today at 604-420-7578 or by email for a FREEQUOTEon ceiling renovations.
Thinking about ceiling renovations? Contact us today for a FREE quote on ceiling texture removal!
We’re often asked if we do ceiling texture removal outside of Metro Vancouver. The answer is yes. We’ve done ceiling texture removal in Kamloops and Vernon also. We’re committed to removing ceiling texture wherever it’s found. Whether your home is in the mild climate of the Lower Mainland, the dry heat of the Thompson Okanagan, or somewhere between, RemoveCeilingTexture.com can make your ceilings smooth.
Pick a sport and Kamloops probably hosts a tournament for it. Soccer, lacrosse, track and field, swimming…you name it. They even have an auto racing facility. The point is, you can do it all in Kamloops. You can even have your ceiling texture removed. No formal tournament for this…yet.
We recently worked on a modular home in Kamloops that had the ubiquitous popcorn ceiling texture of the times. The texture was very coarse and extremely ugly. The homeowners, tired of living with allergens trapped in the texture above their heads, finally decided to do something about it.
Someone had attempted to patch a section of popcorn ceiling in the living room. Since it’s so difficult to match existing texture, this little area was noticeable and drove the homeowners crazy.
Once we had smoothed the vaulted ceilings in the living room, you couldn’t even tell the patch had been there.
Ceiling texture tends to absorb light and can make small areas seem even darker. We often see this happen in hallways. Once the ceilings were smooth, the small space didn’t seem so oppressive. Another awful attribute of ceiling texture is it tends to crack and even peel in some cases. This Kamloops home had some cracks around the walls that needed to be dealt with. Ceiling texture removal means that will no longer be an issue.
Admitting You Have a (Texture) Problem is the First Step
Losing Inches is Only Good If You’re Talking Weight Loss
It’s a misconception that the only way to achieve modern, smooth ceilings is by drywalling over textured ceilings. Remove Ceiling Texture has been creating sleek ceilings for years and we have never put new drywall on top of existing texture. There are several problems with drywalling over textured ceilings. Firstly, you’ll lose headroom. Losing half an inch may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference in the feel of the room, especially if it’s in a basement. Secondly, once the drywall is up, it will still need to be finished professionally if you don’t want to see drywall seams or screws. And thirdly, you’ll have to pay for drywall! Our exclusive process of smoothing ceilings means that you won’t lose headroom, your ceilings will be as smooth as glass and you won’t have to pay for new drywall.
Smooth Ceilings – a North Vancouver Home’s Crown
We were called by homeowners in North Vancouver who were considering drywalling over textured ceilings. They decided to call us first for professional advice.
We discussed some of the issues that would come up by adding drywall–less headroom and the cost of drywall. Another issue for them was the beautiful crown moulding throughout the house. If new drywall was applied, the moulding would need to be removed first and then be re-installed. This would add to both the cost and timeline of the project. Our process of smoothing can be done with the crown moulding in place, and without the added layer of drywall. In addition, it’s a near dust-free method ensuring that their lives are not completely disrupted. They decided to trust us with their ceilings. As you can see from the before and after photos, the results are professional and polished.
When it Comes to Ceilings, Professionals Count (well, more accurately, they “smooth”)
If a contractor suggests drywalling over textured ceilings, it probably means that he (or she) just doesn’t know what else to do with it. They think that removing the texture is a messy, time-consuming process that they don’t particularly want to deal with. And you know what? If you don’t know what you’re doing, removing ceiling texture is messy and time-consuming. However, at Remove Ceiling Texture our entire area of focus is…ceilings. We have the tools, we have the knowledge and we have the expertise that other contractors just don’t have when it comes to smoothing ceilings. As a bonus, our process is not nearly as messy as some contractors tend to be.
Here are some During and After shots of our work:
Do you want smooth ceilings? Contact us today for a FREE quote!