ceiling texture Archives - Page 2 of 2 RemoveCeilingTexture.com

August 21, 2013November 23, 2023

Ceiling Renovations–Look up, Way up

Popcorn Ceilings: Bedroom ceiling renovations at 2628 Ash Street, Vancouver.

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?

Popcorn Ceilings: Concrete ceiling renovations at 193 Aquarius Mews, Vancouver - Living Room — Popcorn Ceilings: Concrete ceiling renovations at 193 Aquarius Mews, Vancouver – Living Room

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 FREE QUOTE on ceiling renovations.

Popcorn Ceilings: Bedroom ceiling renovations at 3070 Guildford Way, Coquitlam

Popcorn Ceilings: Living room ceiling renovations at 3070 Guildford Way, Coquitlam

Popcorn Ceilings: Dining room ceiling renovations at 2628 Ash Street, Vancouver

Popcorn Ceilings: Concrete ceiling renovations at 193 Aquarius Mews, Vancouver - Bedroom — Popcorn Ceilings: Concrete ceiling renovations at 193 Aquarius Mews, Vancouver – Bedroom

Thinking about ceiling renovations? Contact us today for a FREE quote on ceiling texture removal!

July 22, 2013November 2, 2016

Texture Removal – Liberate Your Home from the Past

Like Leisure Suits, Textured Ceilings & Walls should be Abolished From Memory

Sure, there is a time and place for texture. For instance, fashion would be dull if textured fabrics were taken out of the picture. Velour, corduroy, silk… Some fabrics are so texture-rich it’s hard not to pet the velvet-draped stranger beside you (sidenote: do not pet this person!).

When it comes to your house, though, texture is usually applied to distract you from the fact that the ceilings or walls were not finished properly. That’s right, not only does ceiling and wall texture make your house look like it disco danced out of the 1970s, but it’s often used to cut corners. After all, it’s easier for a builder to just spray some lumpy guck everywhere instead of finishing the ceilings and walls to a smooth surface. And for some reason, this hideous look caught on.

Spelunking—Not Usually a Backyard Hobby

The exteriors of homes haven’t escaped this texture-induced frenzy either. Often, exterior stucco has been “finished” to an absurdly rough coating. Stalagmites on cave floors? Amazing. Stalagmites applied horizontally to the exterior of your house? Not so much.

Texture removal on the exterior of a Coquitlam home

After texture removal, the exterior walls have better curb appeal

“Dahling, you must come see my fabulous ceiling texture” — Said No One Ever

Have you ever gone to the show home of an upscale real estate project? You’ve probably noticed that there is almost never ceiling texture or wall texture (inside or out). They know that a house has a better chance of selling, and for more money, if the surfaces are smooth and perfectly finished. If you browse Houzz for luxury interiors you will see that there is not a trace of texture to be found. But, if you’re not in the market for an upscale show home and you’re not ready for a Houzz-worthy interior renovation, with texture removal you can still get a professional, smooth finish on your ceilings and walls.

Ceilings have a professional look after texture removal. — Ceilings have a professional look after texture removal

Texture removal makes it difficult for spiders to build webs

The Texture Titan—Dr. Frankenstein’s Little Known First Experiment

At Remove Ceiling Texture, we believe that texture is an ugly monster of the past and should be banished to the pits of hell (yes, we feel pretty strongly about it!). We’ve made it our business to fight it wherever it rears its ugly head. Whether you have ceiling texture, interior wall texture or exterior stucco, we can make your surfaces beautifully smooth. If you’re looking to sell and want to get top dollar or just want to live without the eyesore, contact us today for a free quote on any type of texture removal. It’s time we all said farewell to this unnecessary beast.

More Examples of Texture Removal:

Texture removal from the ceiling and valances

Do you have interior or exterior texture that's an eyesore? Contact us today for a FREE quote on texture removal!

June 27, 2013November 23, 2023

Drywalling Over Textured Ceilings? Think Again!

Instead of drywalling over textured ceilings, why not have the ceiling texture removed?

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.

Instead of drywalling over textured ceilings, the homeowners opted for ceiling texture removal.

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.

By choosing ceiling texture removal over just drywalling over textured ceilings, the homeowners didn't need to pay for the drywall expense. — By choosing ceiling texture removal over just drywalling over textured ceilings, the homeowners didn’t need to pay for the drywall expense.

As a bonus, when we make your ceilings smooth, we don't need to tear down any crown moulding. This saves both time and expense. — As a bonus, when we make your ceilings smooth, we don’t need to tear down any crown moulding. This saves both time and expense.

Drywalling over textured ceilings would have resulted in loss of headroom. The homeowners wisely choose ceiling texture removal instead.

If the owners had chosen drywalling over textured ceilings, this bulkhead would have been difficult to deal with. Instead, we were able to easily smooth over it.

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.

Our ceiling texture removal process produces almost no mess. Quite a difference from most contractors out there.

Here are some During and After shots of our work:

While we were smoothing the ceilings, the chandelier didn't even need to come down! — While we were smoothing the ceilings, the chandelier didn’t even need to come down!

First coat being applied. Ceiling texture removal makes the room look much more modern.

Preparing the crown moulding. Moulding doesn't need to be torn down for us to smooth the ceilings. — Preparing the crown moulding. Moulding doesn’t need to be torn down for us to smooth the ceilings.

Still looks pretty rough after only one coat, but the after photo shows how smooth the final results are. — Still looks pretty rough after only one coat, but the After photo shows how smooth the final results are.

Do you want smooth ceilings? Contact us today for a FREE quote!

June 21, 2013November 23, 2023

Matching Ceiling Texture – A Tricky Business

It's nearly impossible to match existing ceiling texture. The homeowners went with smooth ceilings instead.

Richmond Renovation

We were recently called to look at the ceilings of a home in Richmond. The homeowners had installed pot lights and there was some drywall that had been replaced also. The new section of drywall did not have popcorn texture like the rest of the ceilings did, and they wanted this fixed. They asked us at Remove Ceiling Texture for a price for smoothing the ceilings. We took our measurements and sent them the quote that evening. They reviewed our quote for smoothing the ceilings and let us know that they had instead decided to have the section textured to match the surrounding texture, as they thought this would be the less expensive option. Since our business is built on removing ceiling texture, we did not give them another quote for matching the ceiling texture, but wished them the best.

Matching Ceiling Texture – an Impossible Feat

A few days later, we heard from them again. They were shocked that our quote for smoothing the ceilings of the whole main floor was actually not that much more than the quotes they had received from other companies to apply ceiling texture to the small section of new drywall and match it to the existing texture. It would cost them two thirds of our price for the other companies to do this small patch job.

Not only was the price per square foot more expensive for matching ceiling texture, it’s likely that it would not blend perfectly. Since it’s very difficult to seamlessly integrate new ceiling texture into existing texture, there’s almost always some telltale sign betraying the patch job. Once they realized they could have custom, smooth ceilings for nearly the same price as texture application, they made the easy decision to have us work our magic.

An Artisan’s Touch

Once we started, they could see that our work involves a great deal of expertise, and they were getting a lot of value for their money. We use the same hands-on approach that master tradesmen have been using for centuries—a hawk & trowel and, most importantly, an artful eye. You can see from the before and after photos what a difference the ceiling texture removal has made. The shadows that the texture created are gone leaving the rooms brighter. The whole place has been freshened up (literally—ceiling texture traps allergens that can aggravate asthma!). Instead of a large strip of noticeably different ceiling texture dividing the room, they now have smooth, seamless ceilings on the entire main floor. They were thrilled with the results and glad they had changed their mind about trying to match the texture.

Rather than trying to match the existing ceiling texture, the homeowners opted for smooth ceilings

By smoothing the ceilings we were able to get rid of the gap between the ceiling and walls. — By smoothing the ceilings we were able to get rid of this gap between the ceiling and walls.

Scuffed ceilings are a thing of the past now that they have smooth ceilings.

Before the ceiling texture was removed, the texture caused shadows.

June 4, 2013March 23, 2020

Skylights With Ceiling Texture – A Bad Romance

Skylights with ceiling texture can be damaged by moisture

Skylights With Ceiling Texture – It Was Never Meant to Be

Skylights are a great way to brighten a room. The natural light is flattering and your energy bill can often be reduced since less artificial light is needed. However, if they are not finished correctly, like skylights with ceiling texture, problems can arise. Texture is applied to skylights for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s done to cut corners. It’s easier to spray popcorn ceiling than it is to finish the drywall properly. Other times it’s done because the homeowner likes the look.

Regardless of the reason, it’s a terrible idea. As mentioned in a previous post (Moldy skylights, cracked and peeling off?), skylights are naturally more hot and humid than the rest of the house. That lurking moisture and ceiling texture is not a good combination. It can cause cracking, peeling, and even mold build-up and then you’re left with a real mess. It’s far better to finish it properly from the start. If you do have skylights with ceiling texture, RemoveCeilingTexture.com is the solution to your problem.

Good Riddance to Bad Ceiling Texture

We were called in to have a look at a home in Port Coquitlam that had skylights with ceiling texture. The homeowner is an architect who had designed and built his home in the early 1980s. At the time, it was common to cover everything with ceiling texture.

Skylights with ceiling texture look dark and dingy

Now, though, the ceiling texture was dirty and stained. The owners were also concerned about their home’s air quality and possible health risks (including asthma), especially to their visiting grandchildren. So after living with it for many years, they decided it was time to kiss the ceiling texture goodbye. We got to work removing the texture in the skylights, and throughout the rest of the house as well.

A Smooth New Start

Once we removed the texture from the skylights and finished them to a smooth surface, they actually looked brighter. The texture had been swallowing up the natural light, but now the light is reflected much more efficiently. Best of all, the owners don’t have to worry about health hazards like mold. They know that their grandchildren can play in their home without being exposed to toxic air. It’s a brand new beginning for the home they designed and built with love.

Cobwebs and dust can build up in ceiling texture

Smooth ceilings suit this custom built home

Do you have skylights with ceiling texture? RemoveCeilingTexture can help! Contact us today for a free quote.

May 29, 2013March 23, 2020

Concrete Ceilings – Imperfections Show If Not Finished Professionally

The ugly ceiling texture is removed and no longer competes with the million dollar view of False Creek

Living in a Concrete Jungle

Behind the sleek glass of highrise apartment buildings is concrete, and lots of it. When building these super-structures, concrete is poured into forms and left to cure. After the forms are removed, the ceilings generally aren’t perfectly flat. To disguise the residual waves, popcorn ceiling texture is often applied. Does this mean if you have concrete ceilings you’re stuck with ugly ceiling texture? Not if RemoveCeilingTexture has anything to say about it!

With Concrete Ceilings, Professionals Make All the Difference

We were called in to have a look at the popcorn covered concrete ceilings of a condo at Marinaside Crescent in Yaletown. The popcorn was an ugly blemish on the homeowner’s gorgeous False Creek views and she wanted it gone.

Texture was removed from the concrete ceilings in the living room of this Yaletown condo

She could attempt the messy and tedious process of removing the texture herself, but as mentioned above, concrete ceilings are often wavy and can even have cracks due to the shrinkage of the concrete as it matures (thermal expansion and shrinkage of concrete). The ceilings would still need to be finished and would have to be as smooth as glass because the partial southern exposure will magnify any imperfections. So instead of hiring a “jack-of-all-trades” renovation company, she trusted RemoveCeilingTexture with her ceilings. Our expertise and entire area of focus is just that: ceilings. We know all about working with tricky ripples and unsightly cracks in concrete ceilings (read about another downtown Vancouver condo with concrete ceilings).

Ugly, Textured Concrete Ceilings No Longer Compete with Million Dollar Views

As you can see from the before and after photos, the rough, bumpy ceilings were completely revamped. Furthermore, because the homeowner hired ceiling experts, she doesn’t have to worry about imperfections in the concrete ceiling making a nasty appearance. She can now fully enjoy the impressive Vancouver skyline.

Smooth, finished concrete ceilings give this Yaletown condo's bedroom an update — Smooth, finished concrete ceilings give this Yaletown condo’s bedroom an update

A professional can make concrete ceilings smooth as glass

Do you have concrete ceilings that need finishing or texture removal? Contact us today for a free quote!

May 24, 2013March 23, 2020

Water Damaged Ceilings Near Granville Island

Peeling, water damaged ceilings at the entrance

One of the issues with strata living is sometimes having to deal with other people’s messes. When condo owners Thomas and Maria experienced water damaged ceilings due to a neighbour’s flood, they had a restoration company come in to repair the ceilings.

What should have been a simple job turned into a nightmare for them.

The restoration company took much longer than they had expected, causing harm to their home-based business and causing them unnecessary stress. Soon after the “restoration” was finished, the ceiling texture began to crack and peel off and they were left with a botched job.

They mentioned to their postman the headache they were dealing with, and he happened to know that another homeowner on his route had just had his ceilings refinished and was very pleased with them. He promised to get the name of the ceiling company for them. That is how they got in touch with us at RemoveCeilingTexture.com!

We came in to have a look. Their ceilings really were a mess and they were understandably hesitant about more work being done. They had been promised quality work before, and the restoration company couldn’t deliver. We assured them that since we specialize in ceiling work, we have expertise that other restoration and renovation companies just don’t have. We had dealt with numerous water-damaged ceilings before and we knew we could fix their problem (read about our repair of water damaged ceilings caused by a leaky roof in Burnaby). Thomas and Maria were still somewhat nervous, but decided to have us start right away.

They were finally able to relax when they saw that we did indeed have the expertise we promised. We transformed their peeling, cracked, water damaged ceilings into smooth, pristine ceilings that now look even better than before the flood.

The before and after photos show the extent of damage to their ceilings. The before photos are after the original “restoration” company worked on them and the after photos are after we fixed them.

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

Have water damaged ceilings or other ceiling problems? Click here to contact us for a free quote.

December 28, 2012March 23, 2020

Asthma & Popcorn Ceilings

Asthma is responsible for $56 billion worth of damage to the US economy every year.

Asthma & popcorn ceilings: Your ceilings are harbouring the invisible enemy that aggravates Asthma

Like many textured surfaces such as carpets and rugs, your popcorn textured ceilings can hold on to a variety of allergens, dust mites, insect bile, and spider webs. This is over and above the risk of your textured ceiling’s risk of containing deadly asbestos. Even if you make a regular habit of trying to keep your popcorn ceilings clean (few of us do), you can still count on dust, dirt, and other airborne pollutants to be embedded in between the rough surfaces that make up the popcorn ceiling.

To make things worse, many popcorn ceilings weren’t installed properly which means you may notice areas of your popcorn ceilings that are cracking and peeling off. The peeling of ceiling texture is a visible symptom of loose particles that are slowly but constantly falling from the textured ceiling and being inhaled by you, your kids and the rest of your family. Another visible symptom of popcorn ceiling particles coming loose and floating in the air of your home, is that no matter how often you dust your furniture and appliances, after a day or two, you will still get a thin film of dust on the surfaces you cleaned.

The thin film of dust that you see on your furniture, counter tops, TV set, appliances and other surfaces in your house, is made up of dust, allergens, dust mites and other respiratory system irritants that for the most part fall off from the textured ceilings in your home. This is why asthma & popcorn ceilings are never a good mix.

A look at the Asthma epidemic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EDo9pUYvPE

Over the last 40 years, the prevalence of asthma has increased from 0.53% of the population, to 4.8% of the population[1]. That’s an astounding 10 fold increase in a short period of 40 years. It is not a coincidence that textured ceilings were introduced in the mid 1960’s.

In the meantime, we are only masking the symptoms of asthma by using inhalers and other steroid based chemicals, while ignoring the real causes of asthma. According to the Asthma Society of Canada, 10% of the population in this country are needlessly suffering from Asthma [2].

Associated costs with the Asthma epidemic

In the Province of British Columbia alone, the annual cost of dealing with Asthma was $56 million (2006 figures [3]). If we extrapolate that number, Canada-wide, the cost of dealing with Asthma would have been over half a Billion dollars. As Canadian taxpayers, we have to understand that ultimately we are paying those costs out of our pockets.

According to the US National Institute of Health, the total cost burden of Asthma in the year 2007 in the United States was $56 Billion. You read that correct, that’s $56 million times 1000.

As the burden of Asthma increases, there are certain steps that we can take as citizens, including choosing responsible modes of transportation, reducing the use of airborne chemicals in our households, and yes, removing popcorn textured ceilings from our homes. If you are a homeowner whose family suffers from Asthma and other allergies, do yourself and your family a favour in the new year and get in touch with us here at RemoveCeilingTexture.com. You would be surprised how minimal the cost is to have smooth ceilings in your home and get rid of that unsightly and disease-ridden popcorn textured ceiling.

Is your family suffering from asthma or allergies? Click here to take action!

June 15, 2011March 23, 2020

Vaulted popcorn ceiling transformed in Riley Park, Vancouver

This cozy apartment in the Riley Park neighborhood of Vancouver was an interesting project for us to work of particularly because it came equipped with a beautiful vaulted ceiling that was 17 feet high at its peak. Combine that with several skylights throughout the apartment and soon you realize that you have to have a professional working on your ceiling to produce a professional result.

Ceiling texture removed in this Vancouver hallway — Popcorn ceiling texture removed in hallway

Ceiling texture removed in the kitchen — Popcorn ceiling texture removed in kitchen

bedroom_ceiling_texture_removed_mount_pleasant — And finally, the owners of this apartment can breathe easier with their new smooth, clean bedroom ceiling

Let us help you breathe easier in your home. Contact RemoveCeilingTexture.com today for a quote on removing the textured ceilings in your home.

June 7, 2010November 2, 2016

High-rise ceiling texture removed

Remove Ceiling Texture dot Com (Vancouver, BC)

The owner wanted us to get rid of the popcorn texture throughout this highrise unit in Burnaby. This texture was quite course (SnowTex) and it was a slightly longer process to get rid of. The total time from delivery of materials to the final sweep and getting our tools packed away was 2Â days. As you can see, the results speak for themselves. Please leave your comments about this post.