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Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Baltimore, MD

We take the popcorn texture down, skim the ceiling smooth and leave it primed and painted. Scraping is the easy part. What makes the ceiling look right is the finish work after it. MN Plastering has done this work in Maryland homes since 1987.

☎ (443) 806-8077 Get a Quote

The Service

What It Covers

Popcorn (also called acoustic or cottage cheese) texture was sprayed on a lot of Maryland ceilings from the 1950s into the 1980s. It hid seams and dents and saved finishing time. Today it collects dust, shows every water stain and dates a room. A removal job with us covers:

✓ Bedrooms and living rooms — the most common rooms for popcorn texture
✓ Cathedral and vaulted ceilings — staged so the full height can be reached safely
✓ Painted texture — slower to remove than unpainted texture, and we will tell you which you have
✓ Popcorn over plaster — some older houses had texture sprayed over plaster ceilings to hide cracks, which then need repair
✓ The finish after — full skim coat, primer and ceiling paint

Our Process

1
Test first
If the texture went up before about 1980, have a sample tested for asbestos before anyone scrapes (more below).
2
Seal the room
Plastic on the walls and floor, fixtures covered, the room closed off from the rest of the house.
3
Remove the texture
Unpainted texture is wetted and scraped. Painted texture does not soak up water, so it takes longer.
4
Repair and skim
Seams, dents and scraper marks show once the texture is gone. We repair them and skim the whole ceiling smooth.
5
Prime and paint
A primer suited to the new surface, then ceiling paint.

Ready to get started?

Call or text a photo for a written estimate.

☎ (443) 806-8077

Before Anyone Scrapes

Test Older Popcorn Ceilings for Asbestos

Some acoustic ceiling texture made before the 1980s contains asbestos. You cannot tell by looking at it. It is harmless while it stays on the ceiling, and the risk comes from scraping it dry, which puts fibers in the air.

1. Get it tested

If the house or the texture dates from before about 1980, have a sample tested by an accredited lab or a licensed inspector. It is quick and costs far less than the ceiling work.

2. If it is clean

We remove the texture, repair the ceiling and finish it. Newer texture, from the late 1980s on, generally does not need a test.

3. If it tests positive

Removal is work for a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, not a plaster crew. Once the texture is abated, we can come in and skim, prime and paint the ceiling.

The same goes for paint: a ceiling painted before 1978 may have lead paint in its layers. Ask about it when you call and we will talk through it before any work is scheduled.

What Drives the Price

How Popcorn Removal Is Priced

Ceiling area and height. A flat 8-foot ceiling is the simplest case. Cathedral and stairwell ceilings take staging.
Painted or unpainted. Painted texture does not soften with water and is slower to remove.
What is underneath. Drywall with poor seams, or a plaster ceiling with cracks, needs repair before the skim.
Paint. Most customers want the ceiling primed and painted so the room is done.

Asbestos testing and any abatement are separate from our price. You get a written estimate for our part before any work starts.

Recent Popcorn Ceiling Work

Popcorn Ceiling Jobs From Our Records

Popcorn removal is a smaller part of our work than plaster repair, but it uses the same finishing skills, which is the part that decides how the ceiling looks. Recent examples:

Ellicott City

Two rooms on Rogers Avenue

Popcorn texture taken off two ceilings of about 300 square feet each, then finished smooth. The homeowner needed the rooms back quickly, so the job was scheduled to keep the house usable.

What we quote often

Cathedral ceilings

Master bedrooms with cathedral ceilings running from about 8 to 12 feet. The work is the same, but staging the room for the high side adds time, and the estimate reflects it.

Whole-house jobs

Several rooms at once

One recent quote covered three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room. Doing them together means one setup and one round of finishing instead of coming back room by room.

Once the texture is gone, the ceiling is finished with the same method we use for skim coating. If the ceiling underneath turns out to be plaster with loose areas, see why plaster ceilings sag.

Why MN Plastering

Plasterers First, Not Just Painters

Since 1987

A family plastering business working in Baltimore-area houses for nearly four decades.

Real Plaster Skills

Hand-troweled finishes, three-coat repair and plaster washers, not just joint compound.

Licensed & Insured

MHIC #118059. Full liability coverage. A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau.

Written Estimates

You know the price before we pick up a tool.

FAQ

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Questions

Do I need to test my popcorn ceiling for asbestos?

If the texture went up before about 1980, yes. Have a sample tested by an accredited lab or a licensed inspector before anyone scrapes it. If it is positive, removal has to be done by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. After that, we can finish the ceiling.

How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?

A typical room is a few days from start to paint, because the skim coat and primer need drying time between steps. Several rooms done together take less time per room.

Can you remove popcorn from a plaster ceiling?

Yes. In older houses texture was sometimes sprayed over a cracked plaster ceiling to hide it. Once it is off, we repair the plaster underneath before skimming, so the cracks do not come back through the new finish.

Why not just paint over the popcorn?

You can, but painting makes the texture harder to remove later and does not fix the dust and dated look. If you plan to remove it within a few years, do not paint it first.

Is it messy?

Removal is the messiest ceiling job we do, which is why the room is fully sealed with plastic first. Wet scraping keeps the dust down, and the cleanup is part of the job.