Popcorn ceiling removal
Popcorn ceiling removal and smooth finishing in Atlanta
Popcorn texture dates a room more than any paint color, and it traps dust and stains. Removing it is messy work, so containment and testing come before any scraping starts.
Calls answered 24/7. Crews staged from the Atlanta service office.
- Answered 24/7
- Tested before scraping
- Rooms fully contained
Quick answer
Popcorn ceiling removal in Atlanta starts with a lab test, because textures applied before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos, and homes built before 1978 may have lead paint on top. Once cleared, we seal off the room, wet and scrape the texture, skim coat the drywall smooth, prime and paint. Drying time between skim coats and paint is built into the schedule.
Updated September 2026
The job
What removal really involves
Scraping is the fast part. The ceiling underneath is rarely smooth, so after scraping we repair gouges, retape loose joints and skim coat the whole surface before primer.
The room is emptied or covered completely, walls are draped in plastic, and floors are sealed, because wet popcorn texture gets everywhere it isn't stopped.
What moves the price
What moves the price of popcorn removal
- Ceiling area
Square footage drives scraping, skimming and paint.
- Painted or unpainted texture
Painted popcorn is slower to soften and remove.
- Test results
A positive asbestos test changes the job to abatement.
- Skim coat needed
Most ceilings need a full skim; some need two coats.
- Furnished rooms
Occupied rooms need more protection and moving.
- Ceiling height
Vaulted and tall ceilings need planks or scaffolding.
What we handle
Ceiling texture work we do
Popcorn scraping
After a negative test result, the texture is misted with water to soften it and scraped off with wide blades into plastic on the floor. Painted popcorn is harder, because paint seals the texture and stops water soaking in; it may need a scoring tool or a remover before it will release. We scrape carefully to avoid gouging the paper face of the drywall. Debris is bagged as we go, so the room isn't left under a layer of wet texture.
Skim coat and smooth finish
The drywall under popcorn was never finished to a smooth standard, because the texture hid everything. Joints show, screw heads show, and scraping leaves scratches. We retape loose seams, then apply one or two thin skim coats of compound across the whole ceiling, sand it smooth and inspect it with a work light held low to catch shadows. This is the step that separates a smooth ceiling from one that shows every flaw once painted. Dust is controlled with the room still sealed.
Knockdown to smooth
Knockdown and orange peel textures don't scrape off like popcorn, so going smooth means skimming over them instead. We knock off high points, apply skim coats until the texture is buried, and sand the surface flat. It is more compound and more sanding than a popcorn job, but it gives the same smooth result. If you'd rather keep a light texture and just refresh it, we can also match and reapply texture after repairs. Either way, we test a section before committing to the whole ceiling.
Ceiling repaint after removal
New skim coat is porous and absorbs paint unevenly, so it gets a drywall primer first, then two coats of flat ceiling paint. Flat hides minor surface variation better than any sheen, which matters on a large ceiling lit from the side by windows. We cut the ceiling line cleanly at the wall and touch up any wall paint that the plastic sheeting or tape pulled. If the walls are being repainted too, it makes sense to schedule them right after the ceiling.
Around Atlanta
Older Atlanta homes and textured ceilings
A lot of the textured ceilings we remove are in Atlanta houses built before 1978, which is why lead paint on top of the texture is part of our testing, not just asbestos in it. Georgia's humidity adds a second problem: in bathrooms and kitchens above about 55 percent indoor humidity, texture soaks up moisture, sags and stains, and drywall behind it softens. Those rooms often get their ceiling repairs done before the smooth finish.
What is included
What a popcorn removal job includes
- Sample sent for lab testing
- Room emptied or furniture covered
- Walls draped and floors sealed
- Texture wetted, scraped and bagged
- Joints retaped and ceiling skim coated
- Drywall primer and two coats of flat paint
- Containment removed and room cleaned
Do it yourself or call
Scraping it yourself vs having it done
Popcorn removal looks simple in videos. These are the parts that go wrong.
| Step | Common DIY result | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | Skipped, possible asbestos disturbed | Lab test before any scraping |
| Containment | Dust and wet texture throughout the house | Room draped and sealed |
| Finishing | Scraped ceiling painted as-is, every flaw shows | Full skim coat, sanded and primed |
Step by step
How a popcorn removal job runs
- 1
Test
A sample goes to a lab before anything is disturbed.
- 2
Contain
Room emptied or covered, walls draped, floors sealed, vents closed.
- 3
Wet and scrape
Texture softened and scraped into bags.
- 4
Repair and skim
Joints retaped, gouges filled, ceiling skimmed and sanded.
- 5
Prime and paint
Drywall primer, two coats of flat ceiling paint, cleanup.
Questions
Popcorn ceiling questions
Only a lab test can tell. Textures applied before the mid-1980s may contain it, so we test first.
Very, without containment. We drape and seal the room so dust and debris stay inside it.
Yes, but it takes longer, since paint stops water from softening the texture.
Yes. The work room is sealed off, but plan to avoid it for a few days.
With a full skim coat and flat paint, it will look smooth under normal lighting.
Also in Repair & Restoration
Related work from the same crews
- Window sill and frame repair
- Wood siding repair
- Soffit repair
- Sagging drywall replacement
- Siding joint caulking
Before you book, read what popcorn removal involves.
Ready to lose the popcorn?
Tell us which rooms and roughly when the house was built, and we'll set up testing and a quote.
Call (470) 887-8741Answered 24/7 from 565 Tift St SW Ste b, Atlanta.
Where we start from