I'm renovating my house (built in the 1950s) and dealing with painted popcorn ceilings that have two coats of paint on them. Given the questionable quality of the original ceiling work, I'm considering just covering it with new drywall instead of scraping everything off. The contractor has suggested using 3/8" drywall, but I'm wondering if going with 1/2" would be better, especially for achieving a flat finish over the uneven popcorn surface. Aside from the slightly lower height and cost, are there any downsides to using thicker drywall?
3 Answers
I’ve put 1/2" drywall over popcorn ceilings a bunch of times, and it usually goes smoothly. It's definitely safer than scraping, especially if there's any chance of asbestos in that old popcorn. Plus, the thicker drywall can give you a sturdier finish overall.
You really don’t need to scrape the popcorn before putting up drywall—many people have done without and been fine. Just remember that while you won’t have to scrape, some level of muddying and possibly texturing will still be necessary after installation.
It’s a common debate! You should definitely scrape the popcorn a bit, even if you’re just hanging new drywall instead of doing a full skim coat. I went with 3/8" once, and I had some issues with the popcorn pushing through and messing up the look of the new drywall, so keep that in mind.