I've got a friend who's a handyman, and he's been scraping the tops off my popcorn ceilings. So far, it looks fantastic and matches the wall texture perfectly. I'm really curious—why don't more people take this route instead of leaving it as is? It seems way more affordable!
3 Answers
Some folks think it's better to just leave popcorn ceilings because they actually help with sound insulation. They weren't just a random design choice back in the day! Plus, it can be a lot cheaper to keep them than to scrape them off and risk needing a skim coat afterwards. Most people just want to avoid the hassle.
A big concern is that many popcorn ceilings could contain asbestos, which is dangerous when disturbed. Scraping can release those fibers into the air, which is why some experts recommend just leaving it alone for safety's sake.
I think a lot of people worry that scraping will reveal imperfections underneath and might mean more work—and costs—down the line. Personally, I don’t mind the popcorn look, but I get why others might want it gone.