The Best And Worst Materials To Cover A Popcorn Ceiling

Popcorn ceilings are not ranking on any popular trend lists. It's difficult to imagine how they were ever popular, but they do seem to be everywhere, so someone liked them at some point. Regardless of how past generations viewed the pockmarked face of a popcorn ceiling, modern homeowners tend not to be fans. If you hate your popcorn ceiling but don't want to go through the hassle of removing it throughout your house, covering it may be your best option.

There are a variety of ways for those eager to smother their popcorn ceilings, some of which are better than others. Wood paneling and drywall are great options, while wallpaper and skim coat can be subpar alternatives. You can always update old popcorn ceilings without removing them by painting the surface. However, if you'd like to step away from the popcorn texture entirely, cover them to start fresh. Plus, scraping a popcorn ceiling can be dangerous, especially if your home was built before 1979. Asbestos was a popular ingredient in popcorning mixtures for decades, so removing the popcorn texture could expose you and your family to a toxic carcinogen.

To start fresh with your ceiling, cover over it with drywall. You might be worried about reducing the ceiling's height, but drywall comes as thin as ¼ inch thick, though ½ inch lightweight drywall is recommended for ceiling projects. Drywall is a great solution to get a smooth ceiling without breaking the bank, and it's easy to obtain and simple to install yourself. While adding drywall will lower your ceiling, the amount is negligible and worth it to get rid of that popcorn.

If you would like more excitement on your ceiling, you can cover popcorn with wood planks. You can opt for traditional tongue-and-groove planks or use bead-board panels to provide visual intrigue. Installing planks to your ceiling is something you can tackle yourself, and you have the option of painting it or leaving the wood's natural grain to warm up your space. Even if you're not removing the popcorn, you should test your popcorn ceiling for asbestos before doing anything to it, as knocking or damaging the surface while covering it could release dangerous fibers into the air.

Other than adding more popcorn texture, there is no truly horrible way to cover a popcorn ceiling, but some coverage solutions don't work the way you might imagine in your head. Wallpaper can be a creative way to spice up a smooth ceiling, but it does not apply well over textured surfaces. If you removed your popcorn ceiling only to reveal obvious drywall seams, wallpaper can be a good way to obscure those imperfections, but if you're keeping the popcorn, pass on wallpaper.

Skim coat can be a good way to even out the surface of a popcorn ceiling, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. If your popcorn texture is severe, a skim coat will only turn your popcorn to cottage cheese, leaving you with wasted money and hours as you look for another way to cover your ceiling. It's better to start off with a sure-fire and well-tested solution like thin drywall. To cut costs, you can learn to mud and tape drywall like a professional and complete your ceiling renovation yourself.