All things being equal, Popcorn isn't my first choice for ceiling treatments. I prefer texture paint. However, the popcorn covers a multitude of sins and we do have it in a couple of rooms where it was just easier than having to do extensive work on the ceiling. The popcorn has held up well, and will be in the house when we sell in the next year or so.

I despise popcorn ceilings. Cob webs and you it's hard to paint walls at the corners where ceiling meets the wall. I have it in my home. I did manage to remove it in the bathroom with a big huge wallpaper scraper thing. I was removing wallpaper also. It was a huge mess. I spayed it with a bit of water first. I have had dreams of doing it in the kitchen, living room, entryway and hall, they are one and the same connected ceiling. My husband would kill me. My sister and her husband built their home themselves and ugg...put in popcorn ceilings. I tried to talk them out of it but it was cheaper and faster and they had a deadline to get house completed for their loan. (borrowed money from parents until they could get loan)

after extensive research on removing our popcorn ceilings we found most done before the mid 80's were asbestos and cost several thousand $$ per room to remove. EPA regs and all. our house is circa 1969, DH has been painting over them room by room w/ ceiling paint and it helps to lessen the texture, smooth it out, seal the particles and freshen the color. i'd love to remove it but we are not doing that work and risking our health and i am not paying someone else that much. the next homeowner can lol. ~ liz

Ugh! We have it, too. After seeing what my sister and BIL went through having theirs removed, I'm just going to live with it. Who knows, maybe it'll come back in style someday.

I hate it. Removed it in my old house. Will put up regular drywall on the ceilings except in the kitchen and maybe bath, where we will use those skinny little strips...like beadboard.

Thankfully I don't have it and would do my best not to purchase anything that had it.

I had it in some places I rented in California. Hated it. It really dates a place. I remember the gold flecks they used to put in those ceilings.

Like I mentioned in the other post I have it...IN every room but the bath and kitchen!! The main part has been painted over..so it's not to bad...I tried painting it in the boys room and it started pulling off...I bought some stuff to fix those spots..but just haven't done it..

It's peeling away in the oldest boys room around his light fixture which needs to be changed out, but I know as soon as I start messing with the fixture more will come down..

I haven't even touched my bed room ceiling either..and it desperately needs something..it's so awful! 30 plus years of blech!

The best way to paint it is a spray gun...however..you have to cover everything or have a completely blank room!!!
I've been thinking of glueing up ceiling tiles! LOL But it would probably wet the popcorn and start falling down!!

My house was built in late 71.

terri we used ceiling paint (get the color changing one easier) & a ceiling paint roller. we found if you go over the same spot twice it starts to pull away but w/ the color changing paint (purple to white) it was a snap on the second time we did it. DH just did the master bedroom which is sizeable in under 1.5 hrs. and he had to constantly move the drop clothes over everything. we are redoing all rooms over the last 2 yrs w/ crown molding, base boards, new flooring etc...so we don't have to worry about the ceiling wall edge this time. we will not be redoing the ceilings before we sell lol ~ liz

Oh Moni - I've removed it in my last house,and that was no picnic. Do heed Liz's warning about asbestos. Depending on the era of your home, you may need to get it tested before you move on this.
Good luck!

Our house was built in '77. There was still some asbestos being used back then so we had ours tested. Fortunately our builder was one of the first to voluntarily use asbestos free product on the ceiling.

We have removed every bit of popcorn from our house except for the cathedral ceiling in the living room.

Once you are sure you are asbestos free it's really easy to remove. We used a new garden sprayer to wet it down and it scrapes right off. Then DH re-textured with knockdown to match the walls.

I have it. I hate it. I would remove it but don't have the agility to be climbing around on the ceiling anymore or the money to hire someone since I retired. I would, however, find the funds to install a tin (preferably) or beadboard ceiling over it if I could find someone in this godforsaken place to do it. Until then, if ever) I just won't look up.

It's in some rooms of our Maui condo, which was built in 1991. Next time we need to paint and have a long enough space between guests, I want it removed.

How long do you think it would take to remove about 600 sq ft of popcorn? Drudge job, but I'm wondering what it should cost to have done. Ugh, I just thought about all the recessed cans, two ceiling fans, DR fixture -- bigger job than I first thought.