Textured Ceiling Removal in Denton, TX

Textured ceiling removal in Denton, TX takes off knockdown, orange peel and stipple finishes that popcorn removal methods do not handle well. Safe Choice Painting assesses the ceiling, tests how the texture comes off, then softens and scrapes it or skims over it, repairs the surface and finishes it smooth or with a lighter texture before primer and paint.

Knockdown and orange peel are different

Popcorn texture is thick and soft, and water loosens it. Knockdown, orange peel and stipple are thinner, flatter and often painted along with the ceiling, so water does not get in the same way. Removing them can mean:

• scoring or scuffing the paint so water can soak in
• scraping in short passes, since the texture is thin
• skimming over the texture instead, when it is stuck tight

About 39 percent of Denton's housing was built between 1970 and 1999, by Census estimates, and ceilings in houses from those decades have had plenty of time to be textured, retextured or painted over.

We assess the ceiling first

We assess the ceiling first. The EPA says you cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it and that suspect materials should not be sanded, scraped or drilled. Texas's asbestos notification rules are aimed at public buildings and facilities; the state health department's FAQ says one private residence is not subject to the federal asbestos rules for demolition. That is about paperwork, not safety, so we recommend testing older textured ceilings before work. Our asbestos testing guide covers how.

Remove or skim over?

Skimming over a textured ceiling can be faster and less messy than scraping, and it ends in the same smooth result; see smooth ceilings after popcorn removal in Denton.

Protecting the house

Removal is wet and messy. Floors are covered, walls are masked with plastic, vents and fixtures are sealed, and rooms are closed off one at a time. Debris is bagged as we go. If sanding is needed, rooms are sealed for dust.

After removal

The ceiling is repaired where scraping lifted paper or exposed seams, then finished smooth or with a lighter texture. Primer goes on next, then two coats of flat ceiling paint. If you only want the textured ceiling repainted, not removed, see ceiling painting in Denton.

Why people remove flatter textures

Knockdown and orange peel are less dated than popcorn, but they hold dust, make patches hard to match, and can look heavy in a room with modern finishes. Removing or skimming over them also makes later repairs simpler, since a patch on a smooth ceiling only needs to be sanded flat, not retextured to match an old pattern.

How long it takes

Thin texture that softens with water comes off fastest, with repairs and finish coats on the days after. Painted or stuck texture takes longer, and skim coats need drying time between them. Your estimate lists the rooms and the expected number of days.

Picking the rooms

Many homes have a different texture in different rooms. We note what each ceiling has on the estimate so you can choose which rooms to change. The general guide is textured ceiling removal.

Nearby

• Textured ceiling removal
• Popcorn ceiling removal in Denton, TX
• Painting in Denton, TX
• Popcorn ceiling removal