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Textured ceiling removal across Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the North Shore.
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Textured ceiling removal
Popcorn ceiling removal in Vancouver starts with one question: how old is the texture? Homes built before 1990 may have asbestos in textured ceilings, so testing is done before any scraping starts. Once the ceiling is cleared to proceed, Coastal Painters Vancouver wets and scrapes off the popcorn or stipple, skim coats the surface, then primes and paints it for a flat, smooth ceiling.
Safety first
Popcorn, stipple and acoustic ceiling textures were sprayed onto Vancouver houses, condos and townhomes for decades. Homes built before 1990 may have asbestos in textured ceilings. You can't tell by looking at a ceiling, and scraping dry texture is exactly the kind of work that can release fibres into the air you breathe.
That's why a qualified person must take a sample for testing by an accredited lab before any scraping. The result decides what happens next. On an older home, this applies to every textured ceiling in the project, including a single closet or hallway.
The work can be scheduled. The texture is removed, the ceiling is repaired and skim coated, and the room is primed and painted. If you also want the walls done, it's usually simplest to plan them together through our interior painting service, so the room is only disrupted once.
If asbestos is found, removal must be done by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, following WorkSafeBC requirements. Coastal does not test for or remove asbestos. After the abatement work is complete, we can take care of the skim coating, priming and painting so the ceiling is finished.
If you don't know the age of the texture, or it was patched or re-sprayed during a past renovation, treat it as unknown and test it. A test result is far easier to deal with than a guess.
Our process
Removing popcorn texture is mostly preparation and finishing. Scraping is the quick part. What makes the ceiling look good afterwards is the repair, skim coating and sanding that follow.
Here's the order the work follows once testing is done and the ceiling is cleared to proceed.
Furniture is moved out or grouped in the middle and covered. Floors are covered, and plastic is taped from the top of the walls down so falling texture lands on the sheeting instead of your baseboards. Light fixtures, vents and smoke detectors are covered or have their trim taken down.
Unpainted popcorn usually softens with water. It's misted in sections, left to soak for a few minutes, then scraped off with a wide blade. Texture that has been painted over doesn't absorb water well, so it takes longer and may need scoring or a stripping product first.
Scraping exposes everything the texture was hiding: tape seams, screw pops, gouges and uneven joints. These are fixed first, then the ceiling is skim coated with joint compound. For ceilings under strong side light from large windows or pot lights, a Level 5 finish, which is a thin coat of compound over the entire surface, gives the flattest result. Our drywall repair page explains more about patching damaged board.
After sanding, the bare compound is primed so the finish coat dries evenly instead of looking blotchy. The ceiling is then painted, usually in a flat sheen because it hides small imperfections best. For more on finishes and colours overhead, see our ceiling painting service.
Pricing
Our popcorn ceiling removal prices in Vancouver (CAD, before GST):
Asbestos testing and any abatement are separate. As WorkSafeBC requires, the homeowner arranges them with a qualified tester and, if asbestos is found, a licensed abatement contractor before our work starts. Your free written quote confirms the price for your ceiling, based on the factors below, and knowing them helps you compare quotes fairly.
When you compare, check that each quote covers the same steps: protection, removal, the skim coat level, priming and painting. A lower number that leaves out the skim coat often ends with a ceiling that still looks rough once the light hits it.
Grouping several rooms into one project makes better use of setup and drying time than booking them one by one. Clearing small items and art from the room beforehand also helps.
Planning
Popcorn removal is rarely a one-day job, because each skim coat has to dry before it can be sanded and recoated. Drying is slower in cool, damp weather, which matters in Vancouver through fall and winter.
Expect the room to be out of use while the work is under way. Wet texture falls in heavy clumps and sanding creates fine dust, so plan to keep people and pets out. For bedrooms and kitchens, decide in advance where you'll sleep or cook for those days.
Some condo ceilings have stipple sprayed directly onto concrete rather than drywall. The finishing approach on concrete is different, and older buildings still need the texture tested. Your strata may also have rules on work hours, elevator bookings and notice to neighbours, so check with your strata manager before booking. Our condo painting page covers working in shared buildings.
Service area
We remove textured ceilings in houses, townhomes and condos across Vancouver and the surrounding cities. Many older houses and low-rise buildings in these areas were built when textured ceilings were common, so ask about testing early in your planning.
See finished work from our crew on our projects page.
Request a Popcorn Ceiling Removal QuoteCall (778) 874-4042Reviews
FAQs
Our Services
Tell us the age of your home, which rooms you want done and whether the texture has been painted. Call (778) 874-4042 (we’re open 24/7) or request a free written quote. Coastal Painters Vancouver is licensed and insured, with WorkSafeBC coverage and $5M liability insurance.
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