Paint on the popcorn
Painted texture will not soak up water, so it scrapes slowly or needs to be covered instead.
Acoustic ceiling removal
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Fort Collins, CO
Popcorn texture was sprayed on ceilings across Fort Collins from the 1950s through the 1980s, and it is often the first thing buyers want gone. Fort Collins Drywall Pros removes popcorn and acoustic ceilings in homes, condos and rentals throughout Northern Colorado. We have been doing it since 2011, as part of more than 1,300 drywall jobs that range from single bedrooms to whole houses.
We work for homeowners updating a midtown ranch or split-level, investors renovating before a sale, and property managers refreshing units between tenants. Some jobs are one bedroom with a water stain. Others are every ceiling in the house, finished smooth or with a light modern texture and ready for paint within a single week, with the rest of the house kept clean and livable while we work, room by room.
The right way to remove popcorn starts before anyone touches a scraper. Colorado regulates asbestos in ceiling texture, so we start with testing by a certified inspector, then seal the room with plastic, wet-scrape the texture, skim coat the ceiling and finish it smooth or lightly textured. You get a written price that spells out every step, and we are licensed and insured in Fort Collins, Larimer County and Loveland.
Asbestos and popcorn ceilings
Testing comes first: Colorado's asbestos rules in plain English
Popcorn texture installed before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos. Under Colorado's air quality rules (AQCC Regulation 8, Part B), material must be inspected by a Colorado-certified asbestos building inspector before renovation, or assumed to contain asbestos. In a single-family home, disturbing more than 32 sq ft of asbestos-containing material triggers the state's abatement rules.
We arrange sampling through a certified inspector before we quote removal. If the result is negative, we remove the texture ourselves. If it is positive, a licensed abatement contractor removes it, and we come in afterward to repair, skim and finish the ceiling.
- Certified inspection and lab results before any scraping
- Negative result: we remove, skim and refinish
- Positive result: licensed abatement first, then our finish work
Step by step
Our popcorn ceiling removal process
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STEP 01
Contain the room
Floors get plastic and paper, walls are masked with 6-mil poly, and vents and doorways are sealed so debris stays put.
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STEP 02
Wet and scrape
The texture is misted with a pump sprayer so it softens, then scraped off in sheets. Wet scraping keeps dust down and protects the board.
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STEP 03
Repair the board
Gouges, loose tape and old nail pops revealed under the texture are fixed before any finishing starts.
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STEP 04
Skim coat
Scraped ceilings are rarely smooth enough to paint. A skim coat brings the whole ceiling to a flat, even surface.
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STEP 05
Texture or smooth, then prime
You choose a smooth finish or a light knockdown or orange peel. Then the ceiling is primed and the room is cleaned out.
Comparing options
Remove the popcorn or cover it with new drywall?
Sometimes scraping is not the best answer. When popcorn has been painted several times or the ceiling underneath is damaged, hanging thin new drywall over it can be faster and cleaner.
| Scrape and skim | Drywall over popcorn | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Unpainted or lightly painted popcorn in good condition | Heavily painted popcorn, cracked ceilings, or when you want no scraping |
| Mess | Wet debris, fully contained | Very little dust, since the old texture stays in place |
| Result | Smooth or new texture on the original board | Brand-new ceiling surface, finished smooth or textured |
| Watch-outs | Paint over popcorn resists water and slows scraping | Adds weight and slight thickness at crown moulding and fixtures |
| Asbestos | Testing required before scraping | Covering usually disturbs little material, but testing still guides the plan |
We will recommend one approach on the quote and explain why. If both would work, we price both.
Ready to lose the popcorn?
Tell us the number of rooms and ceiling height. We will explain testing and send a written removal quote.
Pricing factors
What changes the price of popcorn removal
Ceiling height
Vaulted and stairwell ceilings need scaffolding and take longer to contain and scrape.
Test results
Sampling is a small cost. A positive result adds licensed abatement before our finish work.
Occupied rooms
Furniture that stays in the room needs moving and wrapping, which adds setup time.
On the job
From popcorn to smooth: what the work looks like
Timeline
How long it takes and how we protect your home
A single room usually takes two to three days from containment to primer, because the skim coat needs to dry before sanding. A whole house of ceilings typically runs four to seven working days, depending on the number of rooms and whether you choose smooth or textured.
We keep the mess inside the plastic. Debris is bagged as it comes down, sanding is done with HEPA-filtered vacuums, and HVAC vents are sealed so dust does not travel through the ductwork. At the end of each day, the path through your home is cleared and vacuumed.
Keep exploring
Related drywall services
Texture Matching
Knockdown, orange peel, skip trowel and hand textures matched to your walls, plus full texture changes and smooth-wall conversions.
Ceiling Repair
Ceiling cracks, sagging board, leak stains and holes from moved lights, repaired and textured to match.
Drywall Finishing
Taping, mudding and Level 4 or Level 5 finishes, including skim coating and finish-only work for builders.
Drywall Installation
New construction, additions, remodels and garages, hung, taped and finished by one crew.
Service areas
Popcorn Ceiling Removal beyond Fort Collins
Our crews run popcorn ceiling removal jobs across Northern Colorado. These towns have their own pages, written around the homes, codes and permit offices there.
FAQ
Popcorn Ceiling Removal questions
Straight answers to what people ask us most. Have a different question? Call or send a photo with the quote form.
Does my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
You cannot tell by looking. Texture applied before the mid-1980s may contain it, and Colorado requires inspection by a certified asbestos inspector before renovation or treating the material as asbestos-containing. We arrange sampling before quoting removal.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in Fort Collins?
Price depends on square footage, ceiling height, whether the texture is painted, the test result and how much furniture stays in the room. We provide a written quote after seeing the ceilings or clear photos with room sizes.
Can I stay in my home during popcorn removal?
Yes. We contain one area at a time and keep a clean path through the house. Most families stay home, though you will want to avoid the rooms being worked on.
Is it better to scrape popcorn or drywall over it?
Scraping is usually best for unpainted texture on sound board. Covering with new drywall is often better when the popcorn is heavily painted or the ceiling is cracked. We recommend one on the quote and explain the trade-off.
Can you match popcorn texture instead of removing it?
We can patch popcorn for small repairs, but old texture rarely matches fresh material exactly. For anything larger than a patch, removal usually gives a better result for similar effort.