Orange peel decorated ceilings are easy and inexpensive to make and were all the rage between the 60s and 70s of the last century. Now, however, they have gone out of fashion and have gone the way of many other things of the past. Removing such a ceiling is quite easy, and such a job is also a good shoulder exercise.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get started
Step 1. Clear the room completely
Think of the room and imagine bits of paint sticking into every crevice or crease on the sofa, chairs, and rug. Not a nice thing to see. To avoid further work later it is best to remove any piece of furniture from the room which must be completely empty before continuing.
Step 2. Cover the floor completely with a plastic or fabric sheet
Although canvas is the most used standard, several overlapping sheets of plastic will work as well.
Remember that pieces of plastic that are not held together can have leaks. To make sure you only have to throw out the plastic in the end, keep everything together using tape for added protection
Step 3. Put a fan in the room and turn it on to increase ventilation
Do not point it towards the ceiling but keep it facing a corner of the room and near the ground.
Step 4. If the ceiling was done before 1990 have it checked for asbestos
For this he seeks professional help. Asbestos was used for a long time in construction as an insulator and as a fireproof material until 1992 when it was banned.
Method 2 of 3: Remove the Orange Peel Ceiling
Step 1. Use a portable gardener sprayer to spray portions of the wall
Spray an area of about one square meter of the ceiling. Let it soak and then spray again. The orange peel ceiling material is very dry and porous and it will be easy to soak it with water.
Step 2. After a few more minutes, climb a ladder and scrape off the material with a scraper
If you don't have a scraper it can also be used in a drywall knife.
- It should come off very easily. Otherwise wet it again but not too much: too much water could damage the drywall that is behind the orange peel coating.
- If you use a scraper, attach a debris bag to it (most scrapers already have one). This way you can quickly throw away the debris instead of having to collect it from the floor later.
Step 3. Go to the next part of the ceiling and repeat the previous steps
Step 4. Once all the orange peel coating has been removed, pass the ceiling with the sandpaper
Collect any fallen debris and place it in sturdy bags and then vacuum to pick up any remaining dust.
Method 3 of 3: Complete the Job
Step 1. Apply filler if necessary
At this point you will see that the ceiling has only been made fireproof, that is, a simple drywall covering job has been done with only a layer of stucco. Get ready to put more layers of putty.
Step 2. The best finish is done with the smoothing compound
The smoothing involves covering the putty put all over the ceiling using a drywall knife. Rub it with sandpaper before priming and painting.
Step 3. If you wish, add a decoration to the ceiling
Didn't you like the orange peel ceiling? There are dozens of other possible decorations that can be done.
Step 4. Put the primer and paint the ceiling
Once isolated, sanded and decorated, apply primer and paint. This is the fun part that will give you a new ceiling. All that work was worth it.
Advice
- Use sturdy bags to collect debris. There will be a lot of stuff to collect, set aside a few sacks for each room and remember that they will be heavy in the end! Get enough before starting.
- Be very careful when scratching along the edges of the ceiling as there will be drywalled parts that will need to be kept in good condition.
- If you don't have a gardener sprayer, bring in the garden hose and attach a sprayer (probably the one you use to wash your car). Just make sure it doesn't leak and ruin your floor.
Warnings
- Asbestos is a carcinogen and causes mesothelioma. Unfortunately, symptoms appear between 15 and 45 years after asbestos inhalation. It is a terrible and painful disease with a short course. If you suspect there is asbestos, study the risks and act accordingly.
- If the house or apartment was built in the 70s, it is likely that they contain asbestos. So have the ceiling checked before starting. If there is asbestos, the best thing to do is to put a layer of plasterboard over the existing ceiling since removing the orange peel ceiling with asbestos will probably be too expensive.
