Painting a Popcorn Ceiling Using a Airless Sprayer
Popcorn ceilings were a very popular residential ceiling treatment back in 1960s and 1970s. This spray on product looked a bit like cottage cheese with flecks of gold, and was a builder’s dream product for covering up drywall tape and nail holes on a ceiling. Popcorn ceilings were easy to apply, and also helped muffle noise while providing a little extra ceiling insulation.
However, anyone who has lived in a home with popcorn ceilings will tell you that popcorn texture just didn’t live up to its earlier expectations. These ceilings were impossible to keep clean since the least bit of vacuuming or sweeping to remove cobwebs would cause popcorn to drop to the ground.
Lack of cleaning quickly turned popcorn ceilings dingy from soot and dust buildup. Those unfortunate homeowners whose popcorn ceilings turned a dingy gray or had become stained from water damage quickly discovered that trying paint a popcorn ceiling was a little bit like trying to paint sand. The granules of popcorn would stick to the roller brush, and made it impossible hard to paint without ruining the texture of the ceiling itself.
Fortunately there is an easier way to paint a popcorn ceiling than with a roller. These instructions will show you how it can be done:
Materials
Materials needed for this job include lots of clear plastic tarps and painter’s tape, paint primer, paint, buckets, and an airless sprayer. Airless sprayers can be rented from rental shops and most hardware stores and are really the best way to paint over a popcorn ceiling. An airless sprayer will get into all the tiny spaces around the popcorn, and won’t pull the granules away from the ceiling like a paint roller will.
Prep
As with any painting job, the most time consuming part of the task is the prep work. Before beginning this project, remove as much furniture as possible from the room, along with art work, rugs, and anything else that isn’t nailed down. Since using a paint sprayer generates lots of mist, you should also tape plastic sheeting to the walls at the joint where the ceiling and wall meets to protect your windows, doors and molding. Don’t forget to place another sheet of plastic on the floor to protect your carpet or linoleum.
It’s worth remembering that some types of popcorn ceiling material did contain asbestos. When patching and painting a popcorn ceiling, remember to wear a respirator, goggles, and to cover all exposed skin. A painters cap will also help protect your hair from the misting paint.
Prime and Paint
Popcorn ceiling are porous and will absorb incredible amounts of paint. Applying a good prime coat will give the final paint coat a solid base to adhere to, resulting in an even finish.
For ceilings that are relatively clean, a standard primer paint is adequate. But if your popcorn ceiling is heavily stained or very dirty, it should be primed with a stain blocking primer to prevent the stain from seeping through to the paint. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying the prime coat with the airless sprayer; since paints do need to be thinned to work in a sprayer, it may be necessary to apply two coats of primer before the ceiling is completely coated. The primer should dry over night before applying the paint.
Applying the top coat is done exactly the same way. The paint should be sprayed on to the ceiling from a distance of about 12 inches away, using a steady back and forth motion. Let the paint dry for at least an hour before applying a second and final coat.