Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Popcorn ceilings make a room feel dated and dark. We scrape them off, skim-coat to a smooth finish, prime, and paint — all with strict dust containment so your living space stays liveable.

How we do it

1. 1

   Asbestos check

   For pre-1990 homes we recommend and arrange a quick test before any scraping begins.

2. 2

   Containment

   Floors and walls sealed with poly, doorways zipped, HVAC vents covered.

3. 3

   Scrape

   Texture lightly misted and scraped off cleanly without gouging the drywall.

4. 4

   Skim coat

   Two to three coats of joint compound, sanded smooth between coats to a Level 5 finish.

5. 5

   Prime & paint

   Sealed with a high-build primer and finished with a flat ceiling paint.

Why choose us

• Dust containment that actually works — we vacuum-sand whenever possible
• Level 5 skim coat standard, not an upcharge
• Asbestos protocol followed for older homes
• Most single rooms finished in 2–3 days

Common questions

Could my popcorn ceiling contain asbestos?

If your home was built before 1990 it's a real possibility, and it's not something to guess at. We recommend and arrange a quick lab test before any scraping begins. If the result comes back positive, removal becomes a licensed abatement job rather than a painting job, and we'll tell you that plainly instead of disturbing it.

How long does one room take?

Most single rooms are finished in two to three days. That covers scraping, two to three skim coats with sanding between each, priming, and the finish coat — the drying time between compound coats is what sets the pace, not the scraping itself.

How much dust does this actually make?

Far less than you'd expect, because containment is the first thing we do. Floors and walls are sealed with poly, doorways are zipped, and HVAC vents are covered so dust can't travel through the ductwork into the rest of the house. We vacuum-sand wherever possible.

Do I have to move out while the work is done?

No. The whole point of sealing the work area is that the rest of your home stays liveable. You'll lose access to the room being worked on, but you shouldn't be finding drywall dust in the kitchen.

What is a Level 5 finish, and does it cost extra?

Level 5 is the smoothest standard drywall finish — a skim coat over the entire surface so no seams, patches, or texture telegraph through the paint under raking light. It's what we do as standard on ceilings, not an upcharge.

Can you just cover the popcorn instead of scraping it?

Covering it with new board or a skim coat over top is sometimes an option, and it's occasionally the right call — particularly if a test comes back positive for asbestos and the ceiling is better left undisturbed. For a typical ceiling, scraping and skimming gives a better result for less money.

Wondering what this costs? Popcorn ceiling removal cost in Toronto and the GTA sets published GTA ranges beside the prices our own quote produces.