How to Create Popcorn Ceiling Texture

Popcorn Ceiling is also known as an acoustic ceiling. It was a very popular material used on the indoor ceilings of homes between the 1960s all the way through the 1980s. Its popularity rose because it is a cheaper, easier application than paint. It also hides ceiling imperfections or uneveness with ease and it covers stained, dirty ceilings. Popcorn ceilings are sprayed with a Styrofoam-like material that mimics the look of cottage cheese. Popcorn ceilings are durable and, while time consuming, relatively easy to apply by hand. If you desire the look of a popcorn ceiling in your home, follow these simple steps.

Step 1 – Prep your Ceiling

Take a bucket and fill it with a warm soapy water solution. Submerse your sponge or cloth in the soapy water. Standing on a step ladder, thoroughly clean your ceiling with a mild soap and water solution to take off any excess grime and dirt.

Step 2 – Prep your Room

Remove all furniture from the room. If there is anything valuable or important but too heavy to move, cover it well with drop cloths. You will want to protect your floors as well. Apply drop cloths to the bare portions of the floors. 

Step 3 – Prime Surface

Using a stain blocking primer found at any home improvement store, prime the surface of your ceiling. It usually will only require one coat of primer. Allow primer to dry completely (about 24 hours).

Step 4 – Apply Popcorn Ceiling

Open your windows to provide adequate ventilation in the room. In a large bucket, mix a standard 13 lb. bag of popcorn ceiling spray with approximately 2 gallons of water. The mixture should look like a soupy or cottage cheese consistency. If the mix is too thin, it will not adhere correctly and cause cracking. If there are particles of popcorn ceiling floating up to the top in a separated manner, try stirring the mixture again. If this still does not provide the cottage cheese-like consistency, add additional powder until a soup-like consistency is reached.

Fill the texturing gun with the ceiling spray mixture. Test your spray techniques on a scrap piece of drywall. Start to spray your ceiling in a smooth back and forward motion to achieve an evenly laid pattern.

Using a trowel, spread the popcorn mixture to the edges of your ceiling. Clean up any additional overspray.

Step 5 – Clean Equipment

Clean up equipment, tools. Clean your texturing gun with warm water first. Add a little paint solvent through the water solution to take any excess paint off from the texturing gun. Put everything back in a dry location.

Step 6 – Paint Ceiling

If desired, you can apply a finish coat of interior latex paint to your ceiling after 24 hours of drying time.