# Removing Patterned Ceiling



## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

I was wondering if anyone has used the porter cable drywall sander to remove a patterned plaster ceiling? It is VERY course, and multiple different patterns to it. It is painted.

I realize it will have to be skimmed after, but want to knock off as much as possible.

Any recommendations on what to use on the sander?

Thanks...scott


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## M T Buckets Painting (Nov 27, 2010)

I once had to grind down a stomp to fix a but joint that didn't get sanded. Me and my partner used a PC sander. We had to special order 80 grit paper for it. 80 is the roughest you can get. The sander worked really well right off the bat but, once the high peaks were ground off and we were trying to sand the paint off it was terrible. There will be a little elbow grease involved. At the end of the sanding we were taking 20 minute intervals with the sander and pushing very hard against the cieling. It finally got finished.

The bad part was that it was a vaulted ceiling and the bad joint only showed up at about 8 a.m. when the sun would shine through a full wall of windows. It was strictly a time and materials job billed to the GC


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Scott_w said:


> I was wondering if anyone has used the porter cable drywall sander to remove a patterned plaster ceiling? It is VERY course, and multiple different patterns to it. It is painted.
> 
> I realize it will have to be skimmed after, but want to knock off as much as possible.
> 
> ...


I have done that several times with 40g, It will only knock the tops off, if its painted its harder to do, Its a bit hard on the porter cable, I have a smaller festool that can take a little more off and work harder but its still limited, Or grab your floor sander and attack it first. There are many things to try, If the boards painted under the texture sometimes damping it will help then you can scape it off if you get lucky, Sometimes it just wont come off, all you can do is sand the tops of and get out the hotmuds and start swinging on a trowel. Good luck.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

any ceiling before 1982, laminate .:whistling2:


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## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

Thanks, this is a job my friend is doing on his personal home, using my sander (one of the very few people I lend anything too). I was just trying to find out if there were any tricks to it.

Cazna, I JUST bought a bunch of festool, including the RO150. NICE stuff. I haven't even used the stuff yet, be damned if I will let someone sand drywall with it! On a side not, have you guys seen the planex? 






Moore, good point. I never even thought of that hazard! :thumbsup: I will let him know.

thanks...scott


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## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

Scott_w said:


> Thanks, this is a job my friend is doing on his personal home, using my sander (one of the very few people I lend anything too). I was just trying to find out if there were any tricks to it.
> 
> Cazna, I JUST bought a bunch of festool, including the RO150. NICE stuff. I haven't even used the stuff yet, be damned if I will let someone sand drywall with it! On a side not, have you guys seen the planex?
> 
> ...


I think I just got wood watching that video.


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## paplaster (Feb 21, 2011)

Scott_w said:


> I was wondering if anyone has used the porter cable drywall sander to remove a patterned plaster ceiling? It is VERY course, and multiple different patterns to it. It is painted.
> 
> I realize it will have to be skimmed after, but want to knock off as much as possible.
> 
> ...


 I've used the porter cable sander to sand down textured ceilings before. I use 60 grit screen paper this seems to work good.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Scott_w said:


> Thanks, this is a job my friend is doing on his personal home, using my sander (one of the very few people I lend anything too). I was just trying to find out if there were any tricks to it.
> 
> Cazna, I JUST bought a bunch of festool, including the RO150. NICE stuff. I haven't even used the stuff yet, be damned if I will let someone sand drywall with it! On a side not, have you guys seen the planex?
> 
> ...


Yes have seen that sander, Looks good, the local paint shop hires one and they cost around $3500 just for the sander here, Crazy money, A flex giraffe is around $1500, Thats what i use, the flex giraffe which is same as porter cable on the CT22 festool vacuum, Had that Vacuum for years, Its great and i have the hand held 150mm orbital, I did use that on drywall for years too, Its my 2nd one, many guys here use them but i like the giraffe with the 220mm disc better. Festool is world class gear. You will have it for years and years. :thumbsup: Go for it and use that sander on drywall with the vacuum, Its fine.


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## Goodmanatee (Sep 24, 2010)

Been doing my own house up. All ceilings textured. 
I would bother with the sander. Get a floor scraper and some elbow grease. Scrape the living daylights out of it. Then 3 coats of mud. First coat think with some pva in it. Second coat a little thinner than the first. Then a little thinner on the last. Then sand. 
Did try sanding the first ceiling with 80g but it don't really make much difference.
Found scraping and skimming better.


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## Mr.Brightstar (Dec 2, 2011)

Scott_w said:


> I was wondering if anyone has used the porter cable drywall sander to remove a patterned plaster ceiling? It is VERY course, and multiple different patterns to it. It is painted.
> 
> I realize it will have to be skimmed after, but want to knock off as much as possible.
> 
> ...


No use wasting time scraping. Chip with the plaster hatchet every three or 4 inches entire surface. Link the surfaces. Base coat, topcoat. Smooth and seamless surface Solid results.


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## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

catisred said:


> Ceiling construction is much important since it is the roof for our life. if something is not good for clients, big change will be taken.
> 
> From cnebp.com


I'm trying to imagine you over there, working on your English skills and participating in our little slice of drywall paradise. It makes me smile.


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## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

He is the same guy that has spammed us here and also I keep getting emails from him trying to sell stuff. Notice the link he posted.

IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE PAY FOR IT!! It is one thing if you have contributed as many other businesses have, but you haven't.

He should be banned.


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## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

Mr.Brightstar said:


> No use wasting time scraping. Chip with the plaster hatchet every three or 4 inches entire surface. Link the surfaces. Base coat, topcoat. Smooth and seamless surface Solid results.


Very old thread. This was on a house with very large ornate crown. fwiw, a really course disk was used on the PC sander to just knock down the high spots and the ceiling as skimmed out.

scott


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## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

Scott_w said:


> He is the same guy that has spammed us here and also I keep getting emails from him trying to sell stuff. Notice the link he posted.
> 
> IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE PAY FOR IT!! It is one thing if you have contributed as many other businesses have, but you haven't.
> 
> He should be banned.


In the post that I responded to, it merely looked as if he was trying to participate by noting the importance of a ceiling:laughing:. I think it's just a culture gap, and I think it's cute.

So there.:tt2:


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