# Wet popcorn with an airless



## Painter One (Dec 26, 2011)

Hey-

I have to strip an acoustic ceiling, patch some cracks and paint. I started thinking, well since the carpet in the great room is going and all the furniture is out---could I use a small tip on my airless spray rig and get a lot of popcorn off with less work and time. I read that if you get the ceiling too wet it will cause water stains. I still like the idea, I wasn't planning on "Kilzing" it. What do you know about this idea or your opinion?

Thanks much !


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

not sure what your saying is it painted over Tex or not ?, if not spray it with water and wipe of as you go you will see the amount of water you need as your going, if the place was smoked in at all go with the Kilz like you said, don't skimp on the primer at all, easy fast and your on the right track

sounds like this was your plan to start with


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## igorson (Nov 10, 2010)

Painter One said:


> Hey-
> 
> I have to strip an acoustic ceiling, patch some cracks and paint. I started thinking, well since the carpet in the great room is going and all the furniture is out---could I use a small tip on my airless spray rig and get a lot of popcorn off with less work and time. I read that if you get the ceiling too wet it will cause water stains. I still like the idea, I wasn't planning on "Kilzing" it. What do you know about this idea or your opinion?
> 
> Thanks much !


So you did remove popcorn texture with airless sprayer and you didn't use any kind of taping knife? 
http://1drywall.com/ceiling.html


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## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

igorson said:


> So you did remove popcorn texture with airless sprayer and you didn't use any kind of taping knife?
> http://1drywall.com/ceiling.htm


 Pressure washer would due the trick. lol


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## Machine (Aug 22, 2011)

Painter One said:


> Hey-
> 
> I have to strip an acoustic ceiling, patch some cracks and paint. I started thinking, well since the carpet in the great room is going and all the furniture is out---could I use a small tip on my airless spray rig and get a lot of popcorn off with less work and time. I read that if you get the ceiling too wet it will cause water stains. I still like the idea, I wasn't planning on "Kilzing" it. What do you know about this idea or your opinion?
> 
> Thanks much !


I've done it in the past, its way faster than using a garden sprayer. We've even used a hopper when our garden sprayer quit in the middle of a ceiling. The hopper worked but, put a little to much water up. In my opinion the ceiling should be primed though.


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## Machine (Aug 22, 2011)

igorson said:


> So you did remove popcorn texture with airless sprayer and you didn't use any kind of taping knife?
> http://1drywall.com/ceiling.htm


Pretty sure he still plans on using a knife, just wetting the texture down beforehand with an airless.:thumbup:


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## Machine (Aug 22, 2011)

boco said:


> Pressure washer would due the trick. lol


I can just see it now, break out a gas powered industrial rig and let her rip!:whistling2:


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## Painter One (Dec 26, 2011)

Bazooka-Joe said:


> not sure what your saying is it painted over Tex or not ?, if not spray it with water and wipe of as you go you will see the amount of water you need as your going, if the place was smoked in at all go with the Kilz like you said, don't skimp on the primer at all, easy fast and your on the right track
> 
> sounds like this was your plan to start with


Well I used my little hvlp graco, cheapie to spray it with tap water and it scraped off with taping knives but unlike the others I have done the remaining ceiling had indentations that looked like the texture only they would not scrape off at all, so now I have to float the ceiling. I plan to use watered down mud like I would for a final float on a wall seam. I done little patches and a lot of partial rooms after Katrina, but this stuff is different from what ceiling work I have done (not much more than patches in lived in houses).


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## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

Painter One said:


> Well I used my little hvlp graco, cheapie to spray it with tap water and it scraped off with taping knives but unlike the others I have done the remaining ceiling had indentations that looked like the texture only they would not scrape off at all, so now I have to float the ceiling. I plan to use watered down mud like I would for a final float on a wall seam. I done little patches and a lot of partial rooms after Katrina, but this stuff is different from what ceiling work I have done (not much more than patches in lived in houses).


 Now that the popcorn is gone . Iits time for an 18" roller and the Magic trowel. If ya go 2 coats . One in each direction. Sanding will be a minimum if any at all.


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## Painter One (Dec 26, 2011)

boco said:


> Now that the popcorn is gone . Iits time for an 18" roller and the Magic trowel. If ya go 2 coats . One in each direction. Sanding will be a minimum if any at all.





Hmmm----I am going to get the Magic Trowel----lists for 42 bucks, I still have to do the great room, covered it with plastic, use a small tip on the airless, try to just mist, with a vaulted ceiling taking a gun up seems a lot easier than a pump up spray or anything that reloads fast.

But the 18 inch roller, I thought about taking a think hairy wool roller pad and trying to spread the mud with that---is this what you meant with the 18 inch? I know guys who paint with them but I think they also paint a lot of warehouses and stuff. I do have a hopper gun wonder if that would work?


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## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

Painter One said:


> Hmmm----I am going to get the Magic Trowel----lists for 42 bucks, I still have to do the great room, covered it with plastic, use a small tip on the airless, try to just mist, with a vaulted ceiling taking a gun up seems a lot easier than a pump up spray or anything that reloads fast.
> 
> But the 18 inch roller, I thought about taking a think hairy wool roller pad and trying to spread the mud with that---is this what you meant with the 18 inch? I know guys who paint with them but I think they also paint a lot of warehouses and stuff. I do have a hopper gun wonder if that would work?


 Yes an 18" roller and pad 1" nap. Its just one way to get it on quick. When rolling on mud just make sure to use USG green and add water to thin. really works good with 2 people. When doing ceilings I do them from the floor with extention poles. For the lights and boxes i just go around them them with a 6" knife first. I use a Mark 5 for new construction only, mostly abuse board but you are getting into a whole new ball game when getting out a sprayer and applying mud. Its just too messy for me vs a roller. When do i level 5? When doing high end homes with high visibilty walls. The ones on the lake with lots of skylights and windows are a must.


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## Mudshark (Feb 8, 2009)

boco said:


> Yes an 18" roller and pad 1" nap. Its just one way to get it on quick. When rolling on mud just make sure to use USG green and add water to thin. really works good with 2 people. When doing ceilings I do them from the floor with extention poles. For the lights and boxes i just go around them them with a 6" knife first. I use a Mark 5 for new construction only, mostly abuse board but you are getting into a whole new ball game when getting out a sprayer and applying mud. Its just too messy for me vs a roller. When do i level 5? When doing high end homes with high visibilty walls. The ones on the lake with lots of skylights and windows are a must.


You are putting drywall mud on the ceilings??:furious: Good chance of it yellowing in a few years or less. There are products available for the ceilings so think it best to use the right product!!!


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## eastex1963 (Nov 6, 2008)

Whatever route you take, I would HIGHLY recommend sealing it with Kilz or some other stain blocker. When you add water to take off the popcorn it's very likely to yellow. Whether you use it right after scraping or after skimming, use it before you texture and paint. 

Also, I use the oil based Kilz. I tried the Kilz 2 latex stuff years ago only to have the ceiling yellow again.


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## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

Definately want to binz/kilnz after removing popcorn and before skimming semi gloss paint. For flat and eggshell wall I skim first then prime later with ordinary primer (SWP preprite200).


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## Painter One (Dec 26, 2011)

boco said:


> Definately want to binz/kilnz after removing popcorn and before skimming semi gloss paint. For flat and eggshell wall I skim first then prime later with ordinary primer (SWP preprite200).



I'm familiar with those, used the BIN on a kitchen a couple of weeks back--but ceiling was done. The house has a huge tar/nicotine problem. We opted for no oil Kilz. Went with the latex but I put it on heavy, still needs some smoothing --that Wondertrowel really is nice. I have seen them for years and never realized that basically a sqeejee would do so good. I used to think oil only with Kilz but even if it looks a little yellow, it still blocks or it did last time it did that, the house was full of nicotine. I am using that new SW Brilliance, it rocks.

Thanks for the help folks!!! :thumbup:


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## Workaholic (Dec 13, 2010)

Sounds crazy to me. A garden sprayer will do the same job and you won't be gunking your lines up when the texture falls all over it.


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