Stucco is a material which is mainly made of water, aggregates and a binder. Stucco is also known in various other names such as acoustics, stipple and popcorn. These are painting formations and ceiling treatments, and they were the main trends in the 1950s and 1960s, and continued till 1980s. It is supposed to be applied wet and then it hardens forming a textured hard surface. Later in the 2000s many people witnessed that stucco ceilings are attracting grimes and dust, and people were losing interest in the type, as they were getting outdated and many found them ugly. Luckily removing stucco doesn’t require you to be a professional, you can do it yourself.

Here are some tips to help you remove stucco

Scrape test

First and foremost a small test must be done in a small area to scrap of a small area, before beginning the whole room, first it should be done dry and then later the surface should be made wet by applying water. After applying water it usually comes off easily as it soaks in the surface, but if it doesn’t, then there is a possibility that the surface is painted. So then one will require a really tough scrapping or covering the ceiling with some other alternative.

Asbestos testing

An abatement contractor of the asbestos must be hired for removing the asbestos ceiling, after getting a small sample tested first. As it is one of the main culprits causing cancer of the lungs.

Be prepared to get messy

Plastic drop cloth must be used and is an essential element, on the walls and floors, after getting done, one can simply roll and throw in the garbage

Removing the furniture

Nearly all of the room furniture must be removed, because if not, the room will get really messy, a drop cloth can be used to cover the furniture, if they are not possible to be moved.

Removing fans or electrical fixtures

As removing the stucco, may require wetting the surfaces so, it can be really dangerous if electrical fixtures come in the way.

Can light issue

Many people have can lights on the ceiling, a rosin paper or a newspapers can be stuffed inside to cover the areas from contacting water, and even one must make sure to turn off the power to those lights.

Using a garden pump sprayer

After spraying, one must wait for around fifteen minutes so that it gets soaked and the job gets easier. A mud pan can be used to catch the falling wet stucco. Also prevents it from falling on the ground.

Rounding off the scraper:

The scraper used, must be rounded off on the corners. As it will prevent gouging the ceiling. A file must be used, an electric grinder and if not then a sander.

Sanding:

Once the scraping is done, you will have to sand to fill in the gouges and dings, so that the surface gets smooth and ready for painting again.