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Ceiling Structure

Name: Ricardo  City: Oakland

Question: I just scraped off popcorn ceilings (asbestos free). Now what do I do to replaster it. The walls are all plaster in the house. What are the layers of a plaster ceiling?

Name: Ed Brown | Date: February 25, 2006, 19:13
Answer: Ricardo, this is something I deal with all the time. First, you must determine if the ceiling is also plaster, as are the walls, or if it is drywall. If it is plaster, you will need to sponge off all residues from the old texture and see what kind of shape the plaster is. If it looks pretty good, you can just paint the ceiling. If, however, there are unsightly cracks, these will need to be repaired before you paint. You can repair cracks with setting type joint compound and drywall tape, but you may find that you will eventually need to skim coat the whole ceiling if there are lots of cracks. Sand smooth, or texture the ceiling before painting. If the ceiling is drywall, you may have to refinish the seams before painting or texturing. Good luck.