Now that you have taken off that outdated cottage cheese texture from your ceiling, the next thing to do is to spruce up your home’s interior and make it look and feel more 21st Century. However, beyond aesthetics and keeping up with the trend as home design, you should know what to do after the popcorn ceiling is removed. Why? Because the truth is, once the popcorn texture is removed, your drywall will no longer have any protection from moisture and damage.
What To Do After Popcorn Ceiling is Removed? 3 Options
1. Apply modern ceiling texture.
Replacing popcorn ceiling with your preferred trendy ceiling textures of today may be the best option for you if you still love textured ceilings. The options you have for such modern ceiling textures include subtle and light grunge, burlap aged, plastering or distressed Venetian, texture stenciling or decorative patterns, skip troweling (freestyle), smooth, and knockdown texture or what is known as wave style.
Among the common ceiling textures today are skip troweling or freestyle, knockdown, smooth finish, and orange peel. Skip troweling is applied with a trowel on the area intended. The trowel is lightly dragged to smooth out the surface. On that last phase, what the experts do is to apply uneven pressure with the trowel onto the flat surfaces. This creates the trowel skips they are famous for.
Knockdown is a ceiling spray texture that is placed with a gun and hopper. After the ceiling compound has been taken off, it is then “knocked down.” This means the texture is flattened with a special kind of squeegee. Once applied, your ceiling will look great and its imperfections are hidden.
Smooth Finish may be the most expensive and time-consuming finishes. But, today, this is becoming popular. The smooth finish means that ceilings are smooth and are finished just like any type of wall. What is good about Smooth Finish is that you only need to prime and then paint, plus, your ceiling will look great!
Orange Peel, of course, looks like an orange peel. To achieve this texture, you need to spray a ceiling spray texture with a gun and a hopper. For this style, you don’t need to flatten anything or knock them down. With so much to choose from, you can find something that best fits your style and personality.
2. Why not install beadboards?
Beadboard is gorgeous as a popcorn ceiling replacement because they are made out of individual pieces of wood that have been locked together in a tongue-and-groove fitting. Basically, they are narrow vertical planks that are decorative. To make beadboard look even more beautiful, pair it with chair rails, baseboards, and crown molding. Among the style options available for headboards are traditional, country, victorian, ranch, modern, colonial, arts and crafts, federal, and so much more.
When it comes to beadboards, there are its pros and cons. The good thing about beadboards is that it is faster and less messy compared to drywall installation. You can even go for a natural wood look that you cannot get from other materials. Beadboards also offer a lot of variety in style. The cons? Beadboards are more expensive than drywall and you need people who are highly skilled in carpentry to do the job. Another downside is beadboards can be dark in rooms with low ceilings.
3. Paint Faux Finishes for a touch of sophistication.
What’s great about faux finishes is, you have a lot of options. However, know that before you think of which faux finishing you want, bear in mind that the surface of your ceiling should first be smooth and primed well. Faux Finishes are done by painting in such a way that the design creates nuance and texture. Once you have got that covered, you can choose between faux finishing options: Artisan Metal Leaf, Faux Venetian plaster, color wash, glazing, sponging, stenciling, antiquing, lime washing, pickling wood, verdigris finishing, wood graining, abstract clouds and smoke, metallic ridge, Tuscan faux finish, or hand-painted murals.
Whatever design you choose, faux finishes instantly transforms your home, making it feel brand new. Aside from this technique is affordable and it is possible to do it yourself. But, if you want to have a polished look, hire the pros. Faux finishing is also long-lasting. It does not peel off like wallpaper. You can also update the look by simple touch-ups. Faux finishes are versatile, it can be used to decorate your walls, ceramic and glass surfaces, cabinets, pretty much anything. Finally, faux finishing is attractive to buyers, especially when you consider reselling your home. Just be sure the finishing is done right.