If your Calgary home still has popcorn ceilings, you're not alone — thousands of homes built before the 1990s have them. They collect dust, trap odours, make rooms feel darker, and they're nearly impossible to paint evenly. Worse, if your home was built before 1980, that texture may contain asbestos. Removing popcorn ceiling yourself is messy, slow, and potentially dangerous without proper testing. We handle the full process: testing guidance, safe removal, surface prep, and a smooth or re-textured finish that adds real value to your home.
Signs You Need Popcorn Ceiling Removal
The most obvious sign is that you hate the way it looks — and that's reason enough. But there are practical reasons too. Popcorn texture traps dust, pet dander, and cooking residue that's nearly impossible to clean. It yellows over time and makes rooms feel dated and closed-in. If the texture is flaking, cracking, or falling in pieces, the adhesive is failing and it needs to come off before it becomes a bigger mess. If your home was built before 1980, the texture may contain chrysotile asbestos. Disturbing it without testing creates a health hazard. We always recommend professional testing before any scraping begins. If you're planning to sell your home, popcorn ceiling removal is one of the highest-ROI upgrades — buyers notice it immediately.
Our Popcorn Ceiling Removal Process
We start by recommending an asbestos test for any home built before 1980. If the test comes back negative, we proceed with standard removal. The room is prepped with plastic sheeting on floors and walls to contain the mess. We mist the ceiling to soften the texture, then scrape it off using wide blades.
Once the texture is removed, the ceiling is rarely smooth enough to paint. We skim coat the entire surface, sand it to a uniform finish, and prepare it for paint. Depending on your preference, we can leave the ceiling smooth or apply a modern light texture like knockdown or orange peel.
If you also need Ceiling Repair — cracks, stains, or sagging in the underlying drywall — we handle that before the skim coat so the finished surface is flawless. And if you're updating the whole room, our Drywall Finishing services ensure walls and ceiling match perfectly. For larger projects that include ceiling work as part of a bigger update, our Home Renovations service coordinates everything.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal for Calgary Homes
Calgary has a large stock of homes built in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s — particularly in neighbourhoods like Bowness, Montgomery, Brentwood, and Edgemont. Many of these homes still have original popcorn ceilings. In Bowness and Montgomery especially, the housing is older and the likelihood of asbestos-containing texture is higher. We work in these communities regularly and know the building patterns. Homeowners preparing to sell often prioritize popcorn removal because it modernizes the entire look of the home for a relatively low cost. Even in newer areas, we occasionally remove stipple or heavy knockdown textures that homeowners want updated to a smoother finish.
What to Expect
Call us and we'll walk you through the process, including whether asbestos testing is recommended for your home's age. We'll schedule an on-site visit — usually within the same week — to see the ceiling, measure the space, and provide a written quote. Most single-room removals are completed in one day. Larger homes or multi-room projects may take two to three days. We handle all the prep and cleanup. Your furniture stays protected, and we leave the room ready for paint.
Why Choose Us for Popcorn Ceiling Removal
We take asbestos seriously and will not begin removal without proper testing on pre-1980 homes. Our quotes are free, in writing, and include no trip charge. We carry full WCB Alberta coverage and liability insurance. Every ceiling we finish meets our paint-ready standard — smooth, even, and ready for your painter. We handle the mess so you don't have to. All work is completed to Alberta Building Code standards.
Looking for a full overview of everything we offer? Visit our Calgary drywall contractor homepage to see all services.