[papernpaste]

Hi, all. Been a member but haven't posted much. After all, who could know more than me? lol jk
So, here's the situation: I have to paint someone's townhouse in the immediate future. It hasn't been painted in ten years+. It has "pop-corn" ceilings and it's full of furniture that can't go away...just moved out of the way. The question I need answered from someone with experience is: What is the best (most effective way to attack these ceilings? I thought about Gardz, first, because whatever I put on the ceilings needs to dry fast and seal before finish coating. I usually use a microfiber roller cover to apply Gardz bc it's thinner than water as you all know. I'm concerned about knocking off some of the pop-corn texture and I'm even more concerned about the !&=*^ Gardz-splatter-mess that is going to be created, this way. I need advice. I may even consider the purchase of a HVLP spray outfit just to tackle this if that is suggested.
Okay. I'm over to everything except criticism. :thumbsup:
Thanks

 

[lilpaintchic]

Bag it and Spray it. Pita, but that's the best way by far. If the popcorn itself has never been painted, spraying it is the ONLY way you can do it. Also, unless there are stains (smokers, etc.) Just paint it. No need for primer or Gardz or whatever.

If it has been painted, solid and is not crumbly (stays put if you drag your hand across it) then use either a 1 1/4" superfab (kinda messy to get started, but holds a ton of product)or a crosscut foam. Cross roll it(roll a section then roll that section again in the opposite direction...cross wise.) Have fun. Lol

 

[papernpaste]

Thanks for a quick reply, LPC. I was figuring that was going to come back at me. So, I'm going to have to rent a pod and remove everything...the whole first floor has a common ceiling. I have no/little experience with sprayers and will prob. have to purchase a cheap-but-good-enough-to-do-the-job sprayer and wouldn't mind a suggestion, there, too.
How do you like painting in rainy Seattle?

 

[lilpaintchic]

Thanks for a quick reply, LPC. I was figuring that was going to come back at me. So, I'm going to have to rent a pod and remove everything...the whole first floor has a common ceiling. I have no/little experience with sprayers and will prob. have to purchase a cheap-but-good-enough-to-do-the-job sprayer and wouldn't mind a suggestion, there, too.
How do you like painting in rainy Seattle?

Just rent a pump from home depot or a local paint store.

Contents are a pain but ya do what ya gotta do. Throw it in the middle, leave a spray path and bag it all really well. Or get a pod and save a headache depending on the situation ...
And we're ready to build an ark around here....lol

Btw...if ya spray it, again, cross spray it. Same as rolling. Both directions. No backroll!

 

[Rbriggs82]

Yup spraying is the best way to go. Just cover everything nice and turn off the hvac.

I've rolled them before without a problem too. You have to roll quickly so it doesn't setup and pull off. Another tip is to roll it all first, let it dry good, then cut it in. If you just cut then roll you risk pulling it off around the cut in. The second coat roll the opposite direction.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

 

[papernpaste]

Thanks. I've done a little of this. I know that I can't do with previously painted popcorn. I just needed someone else to nudge me toward the sprayer.

 

[lilpaintchic]

I wouldn't cut it at all. Tape the walls off good and tight and blow it or just roll it out. If you're taping is tight you should be able to run a 9 butted up to the tap and be done with it. Not a fully loaded cuz it'll bleed but at the end just before ya reload. Just my experience..once ya figure out the sprayer (which isn't all that hard) and your technique (u tube) you'll never go back unless you absolutely have to.

 

[RH]

Don't buy an HVLP to try and do this type of thing - you'll be there all day. Rent an airless as has been suggested, or, if you see the need for the further use of one, buy a Graco 390 or 395. They will do this job for you and be around for further projects down the line.

 

[papernpaste]

I'm considering this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Campbell...Turbine-HV210000AV/202869708#customer_reviews
I'm going to have to spray new fencing (over 1100 feet of 1x4 WOOD RAILING) for myself, next Spring. So, it won't go to waist. I can mask with the best of 'em so this looks like the beginning of a plan.
It looks like HD only rents regular airless units.

 

[RH]

I'm considering this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Campbell...Turbine-HV210000AV/202869708#customer_reviews
I'm going to have to spray new fencing (over 1100 feet of 1x4 WOOD RAILING) for myself, next Spring. So, it won't go to waist. I can mask with the best of 'em so this looks like the beginning of a plan.
It looks like HD only rents regular airless units.

You asked for advice for someone with experience, so... I own both an HVLP and a Graco 395 and I tell you; buy the HVLP and try to do this type of stuff at your own peril. HVLPs are good for what they are intended for - smaller, fine finish work. NOT for popcorn ceilings or any type of big surface work. And if I was to buy an HVLP now, knowing what I know, I wouldn't buy anything smaller than a six stage - and never from HD.

And for what it's worth, not a good idea to title your thread with the admonition that you only want people with experience to reply. Most of us here are pros with tons of experience. Stating that in the title of your thread isn't good form and will keep a lot of good people from replying just because they didn't care for the tone of your post. Just saying'.

 

[Rbriggs82]

I'm with RH, buy an airless hvlps can be a pain in the arse to get working right and would be really slow on popcorn.

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[CApainter]

I've painted numerous acoustic ceilings, so I hope I'm qualified to reply. For unpainted, and potentially stained ceilings, I would typically spray a solvent borne primer, like BIN, followed with a flat latex.

I never concerned myself with rolling the ceiling, in an attempt to fill all of the shadowy crevices, because acoustic ceilings look abominable anyways.

Masking off the walls is probably the hardest part of painting acoustic ceilings. But if you have experience draping plastic on walls, it can go very fast. Just remember to apply a vertical anchor of tape ahead of your progress to keep your efforts from collapsing. Also, remove any tension of stretched plastic so it doesn't produce extra weight.

 

[SemiproJohn]

Spray it.

3m hand masker
3m masking plastic (99" by 90')
3m blue tape (1.41" on hand masker)
3m blue tape (1.88" to tape overlapping seams in plastic (unless you're good) and in case you have any other issues, a little larger is easier.
Graco 515 or 517 spray tip.

If you aren't doing all that much spraying, the $300 Graco airless sprayers at HD will easily do this type of job. If you want to spend more, of course you will get a better pump, more GPM.

Mask off/cover absolutely anything and everything besides the walls and floors or you will surely wish you had after spraying.

Good luck.

 

[Repaint Florida]

"Advice needed from someone with experience ONLY"

I have 37+ years full time in the painting trade

in that time i've sprayed, brushed, rolled & spilled a lot of paint

painted interior & exterior

commercial & residential

run crews of 80+ painters for for multi millions dollars jobs

painted hotels, condos, hi rise, theme parks, casinos, convention centers,
homes, warehouses, stores, offices, jails and 1 prison & done my share of volunteer work

hired, fired, supervised & baby sitted painters of all levels

started my own company, built it to run itself with a solid crew while i go fishing when i feel like it

made money, lost money, owed money and had money owed to me

so ... do i qualify to post a answer to your question ? :whistling2:

.

 

[RH]

"Advice needed from someone with experience ONLY"

I have 37+ years full time in the painting trade

in that time i've sprayed, brushed, rolled & spilled a lot of paint

painted interior & exterior

commercial & residential

run crews of 80+ painters for for multi millions dollars jobs

painted hotels, condos, hi rise, theme parks, casinos, convention centers,
homes, warehouses, stores, offices, jails and 1 prison & done my share of volunteer work

hired, fired, supervised & baby sitted painters of all levels

started my own company, built it to run itself with a solid crew while i go fishing when i feel like it

made money, lost money, owed money and had money owed to me

so ... do i qualify to post a answer to your question ? :whistling2:

.

Uh... don't think we have gotten to you on the "to be vetted" list yet. So no. :no:

 

[chrisn]

"Advice needed from someone with experience ONLY"

I have 37+ years full time in the painting trade

in that time i've sprayed, brushed, rolled & spilled a lot of paint

painted interior & exterior

commercial & residential

run crews of 80+ painters for for multi millions dollars jobs

painted hotels, condos, hi rise, theme parks, casinos, convention centers,
homes, warehouses, stores, offices, jails and 1 prison & done my share of volunteer work

hired, fired, supervised & baby sitted painters of all levels

started my own company, built it to run itself with a solid crew while i go fishing when i feel like it

made money, lost money, owed money and had money owed to me

so ... do i qualify to post a answer to your question ? :whistling2:

.

but have you painted any popcorn ceilings?:laughing:

 

[RH]

but have you painted any popcorn ceilings?:laughing:

Good point chrisn. He did sort of dance around that subject didn't he? :yes:

 

[Repaint Florida]

Good point chrisn. He did sort of dance around that subject didn't he? :yes:

just for the record ... i wasn't dancing i was skating around the subject :blink:

after all i im a profesdinole paiter

 

[I paint paint]

just for the record ... i wasn't dancing i was skating around the subject :blink:

after all i im a profesdinole paiter

I like it.

You profess to be a Seminole paiter/waiter.

Profesdinole paiter!!!

:jester:

 

[slinger58]

I think I passed the "experienced" mark a decade or more ago. Other posters here have too, they're just not owning up to it (Repaint did:thumbsup.

Anyhow, don't even consider the HVLP route. You'd probably die from the experience. :yes:

Two things first and foremost:
1. It's gonna take at least twice as much paint as you think.

2. Have an understanding with the client at the very beginning that in the event that some portion of the popcorn ceiling decides to "let go" and hit the floor, you are in no way responsible.

Rolling is more subject to pulling it off, but spraying is no guarantee it won't.
I remember spraying a ceiling in a garage years ago and hearing something hit the floor behind me. It was about a 4' square section of acoustic texture hitting the floor, leaving bare sheetrock behind.

This can happen even when there is no evidence of water damage.

At this point in my "experienced" life, I don't paint popcorn ceilings. :no: