After the popcorn ceiling has been removed and the necessary repairs to the ceiling and drywall are performed, we are now ready for the final stage in this transformative process.  This is the process in which the final surface will be revealed.  The goal is to create a ceiling that will accept the primer and be painted to its finished texture.

As you can see from the previous steps, removing the popcorn will not create a nice flat ceiling.  There are many repairs that need to be completed during Step 2.  We will ensure these areas are completed before the primer and paint is installed.

The amount of repair work will depend on the condition of the existing ceiling.  Some ceilings will need a lot of preparation work and some will just need a few minor fixes. 

Creating a Smooth Ceiling Surface

A final skim coating will create an additional coat of surface correction.  The thin compound is spread over the roof to smooth out any imperfections.  This layer is done when the popcorn layer was used to smooth over the roof. 

After the joint compound has been allowed to dry, the areas can be sanded and inspected for a smooth finish.  The sanding will help level the entire surface.  The joint compound and sanded area will also remove any ridges or other imperfections within the drywall areas.

The patching and sanding applies to the entire roof area.  In the previous stage, we were fixing localized problems, but the patching and sanding is needed to ensure the entire roof is flat.  We have found that a patch might look ok by itself, but it needs to be patched into the surrounding areas to create a nice clean finish.  Our goal in this step is to create a ceiling that looks the same throughout the entire surface.

As we move along with this step, we might have to patch and sand and then patch and sand multiple times to get the surface prepared properly.  We must take this time to prepare the surface to prevent any long lasting imperfections from carrying into the final painted product.

Preparing and Painting the Ceiling

When the priming and sanding process is complete and the ceiling is completely flat, the surface is finally prepared for painting.  Before the paint, we must use primer.  The primer attaches to the drywall surface and then the paint will attach itself to the primer.  This will provide a nice clean slate for the paint to be applied.

After the primer is installed, we are now free to paint the ceiling to create its final appearance.  When we arrive at this stage, we have come to value the amount of work that took place in the previous stages.  Paint is the final thing that the homeowners see, but it is the previously completed foundational work that allows for the paint to be displayed in the most appropriate way.  Proper removal, drywall repair work, and surface preparation all contribute into the final result.

Some homeowners don't always want a completely smooth drywall finish.  Others will want an improvement for the ceiling texture.  The same principle that has been at place throughout the project will apply.  We will do the foundation work correctly and apply the proper finish.

This will finally complete the process that began with the initial removal of the surface.  The result was much more than just removing the popcorn.  We also fixed many repairs that should have been fixed years ago.  We then prepared the surface.  Finally, the surface was painted, creating a new and exiting experience for the space.