How To Repair Textured Ceiling?

The 70’s was the decade that textured (or stippled) ceilings became popular. All ceilings seemed to be texturized, including bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms. Textured ceilings tend to hold on to dust, dirt, grease and moisture more than flat ceilings, which is often why you see staining on textured ceilings in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens.

If you have moisture damage to your textured ceilings this is something you can repair yourself.

When moisture permeates through drywall or plaster ceilings, the textured finish will normally become loose and flakey. To repair this, it is very important to scrape off all the loose texture back to the area where the drywall is stable. Remove all dust with a damp towel and apply a coat of Weldbond adhesive, diluted 3 parts water to one part Weldbond to the area where the stipple was removed.

When dry, apply a roll coat of Texture Finish, selecting the one to match your existing ceiling texture. This may require two applications if the thickness of the existing ceiling is to be met. Leave for 12 hours to cure. Now the ceiling should be painted using a ceiling paint to give a uniform colour.

Ceiling paints such as Pro Fresh, which is available at paint stores, will give excellent results as it will cover water stains and blend the old with the newly patched area. Before painting, prepare the ceiling by applying a masking skirt paper around the perimeter protecting the walls from the ceiling paint. Paint should be applied with a slit foam roller.

If a stipple patch is required, most paint stores carry a stipple spray or premixed ceiling texture for touch-ups, I suggest you practice on a scrap piece of drywall or cardboard, before you apply to ceiling.

Many people are now trying to figure out how to remove their textured ceilings as their ceilings look aged and dated. As long as the ceiling hasn’t been painted this is also something you can do yourself. To remove textured ceilings simply apply a solution of warm water and a ½ cup of household ammonia to the ceiling using a sponge or a trigger spray bottle. Once it’s saturated the surface becomes very loose and ‘gummy’, at that point you can remove the textured surface with a paint or drywall scraper. Once the texture has been removed you can simply sand and repair the ceiling surface, prime and paint with ceiling paint.

Make sure to wear rubber gloves and protective eyewear.