Our house was built in the 1930s, but there’s an 1980s addition on the back. And they did the popcorn ceiling effect. It was hideous, as most popcorn ceilings are. But it’s also forgiving. Our plan originally was to scrape away the popcorn, but we soon realized that wouldn’t work (there were countless layers of paint over it). So instead we created a beadboard ceiling.
A few things we learned – the cheap, pliable, paperboard “beadboard” they sell in the stores and say you can use on the ceiling doesn’t work. Or at least it doesn’t work on ceilings that aren’t perfectly level and flat. The popcorn, and the age of our house, prevented us from using it. (Frankly, it also looked very fake. I suppose it would be OK on a very high, two-story-ceiling because it wouldn’t be so obvious.)
So I went back to the store and purchased real pine boards. It was much more pricey, but the end result was worth it. I think you’ll agree.
The finished ceiling
Furring strips attached to the joists hold the planks.
