You know that old popcorn ceiling staring down at you every morning? The one that makes your whole room feel stuck in 1978? Yeah, we get calls about those every single day here in Vaughan. Just last week, a homeowner in Concord texted us a photo of their living room ceiling with one word: “Help!” After 10 years of removing popcorn ceilings across the GTA, we’ve seen it all, from easy unpainted textures that practically fall off to those stubborn painted-over nightmares that fight you every step of the way.

Here’s what most people don’t realize about removing popcorn ceiling texture until they’re standing on a ladder with a scraper in hand: painted popcorn is a completely different beast than unpainted. That unpainted stuff? It comes off relatively clean with the right dustless equipment. But once someone’s rolled paint over that texture (and in older Toronto homes, they usually have), you’re looking at a much tougher job. The paint seals everything in, making the removal process take twice as long.

Sanding Popcorn with Dustless System – The Game Changer

Remember when your neighbor tried removing their popcorn ceiling and their whole house looked like a flour bomb went off? That’s exactly why we invested in professional dustless sanding equipment. This isn’t some shop-vac taped to a sander, we’re talking about HEPA-filtered systems that capture 85% of dust particles before they ever hit the air.

Our dustless setup connects directly to specialized sanders that eat through both painted and unpainted popcorn texture. The vacuum system creates negative pressure, pulling every particle straight into containment. We’ve done entire ceiling popcorn removal jobs in occupied homes where the homeowners kept working from their home office one room over. Try doing that with traditional methods!

Our dustless setup connects directly to specialized sanders that eat through both painted and unpainted popcorn texture. The vacuum system creates negative pressure, pulling every particle straight into containment. We’ve done entire ceiling popcorn removal jobs in occupied homes where the homeowners kept working from their home office one room over. Try doing that with traditional methods!

The real beauty of dustless sanding shows up when you’re dealing with painted popcorn ceilings. Instead of fighting with scrapers for hours, the sander powers through that painted texture like it’s nothing. Last month, we completed a 2,000 square foot condo popcorn ceiling removal in Vaughan in half the time it would have taken with wet scraping.

What really sets professional dustless systems apart is the consistency. Hand scraping always leaves gouges and uneven spots, especially when you hit those stubborn painted sections. The dustless sanders leave a uniform surface that’s ready for the next step without hours of additional prep work.

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Process

  • Contact Us – Complete an intake form with details about the project.
  • Get a Quote – Once we receive project details, we’ll offer a free, no-obligation quote.
  • Set a Date – Upon acceptance, we will arrange a date for your popcorn ceiling removal Toronto service.
  • On-Site Prep – We’ll prepare the room by covering floors, furniture, walls, and any light fixtures.
  • Dustless Texture Removal – After removal, we prime, paint and conduct a thorough cleaning to ensure we leave your place as clean as we found it.
  • Done!

Our Latest Projects

Before

popcorn ceiling removal

After

popcorn ceiling removal

FAQs

Most bedrooms take 2 days complete – one day for dustless sanding and removal, skimming and drying, and a final day for priming and painting. Larger spaces like open-concept main floors might need 3-4 days.

Yes, we can. However, houses built after 1980 do not contain asbestos, as it was banned in Canada in 1979. Read more about asbestos in popcorn ceiling here.

Yes, the condo ceiling will require some additional work due to its thickness, but can handle it.

No, we don’t wet the ceiling for popcorn ceiling removal in Toronto. We use sanders connected with a vacuum with a HEPA filter to collect dust and minimize mess in your home. Watch the video here to see the process of popcorn ceiling removal

Our system captures about 99% of dust, but we still cover flooring, electronics, furniture etc. Some parts like edges, rounded corners we have to sand by hand so we create some mess.

Unpainted popcorn sands off easier, taking less time. Painted popcorn requires more aggressive sanding, and typically costs 30% more to remove due to extra labour and materials needed.

With our dustless containment system, yes! We seal off work areas completely. Many clients stay home during the project, though some prefer to be out during the actual sanding hours for convenience.

You can quickly check if a popcorn ceiling has been painted by gently scraping a small spot with your fingernail. If the texture is soft, chalky, and easily crumbles off, it’s likely the original unpainted finish. But if the texture feels hard, doesn’t scrape away easily, and looks more uniform in colour or slightly shiny, then it has already been painted and sealed.