Easiest/Cheapest way to finish ceiling?

[Moe Szyslak]

I finished my basement and did a smooth primed ceiling. It was my first tape/mud job and there are some minor imperfections that can be seen when the sun hits it just right. Looking to sell the home now and want to cover the ceiling with a texture of some kind. The walls have been painted and there are hardwood floors down. No furniture.

What is the easiest/cheapest/clean way to cover the ceiling without making a huge mess?

Anyone want to make a couple bucks on the side?

[Neighbor_guy]

Cheapest and quickest is to blow "popcorn" on it. Especialy since you did a fairly good job of taping in the first place and have primed it. The major work is done, just poly/paper, blow, and go.

It is fairly cheap to get someone in. I have been out of it for so long I wouldn't even know what going rate is... Maybe $.45-.65 a sqare foot?

Look into it and ask around, were are you located in MN? If between the south metro and Milaca, I may be able to stear you one way or another.

[Moe Szyslak]

Your neighbor in Ramsey.

[DREZLER]

If you've never sprayed popcorn before and you don't have any of the tools to do so, it will not be easy nor will it look good. I would probably reccomend skim coating it all (depending on the size) and doing some type of a skip trowel method where you just put all sorts of marks and swirls in it randomly. Otherwise, I own a drywall company in Blaine and could come out with the spray truck myself and cover all the walls and floors with poly and spray that room for you (about $300 -$400). Your biggest problem right now is having the room done because your options are all very messy. But i have done a few hundred of these cover ups and as long as your not a whacko about a little mess it would certainly go smoothly. But I'm headed back to deer camp tonight and won't be back til Sunday. Let me know if your interested.

[nofishfisherman]

Just an idea but have you thought about doing a wood ceiling?

It might be a few bucks more but it would go in neat and clean and it might be a nice upgrade to help sell the house.

I've seen some building supply outlet places that have great deals on hardwood flooring in all varieties. You could check something like that out. Just thinking outside the box a little.

[Surface Tension]

Definitely don't spray popcorn on if you haven't experience with it. Biggest mistake you want to do is a gob job with popcorn. As DREZLER said it'll look like a heck of a mess but thats all stuck to plastic.

I would fix the "minor imperfections". A potential buyer might hate the popcorn, especially if your trying to hide a bad tape job. Use lighting to find those high and low spots, mark them with a pencil. Since you only have primer on, feathering an edge is will be easy and the primer has bite. Use a 12" knife, use your mixer to cream up your top coat or work it on you hawk. You'll use enough pressure to lay a thin coat with feathered edge but not so much pressure that you distorting the knife. After all your filling the area of high to low.

Use an old fine screen on a block with shop vac attached to feather. Prime and see how she looks.

[Neighbor_guy]

Moe,

I dont want to step on Forum Policy and look like I am soliciting, so send me an email and I will send you a name and number, or two. I have a few more questions for you as well.

[bak2MN]

Popcorn is ugly and there is much nicer looking textured ceilings that you can use a nice knock down looks much better than popcorn a little more expensive. Popcorn is for a poor tape job and and in my opinion looks cheap. Not trying to get into a argument with this comment just my opinion. I have built 6 houses for others and 2 for myself and I am not a contractor. Every one of these houses have something different but none have popcorn.

[Neighbor_guy]

It's all personal oppinion, he asked about the easiest and the cheapest. That is popcorn.

In 15 years of painting and taping I can honestly say 90+% of all the lids I textured were "popcorn". Orange peal 5%, nockdown 3%, and smooth being the remaining %. My suggestion is to always match what is in the rest of the house. Unless it can be touched, then Orange peal and Knockdown are better choices, but both of those options require coats (plural) of paint after texture, that means more cost. Many people dont want to deal with the extra costs invoved.

For as many very vocal people who hate it, there are just as many as like it, or just dont care.

[bottomdweller]

I second the knock down. Especially if your looking to sell. Popcorn is really becoming outdated.

[shorefisher]

If you just want quick and no mess you can just add the texture to the can of paint and roll it on. You can buy it anywhere they sell paint. I have used it and it looks just as good as popcorn and cost a few bucks. This will cover up what you are trying to cover up.