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Learn moreScrape the eighties off your ceilings.
Textured ceilings date a home faster than almost anything else, and they hold dust that no amount of cleaning reaches. We scrape, skim, sand and paint them into smooth, bright ceilings that make every room feel taller.
- Containment
- Room fully sealed
- Finish
- Skim coated and sanded flat
- Homes pre-1989
- Tested before we start
Recent Denver metro ceilings
What a flat ceiling actually looks like.
Finished Helix ceilings across the Denver metro, shot on site once the containment came down. Click any photo to open it full size.
More than scraping
Anyone can scrape a ceiling. The work that decides whether it looks finished or looks damaged is what happens after: skim coating the seams, sanding it smooth, priming it properly and painting it evenly.
It is also genuinely messy work, so containment is most of the job. We seal the room off, protect everything that stays, and keep the dust out of the rest of your home. The space needs to be vacant while we work, and we do not normally move furniture back in unless you ask us to.
How ceiling removal runs
A single room is usually a day or two. Whole-home ceilings run about a week including drying time.
- 1
Assess and quote
We measure, check the home's age, look at the condition underneath, and give you a written number by square footage.
- 2
Seal the room
Plastic containment, floor protection, fixtures removed or masked, and the rest of the house closed off.
- 3
Scrape and skim
Wet scrape the texture, then skim coat the seams, dry and sand. From there we leave the ceiling flat or texture it to match the rest of your home.
- 4
Prime, paint and clean
Ceiling primer and finish coats go on, containment comes down, and we leave the room cleaner than we found it.
See how much brighter a flat ceiling feels
Free estimate, priced by square footage, with no surprises once we start.
Free estimates · No obligation · Response within 1 business day
What ceiling removal includes
One crew, one schedule, and a ceiling that looks like it was always meant to be flat.
Containment and protection
What every Helix project comes with.
- Free estimates
- No-Surprise Guarantee: what we quote is what you pay
- Clear, transparent, daily communication
- Always on time
- Locally owned and operated
- Only high-quality products
- Thoroughly screened painters
- Current with the latest industry safety practices
- We cover and protect furniture and carpets
- Complete cleanup after the project
“Helix Painting has been our go-to company for exterior projects for years. Their teams combine technical proficiency, effective communication, reliablility, detail orientation and respect for the property.…”
“Our HOA hired Helix Painting to paint the Gate House, light posts, and fence in our small, gated neighborhood. From the initial Estimate to project completion, their communication was 100% professional. We were pleased with the results.…”
Ready to lose the popcorn?
Book a free estimate and we will tell you exactly what your ceilings need.
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Which ceilings are we removing?
Questions, answered.
The questions homeowners ask us most about popcorn ceiling removal.
It generally runs about $6 per square foot, with some variation based on ceiling height and how much skim coating the ceiling needs afterward. We measure and give you a written number before any work starts.
Textured ceilings installed before roughly 1989 can contain asbestos. If your home is from that era we require a negative asbestos test before anyone scrapes anything. We refer out the testing itself to a certified lab, and we will not disturb a ceiling that has not been cleared.
Scraping makes dust, so containment is the whole job. We seal off the room with plastic, protect floors and fixtures, and clean thoroughly at the end. The rest of your home stays sealed off from the work. The space needs to be vacant while we work, and we do not normally move furniture back in unless you ask us to.
Scraping alone leaves an uneven surface, so we skim coat the seams, let it dry, sand it smooth and prime before painting. From there we can leave it flat or texture it to match the rest of your home, whichever you prefer.
That is the ideal way to do it. Ceilings come first, walls and trim after, so you get one schedule, one crew and one cleanup instead of two separate projects.
See interior house paintingInterior work carries a 1-year workmanship warranty. Exterior work carries a 6, 9 or 10-year warranty depending on the system we use on your home. It is written into your paperwork, not a verbal promise, and if something peels or fails inside that window we come back and fix it.
We are almost always looking for painters, project managers and crew leads who care about doing the job right. Every opening is listed on our Careers page along with an application form, and we read every application that comes in. If you would rather partner with us (nonprofits, community groups and general contractors included), reach out and we will point you to the right person.
See open roles at Helix