Construction bubbies, got a question.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Our house is old. Has plaster ceilings. They have popcorn finish. Wife hates it. She wants to put up that pine tongue and groove wall paneling on the ceiling, like this stuff: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hakwood-5-16-in-x-3-11-16-in-x-8-ft-Knotty-Pine-Edge-V-Plank-Kit-3-Pack-per-Box-8203110/206177481?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D30-Moulding|&gclid=CjwKCAjwlrnNBRBMEiwApKU4PP0EngqgDEpFMuDO-nzVgGyK7UEu92DbUWPnl7o6uYAi9gNnCbDpGBoCxpcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJWy_ejFjtYCFYJ4AQodW-4JjA

 

I figure liquid nails and finish nails into the plaster will hold it up but damnit Jim,  I'm a machinist not a residential construction contractor. 

 

Give me guidance here. I don't wanna sink a few hundred dollars into this only to rip the plaster down off my ceiling. 

[Tonik]

43 minutes ago, CrazySkullCrusher said:

She wants to put up that pine tongue and groove wall paneling on the ceiling.....

Tell her you think it's a great idea and can't wait for her to get started.

Now, if she want's opinions on how best to do it...in order of my preference.

1) Gut the ceiling and do it right.

2) Frame out over the old ceiling making sure your new frame is into solid joists.

3) Attach it to the old ceiling and buy the entire family hard hats, with a few spares for visitors.

[Tonik]

 

2B) Attach the new ceiling straight through the old plaster directly to the joists.

[Gixxus Christ!]

2 minutes ago, Tonik said:

 

2B) Attach the new ceiling straight through the old plaster directly to the joists.

This is what were leaning towards. Deck screw firring strips into rafters and then glue/nail new ceiling onto those.

[MSerfozo]

I would recommend cleaning off the old popcorn first.  I once scraped down a popcorn ceiling with a garden hoe.  No, I'm not talking about my ex-wife.

Much easier than a using a putty knife on a ladder and the crap doesn't fall on your head.

 

[Tonik]

 

The old popcorn might be full of asbestos depending upon it's age. 1977 was the ban on that. So if it is older than that, I would leave it alone.

[Tonik]

7 minutes ago, CrazySkullCrusher said:

This is what were leaning towards. Deck screw firring strips into rafters and then glue/nail new ceiling onto those.

 

That is actually option 2 in my original list.

[Ron505]

If I hated the existing finish that bad, I'd try to scrap it off (as previously suggested), and skim coat the ceiling.  Or new drywall screwed into existing joists (probably end up nailing because the old joists are hard as hell).  But, I prefer light colored ceilings.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Ron505

[Gixxus Christ!]

Popcorn is likely asbestos. It's hard as fuck, like, it ain't coming off like the YouTube videos show. 

[Tonyblaze]

Usually when folks do something like this they also find they need another lighting solution which makes covering up what is there a problem. I didn't put up tongue and groove boards but I did have a popcorn ceiling in a 12x20 living room in a 1942 house that I dropped and replaced with a smooth finish drywall. Seal the room with drop plastic including all vents. Helps if it has an exterior door that you can place an exhaust fan in. You in a tyvex suit and a respirator with N-100 cartridges can drop the entire ceiling with a J-Hook tool in short order as long as you map our any circuitry that is up there. Double bag and duct tape the debris to local landfill. Construction boards, plywood or whatever your favorite base material is will give you an easy installation for those boards otherwise getting a smooth and even look will be hell with an uneven base. Usually people frown on losing ceiling height with a sub ceiling. At least a three person job unless you grab a drywall jack from someplace. Some jobs worth paying for. If it is asbestos you'll need a handyman that is willing to look the other way. Official remediation is costly.  

[Gixxus Christ!]

Ripping the ceiling down isn't an option, it's the only thing keeping the blown in insulation, also likely asbestos, in the attic.

[Gump]

@marlboro man

[bmwnut]

you city-slicker diy people and your deck screws kill me LOL

better call a pro

waiting

[Killer_kaw]

15 hours ago, CrazySkullCrusher said:

This is what were leaning towards. Deck screw firring strips into rafters and then glue/nail new ceiling onto those.

Had good luck with similar projects. Ripped 2x for framing and got everything nice and level. Don't forget support for lighting especially if you plan on a ceiling fan. 

[Gixxus Christ!]

Not planning on a ceiling fan. Turns out My wife is quite clever. She used a magnet on some tap on the end of a pole to locate the nails they used to put up the lath boards and marked them with a sharpie.  Betting she'll be putting firring strips up by the time I get home. 

[serpentracer]

On 9/5/2017 at 2:44 PM, CrazySkullCrusher said:

Popcorn is likely asbestos. It's hard as fuck, like, it ain't coming off like the YouTube videos show. 

umm NO.  it's just plaster.  

[Gixxus Christ!]

2 hours ago, serpentracer said:

umm NO.  it's just plaster.  

I'm sorry, that's incorrect but thanks for playing!!

 

 

Many homes built in the late 1930s through the 1990s have popcorn ceilings or some type of texture applied to the ceilings.

This was before the government discovered that asbestos was a bad thing. According to the EPA, the use of asbestos in textured ceiling paint was banned in 1977. 

 

 

Source: https://www.thebalance.com/should-you-buy-a-home-with-popcorn-ceilings-1798259

[serpentracer]

On 9/6/2017 at 7:33 PM, CrazySkullCrusher said:

I'm sorry, that's incorrect but thanks for playing!!

 

 

Many homes built in the late 1930s through the 1990s have popcorn ceilings or some type of texture applied to the ceilings.

This was before the government discovered that asbestos was a bad thing. According to the EPA, the use of asbestos in textured ceiling paint was banned in 1977. 

 

 

Source: https://www.thebalance.com/should-you-buy-a-home-with-popcorn-ceilings-1798259

Damn.  Never heard of that. We used to have safety meetings at work and one of them was about building materials with asbestos.  Old siding that resembles a pressed wood product has asbestos too.  We were not allowed to cut, drill or remove it.

I had to take the lead safe renovator classes at the university of cincinnati and the whole lead paint stuff is blown out of proportion.  Its only dangerous to children under 5.  To clean the jobsite they said to use swiffers lol

Edited September 10, 2017 by serpentracer

[Gixxus Christ!]

Yeah, apparently before they figured out it killed you in a slow and particularly gruesome and painful way they made fucking everything out of asbestos. The plant I work in is just full of the stuff, as is my attic and my basement, so I'm hoping the beetus gets me first. 

 

I agree the lead remediation is ridiculous. We almost used a contractor to install our replacement windows until we found out what the lead bullshit would cost us and how simple installing vinyl windows is. 

[Tonik]

At our school district we have lots of buildings from that era. Each building has a book that you check before you disturb anything, no hole drilling for cables...nothing until you check the book. If the area you are in is in the book you don't disturb it at all.

Buildings were never tested. Testing is somewhat of a conundrum. To test it you have to disturb it, but you can't disturb it unless you put it in full enclosure and negative pressure and all that. It is far cheaper to just assume everything has it and work around it. Thankfully all those buildings are coming down over the next few years.