How to Cover or Insulate Over a Popcorn Ceiling

Textured ceilings, commonly called "popcorn" or "cottage cheese" ceilings, are often the target of many homeowners' displeasure. The texture is said to have acoustical benefits, but mostly these old textures were favored by builders because they reduced the amount of finishing work the drywaller had to do.

For the homeowner, textured ceilings come with many drawbacks. They are cobweb magnets and are hard to clean and difficult to paint, and they reduce the ambient natural light in a room. Also, the textured material in many areas contains asbestos, making removal of the texture or the ceiling problematic and costly. That's why covering up a popcorn ceiling may be the best option. Consider the pros and cons of several DIY-friendly methods to determine the best fit for you.

This method involves installing a complete layer of 1/4-, 3/8-, or 1/2-inch drywall over the popcorn ceiling, screwing the drywall into the ceiling joists above the original ceiling. Adding a new drywall layer also gives you the option of insulating directly over the old ceiling before adding the new drywall.

Prepared ceiling planks are fiberboard planks made especially for this purpose. The planks are installed onto metal channels that are placed over the old ceiling and screwed to the ceiling joists. One well-known product is Armstrong's Easy Up grid system.

This is the "old-school" option: Covering the ceiling with traditional tongue-and-groove wood planks or beadboard paneling that you can buy through any quality lumber supplier. If the old ceiling is reliably flat, you can install the paneling right over the old drywall. But if the ceiling is wavy, start with furring strips of one-by-two-foot lumber, and level the strips with shims to create a flat nailing surface for the planks.

Insulating over a popcorn ceiling helps to stop airflow between living space and an unheated attic space or roof above and can significantly boost the thermal performance of the ceiling. The best material for this application is rigid foam insulation, which comes in several different types and a range of thicknesses. For the highest R-value (insulating value) per inch of thickness, use polyisocyanurate (polyiso, or ISO) rigid panels. Choose polyiso panels without a foil facing, which is designed as an exterior vapor barrier and can create problems in some situations.

• Stud finder
• Pencil
• Rigid foam insulation panels (1/2 inch to two inches thick, as desired)
• Insulation board adhesive
• Insulation knife
• Drywall screws
• Drill-driver
• Scrap plywood and lumber (optional)
• Spray foam insulation (as needed)
• Insulation board seam tape
• Chalk line

Use a stud finder to locate each ceiling joist. Mark the center of each joist at opposing sides of the room. Mark the ceiling first, then transfer the marks onto the adjacent wall, a few inches down from the ceiling. This ensures the marks will be visible after the insulation is installed.

Measure the width of the room, measuring parallel to the joist direction. Divide the measurement by 48 inches (the width of an insulation panel) to determine how many full panel rows there will be. If the remainder is less than about six inches, plan to trim at least six inches from the first row of panels, so you'll have full-width (or nearly full-width) panels in the last row.

Trim the first panel to width, if necessary, using an insulation knife. Apply a wavy bead of insulation board adhesive to the backside of the panel and press the panel onto the ceiling at the beginning of the first row. Tack the panel in place with a few drywall screws driven into the ceiling joists, using a drill-driver. Alternatively, you can use scrap plywood and two-by-four-foot boards (used like poles) to press the panel against the ceiling until the adhesive sets up.

Repeat the same process to install the remaining panels. Push the panels tightly together and snugly against the walls on all sides. If there are gaps, you can fill them with low-expanding spray foam insulation (such as Great Stuff).

Cover the joints between panels with a panel insulation tape recommended by the manufacturer. This is to create an air seal between the panels; it is not needed to create a vapor barrier.

Snap chalk lines across the installed panels to mark the centers of the ceiling joists. You will use these as guides for driving screws when installing the new ceiling drywall. With a helper, stretch the chalk line between opposing marks on the side walls, then snap the line over the paneled surface to create continuous reference lines.

Note: When installing the drywall, fasten the drywall panels with long drywall screws (or deck screws) driven through the insulation panels and old ceiling and into the ceiling joists.