Texture-sprayed ceilings
with the appearance of "popcorn" or "cottage cheese" are
very difficult to keep clean; cobwebs and dust around
vents can be removed by holding the wand of a vacuum about
an inch from the surface of the ceiling; however, more
forceful action such as sweeping can remove the loose
"popcorn" like texture. If an acoustic ceiling is
discolored from age, however, there is really no way to
"clean" it.
It's not recommended to roll paint on an acoustic ceiling,
as it is very porous. It will absorb a great deal of paint
and it's nearly impossible to achieve even coverage.
Often, the entire layer of the "cottage cheese" texture
will come right off on the roller, leaving a bare strip of
drywall.
The most efficient way to paint a textured ceiling is with
spray paint -- a flat latex. It's a difficult job, best
left to a professional. One possible complication is the
fact that asbestos was widely used in textured ceiling
spray prior to 1980.
Service professionals can usually respray the acoustic
ceilings in the average sized home in less than a day for
about the same price as materials alone to paint it. It is
also possible to have the entire acoustic layer removed
and retextured like the walls, leaving them much easier to
maintain, sweep and paint.
Texture-sprayed ceilings
with the appearance of "popcorn" or "cottage cheese" are
very difficult to keep clean; cobwebs and dust around
vents can be removed by holding the wand of a vacuum about
an inch from the surface of the ceiling; however, more
forceful action such as sweeping can remove the loose
"popcorn" like texture. If an acoustic ceiling is
discolored from age, however, there is really no way to
"clean" it.
