I have not done this but have seen it done, if you take a wide scraper this should just come right off. I would wear a mask because depending on how old the popcorn is may have some bad stuff going on like asbestos? I had to paint for a customer who had taken the popcorn off his ceiling and turned out to be quick and painless. My guess is things aren't looking to good under all that popcorn, why would anyone popcorn the walls? Good luck!

This was a popular finish for ceilings in the 60's, 70's, & 80's. To remove (be careful, there might be asbestos - it's best to remove a small amount and have it tested for asbestos, first). Assuming no asbestos, wet a small section of the popcorn ceiling with misted water (keeps dust down and makes it a little easier to remove) and then let soak for about 15 minutes, then scrape. Be sure to put a covering on the floor to catch the mess. If the drywall on the ceiling and walls is not ready to paint, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to get it ready to paint. You can easily do this part, yourself. Again, this makes the presumption that there's no asbestos. If there is, you might be stuck with it and it's not a diy job, because if it's disturbed, it is pretty nasty and frequently causes a type of cancer.

I've removed popcorn ceilings, and it is very easy. JohnRoot5013 was right, just wet it and it comes off with minimal to no effort. (Sometimes just getting the popcorn wet allowed it to get heavy enough to fall by itself, or use a paint scraper and it takes NO elbow grease.) Be prepared to smooth out the drywall joints on the ceilings after removing the popcorn. I've found that most textures are put up to cover a shabby job of hanging drywall. As far as asbestos, I don't suggest doing anything with it except hiring a professional, they are cheaper than any future medical expenses!

Most people hate popcorn ceilings now, so I wouldn't suggest going with that. However, there are other materials you can use to cover ceilings. I'm planning to put tin-looking tiles on my kitchen ceiling, and they seem very easy to apply. Just glue up and paint. They are a light-weight foam or paper product, I think. I haven't done it yet, just investigating at this point. Check out other possibilities. I've seen people put wallpaper and flooring material on their ceilings! As far a texture on your wall, you can easily apply joint compound directly over a wall. I've done it in rooms in two of my houses. Make sure the wall has no cracks or damage, if so, you have to fix those first. Remove all switch-plate covers and outlet covers. After the wall is sound and clean, just slap the joint compound right on the wall with a drywall knife/trowel. I love the rough look of this application, and you can play with it to make it more subtle or more rough, try sponging it, or use other tools/objects to affect the look of the final texture. It won't take long to do just one wall. Make sure that you thin out the plaster around light fixtures and electrical outlets, otherwise you'll have to remove and readjust these, so that the covers will fit back over them. I also try to thin it gradually at the ceiling and where it meets walls that are not having the texture applied. After it's dry (about 24 hours) prime with new contruction primer, then paint as you normally would. Have fun!

There should be listed in your phone book a number of companies that will test a sample of your ceiling. Usually, they'll require you to scrape off a very small portion of ceiling material into a plastic bag and then send it to them. They'll then test it and send you the results. It's usually just a few dollars for this test and the turnaround time is often less than a week. If the results come back negative, then you can remove the popcorn ceiling yourself. (Search for Popcorn ceiling on this site for the "how to"). Be sure you preplan what you're going to replace the "popcorn" with, as you'll need to put on the new texture pretty quickly after removing the old as the ceiling drywall can warp. If the test comes back positive, you'll want to hire a professional to remove this. Do NOT under any circumstances try to remove it yourself. By the way, having lived in Ottawa myself for a while, I know they have these services there as well. If by chance you can't find one in your region, try phoning a local home inspector who should have resources to help you. HOpe this helps! :)