How can I remove acoustic-style texture from my home's walls?

bash_bob

I have a 1960s home here in the midwest and I am looking at getting rid of all of the popcorn walls, but this is starting to become a nightmare. I have watched numerous videos where others are just using scrapers. I've even tried drywall sanders and no luck. It is like a super thin layer of popcorn and underneath it's just a pink wall that crumbled really easily. I'm unsure how I can fix this issue unless I have to tear the walls down completely.

Originally asked by InvestedLabs on Stack Exchange (diy) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Removing popcorn is usually easy to do, ( but very messy) by wetting with a spray and scraping off. However yours is painted and that will not work. As others said you could cover with 1/4" drywall. That could cause problems with door trim and screw up dimensions and such. What I have done is skim over the surface with drywall compound, then spray on a more modern texture like orange-peel. Prime and paint when dry. The process is simple. Using an 8 or 10 inch drywall knife spread compound, (I like using "all purpose") on the wall starting with the bottom and applying it moving up to about mid wall, then from the ceiling down. This leaves only a line near the middle and a slight line between...

Full answer by RMDman: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/317044 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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