Q: Dear Christopher:

My home was built in the 6os and I've inherited the popcorn ceilings throughout my living and dining room. Is it costly to remove, can I do it myself or can they be painted to sort of disappear? Rachael in Waterford, Connecticut

A: Dear Rachael:

You're not alone on this issue—nubby (sometimes sparkly) popcorn ceilings were once the rage. Why? I haven't a clue accept that it was an easy surface treatment that could be blown through a sprayer to cover all imperfections. In recent years the cry was so great for the removal of this dated treatment that many companies have sprung up nationwide to specifically deal with the issue so you don't have to. They come into your home, drape everything for protection and use a special machine that moistens, scrapes and vacuums off the popcorn ceiling treatment with surprisingly little disruption to the household. The price varies with the square footage but in my opinion is well worth it on so many levels and can be compared to the cost of having a professional deep clean your room's carpets. So that's one option.

The other is to paint the ceilings a few shades lighter than your wall color. The darker the color the less the popcorn will show. To do this, plan on at least two coats of paint and sometime three. The paint should be flat based and applied with a thick fairly dry roller. Too much excess paint on your roller could be too heavy and result in your popcorn treatment becoming too saturated and peeling away from the ceiling—not good, Chicken Little! Apply your first coat sparingly and don't expect full coverage. Let it dry completely according to your paint can instructions. Then apply the next coat and if needed, the third, letting the paint fully dry between all coats.

Q: Dear Christopher:

I recently moved into an older home with that cheap photo-laminate wood paneling through out three rooms of my house. I feel like I'm living in knotty pine hell but I can't afford to remove it what should I do? Caroline in Denver, Colorado

A: Dear Caroline:

In my first home décor shop, I was faced with the same dilemma. I had little money at the time so here's what I did.

1. First, I scrubbed the walls with soap and water. Then with sandpaper and simply the weight of my hand, I re-toothed the faux-wood surface so that it would eventually accept paint.
2. I then used store-bought Tack cloths to remove any access dust.
3. Using a stain-blocking primer, I gave all the walls an even coat. Two products I recommend for non-porous surfaces are B-I-N or Kilz.
4. After letting the primer dry overnight, I paint the walls (two coats) with eggshell (or satin-based) paint.
5. Once dry, I added inexpensive baseboard at the floor, a horizontal chair rail about three-feet up from there and crown molding at the ceiling.

When the project was finished, it gave the appearance of a charming English cottage that my customers raved about. It looked so much like painted pine beadboard that on one ever knew the difference.

 

Q: Dear Christopher:

My wife got an estimate to remove existing wallpaper in our living/dining room and I went ballistic. Can you paint wallpaper? Peter in Virginia

A: Dear Peter:

If the wallpaper is really hung well and there are no signs of it pealing off, the answer is absolutely! To test, take a spray bottle filled with water and spritz it in a few places to see if the paper bubbles or peals away from the wall. If it doesn't, you're good to go. Then with a medium roller apply a thin coat of a stain blocking primer. Let it fully dry then paint like you would a regular wall. Out side of a few seams that will show here and there, by the time the room is decorated, you'll never see 'em. Good luck.