LESLIE: Susan in Texas is on the line, who doesn’t really have a taste for popcorn when it’s on a bathroom ceiling. Tell us, Susan, how much do you hate it?
SUSAN: Just disliking it comes off the ceiling above the shower.
LESLIE: Yeah because it’s not really a good application in the bathroom.
TOM: Not really a good application for anywhere.
LESLIE: Yeah. And you’ve already accidentally stumbled upon how to get rid of it, if that’s the goal: it’s moisture, actually. And since you’re in the bath, it’s probably getting pretty saturated up there. But generally, when I’ve removed it for a client or during a makeover, I take almost like – you call it a Hudson sprayer; it’s a water pump sprayer that you can use for gardening or painting projects.
And you do kind of have to saturate that ceiling. I mean not tremendously but you want to wet that popcorn and then take a really wide paint scraper and gently and cautiously just go across that ceiling surface. And you’re going to make a big hunk of gathered-up popcorn texture.
SUSAN: OK. What about if you have the sheetrock around the top of a fiberglass shower that looks like it’s got the tape from where the sheetrock was taped, curling backwards when I try to tape that sheetrock?
TOM: Right.
SUSAN: Should I come back in with cement board?
TOM: Well, if your paper tape is separating, then you may need to take that off and replace it. Does that mean that you have to – is there – is this drywall above the enclosure or is it tile?
SUSAN: It’s drywall. Yes, sir.
TOM: OK. So, you can peel off the tape and then re-spackle it or what you could do is you could put another layer of drywall over that. You can use a type of drywall called greenboard, which is water-resistant, and just go right on top of that with a second layer if you’re concerned about the condition of the original layer.
SUSAN: OK. Well, actually, the condition’s really good; it doesn’t get wet up there but I could just see that that tape was peeling. And so if I can try and see if I can go in with some new tape and spackle, that would be great.
TOM: Yeah. Peel off the loose paper tape, replace it with perforated fiberglass tape – which has a grid in it; it’s easier to push the spackle through – and then just flat-tape it right against the edge of the fiberglass and you’ll be good to go.
SUSAN: OK. Perfect. That’s a whole lot easier than I thought.
TOM: Alright, Susan. Glad we could help. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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