Popcorn Ceiling Removal · Based in Highland Park
Popcorn ceiling removal across Chicagoland, with the dust kept contained
Dated texture removed, the ceiling repaired and skimmed smooth, and the rest of your home kept clean while we work. Based in Highland Park, serving the North Shore and Chicagoland.
What Removal Involves
Scraping the texture off is only half the job.
A popcorn ceiling dates a room. Removing it is one of the quickest ways to bring a space forward, and it's the part most people put off because of the mess.
We seal off the room, protect floors and furniture, remove the texture, then repair and smooth the ceiling to a clean, modern finish. Your home stays livable while we work.
What It Involves
How the texture comes off
Popcorn texture was sprayed on, so it comes off in stages, not in one pass. We contain the room first, then remove the texture, repair what's underneath, skim the ceiling smooth, sand it flat, and prime it so paint goes on evenly.
A smooth ceiling shows everything, so the skim coat matters more than the scraping. We refine it by hand until the surface reads clean in daylight.
Before You Book
Asbestos testing before removal
Popcorn ceilings applied before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos. That is a question for a lab, not a guess. We raise it at the walkthrough, and testing is arranged by the homeowner through an independent lab that reports the result to you. We do not sample it, and we do not scrape, sand or wet a suspect ceiling until a clear result is in hand or a licensed abatement contractor has finished. If it comes back positive, that work is theirs, not ours, and we come back afterwards.
Once that's settled, we give you a clear timeline with your written estimate, including the drying time between coats.
What Comes Next
A smooth ceiling deserves a fresh coat
Once the texture is gone, the ceiling is primed and ready. Most homeowners take the chance to repaint the ceiling, and often the walls, while the room is already protected and the crew is already there.
That's our ceiling painting and interior painting work, done as one project with one crew.
North Shore Homes
Older ceilings hide more under the texture
In older North Shore homes, popcorn texture often sits over plaster or early drywall, and the ceiling underneath is rarely perfect. We plan for repairs as well as removal, and match the finish to the rest of the room.
We work in Highland Park, Highwood, Deerfield, Glencoe, Lake Forest and across the North Shore, and travel throughout Chicagoland for the right project.
How We Work
What to expect
Free Estimate
We look at the ceiling, ask when it went up, and give you a clear written quote.
Seal & Protect
The room is sealed off, floors and furniture covered, dust kept where it belongs.
Remove & Smooth
Texture removed, the ceiling repaired, skimmed and sanded flat.
Prime & Walkthrough
Primed and ready for paint, the room cleaned and reviewed together.
Why Gallagher
Dust kept in its place
Popcorn removal is messy work. Our whole approach is built around keeping that mess in one room and out of the rest of your home.
Request a Free EstimateFamily owned, with our own crew
A Gallagher quotes your project and stays across it. The crew doing the work is ours.
Dust kept in its place
We seal the room, protect floors and furniture, and clean up every day, so your home stays livable while we work.
What is under the texture
What's under the texture is rarely perfect. We repair, skim and sand until the ceiling reads clean in daylight.
Fixed estimates
A written quote covering the removal and finishing work we do. Testing, and any licensed abatement it leads to, is separate and settled before we start.
Recent Work
Recent ceilings
Kind Words
Trusted by neighbors across Chicagoland
Good to Know
Popcorn ceilings, answered
Still wondering about something? We are happy to talk it through.
630-300-3071Can popcorn ceilings be smoothed?
Yes. That's the whole job. We remove the texture, skim the ceiling smooth, sand it flat and prime it, so it reads like a new ceiling once it's painted.
Is it a good idea to remove a popcorn ceiling?
If the texture dates the room, collects dust or hides damage, yes. A smooth ceiling makes a room feel taller and brighter, and it's far easier to repaint and keep clean. If you're planning to repaint anyway, it's the right moment.
How can I tell if my popcorn ceiling has asbestos in it?
You cannot tell by looking. Ceilings sprayed before the mid-1980s may contain it, and the only way to know is a lab test of a small sample. The homeowner arranges that through an independent lab, so the result comes straight to you. We do not take the sample, and we do not scrape, sand or wet a suspect ceiling until the result is clear or a licensed abatement contractor has finished.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?
It's priced by the size of the ceiling, the condition underneath, and whether you'd like it painted afterwards. After a short walkthrough we send a detailed, fixed estimate.
Will there be dust through the house?
No. We seal off the room and protect floors and furniture before we start, and we clean up every day. Your home stays livable while we work.
Part of the Whole
This is part of our drywall repair and prep work. Related: ceiling painting, skim coating, interior painting. See everything we do. Based in Highland Park, working across the North Shore and Chicagoland: see the areas we serve.
Let's Begin
Tell us about your project
We will come out, look at the work with you, and send a written estimate with the scope set out. There is no charge and no obligation.