Video Of 'Popcorn' Ceiling Removal Is Unbelievably Satisfying

An oddly satisfying video that shows a machine smoothly removing the “pop ceiling” in one go is going viral. The undated video captures a person using a sophisticated machine to remove the bumpy textured ceiling and change it into a smooth surface without causing any residual dust. The “popcorn” ceilings are special textured ceilings that were once popular in USA from the 1950s to the 1980s. The bumpy texture of the ceiling was created by using small particles of vermiculite or polystyrene. These ceilings were popular because they could hide the imperfections over ceilings and had soundproofing properties.

However, they later fell from fashion when people started preferring smooth ceilings. The aforementioned video of the popcorn ceiling clearance was posted on Instagram by the popular page Unilad. Unilaid credited it to a Toranto-based business called Tariq’s Popcorn Removal Dust Free Sanding, Plastering, and Painting. This video has over 19,000 likes since it was posted on Sunday.

In the comments, many people reminisce about having ‘popcorn ceilings’. An Instagram user commented, “This freaking ceiling always popped my balloons as a kid.” Another person wrote, “I actually love the popcorn ceilings. I used to love looking at them and imagining something new; some shape or figure.”

Once upon a time, popcorn ceilings had to be smoothened by sanding them manually. Expressing awe at the new technology, an Instagram user wrote, “I had no idea you could even do that..what is this thing.” Another person observed, “The lack of dust is equally as satisfying as the removal itself.”

However, not all were impressed. An X user commented, “Do you people not literally hear the vacuum and see a flexible vacuum hose attached…. there’s no dust it’s being vacuumed as it’s ground off.” Someone else noted, “Extremely dangerous thing to do. That texture is likely to have asbestos in and creating fine airborne dust is not a good idea.”

Many ‘popcorn ceilings’ that were made before the 1970s used asbestos fibres. However after the USA implemented the Clean Air Act, asbestos fibres were declared as “toxic substances” and subsequently banned from ceiling treatments. Asbestos was declared dangerous after it was found that asbestos fibres can get trapped in the lungs upon inhaling. They can then cause dangerous scarring and inflammation. Asbestos inhalation also causes chronic lung disease called asbestosis and is linked to lung cancer.