You can cover the walls with plastic and spray away. Just run some blue tape along the perimeter of the wall where it meets the ceiling and then drape some plastic sheeting from that. It is also possible to roll those ceilings with a heavy nap sleeve if you don't mind painted popcorn in the eyes. If the popcorn has never been painted before there is a chance that rolling it could make it come off in sheets though (which is really the reason we like to spray them).

IMO, you would be best off removing it

If you must use a roller, get one of these (see link). I painted my popcorn ceiling this week, and that roller was like magic. I painted a color over white, and I needed to do two coats, but just barely.

I have painted the ceiling once before, however, so I didn't get a lot of popcorn in my eyes - just paint spatter.

Here is a link that might be useful: popcorn roller

Thank you so much for your help!

Just an FYI - there was a trend about 20 or so years ago to make your own popcorn by throwing sand into a can of paint. LOL

I think that's what I have in the back hall (no where else). It's thinner with the popcorns spread out farther and grittier.

Saves working on that asbestos problem.

Before you do anything, you should scrape off a piece and send it to a lab to be tested for asbestos. If it's from the '80s, then you are probably safe; if the '70s, then probably not.

If it has asbestos and you want to keep it, then painting it is good as it will seal in the asbestos and help prevent flaking. You'd be safest to spray, though, not roll, as rolling can release some asbestos. Like another poster said, you could cover the walls with plastic if you don't want to paint the walls just yet.

If it doesn't have asbestos, then, yeah, you could use a roller.

Personally, I'd want to get rid of it. I wish I could get rid of mine but it's going to cost a lot to hire a pro to do it, so we're putting up with our popcorn for now.

Personally, I'd want to get rid of it. I wish I could get rid of mine but it's going to cost a lot to hire a pro to do it, so we're putting up with our popcorn for now.

No need for a pro, this is probably the easiest job there is, except for the mess. Just spray it with hot water and scrape it off .As long as you keep it wet the asbestos is not an issue. It is unlikely to have it anyway.

Christophern, Thanks. I did have ours tested, though, and it is well above the limit for asbestos. Also, we did start scraping it off and it was NOT easy. I am not a quitter, but I just couldn't finish it. It was too hard to keep it wet, and also the fact that the ceiling had been spray painted made the stuff harder to remove. I know that when it's never been painted that it comes off really easy, but ours was not like that, and working overhead was so hard. Sometimes I think about trying again, though. I have removed it from the ceilings inside our closets where it hadn't been painted. It came off really easy, but what a mess. Despite my best efforts to keep it wet, and also with having it drop into a baking pan that I'd filled with water, it still got everywhere. I HATE THE STUFF ! :0(

I did not realize it had been painted, sorry

What's the proper way to dump the popcorn? Thanks.