This post is all about how to cover up a popcorn ceiling with shiplap! Read on below for all of the details!
How to Cover a Popcorn Ceiling
Materials Needed:
- 8″ Wide Primed MDF Shiplap Planks
- 5/8″ x 3″ Trim Boards
- Nail Gun / Compressor
- Nails – 2 1/2″, 16 gauge
- Spackle / Wood Putty
- Paint
Here is how our ceiling looked before, with the popcorn texture…so beautiful. We actually lucked out though because this is the only room that had the popcorn texture! Not really sure why but it was nice to only have one room to worry about.
I knew when we bought this house that I wanted to cover it up instead of bothering with scraping it off. I’m actually surprised that more people don’t do this! First because I LOVE the look of a shiplap ceiling. And second, because it’s so much easier (and cleaner!) than scraping it off!
This project was pretty simple but it is definitely helpful to have at least two people available to help hold up the planks. We bought 16′ long planks, in order to have as few seams as possible, so they were a little difficult to hold.
Other than that it is just like installing a shiplap wall!
To save on material costs, you could use 8″ wide plywood planks (buy a sheet and use a table saw to cut planks to size) and use a nickel to measure each gap. We opted for the shiplap planks though because they are much easier to connect together and install.
We made sure to nail the planks into the studs in the ceiling to make sure they were extra secure and to prevent the planks from sagging.
Once all of the shiplap was on the ceiling, we added a 5/8″ x 3″ trim piece around the perimeter of the room. This was not totally necessary but I think it gives it a nice finished look, and also hides any uneven cuts.
Next we used spackling to patch the seams and nail holes. Once that dries you lightly sand it down to create a smooth finish. You might need to sand and apply another coat sometimes to totally hide the seams.
BEFORE AFTER
We painted the ceiling with the same paint we have used on the other ceilings throughout the house – Sherwin Williams Pure White, flat.
There was originally one bad spotlight in this room as well that we removed. We added 6 recessed can lights and the lighting in here is now so much more even. I’ll also include a link for the recessed LED cans that we used here!
I love them because they are 4″ diameter cans so you barely notice them in the ceiling. They are LED so are energy efficient and will last for YEARS.
They have a switch to select the color temperature, so you can make the lighting cooler or warmer. LED lighting used to be so cool and blue a few years ago so it is really nice to have warmer LED light options now! For reference, we set ours at 3500K.
Also, I highly suggest adding dimmer switches where ever you can! These are the switches we used. Not only do they save energy, but dimmed lights make a room feel so much more welcoming and relaxing! I can’t stand bright lights, especially when we’re hanging out in here at night. I usually have the ceiling cans on, dimmed low, and then a floor or table lamp on as well.
And there you have it! A beautiful popcorn-free ceiling! Hoping this helps give you some inspo for how to cover a popcorn ceiling!
I’m honestly happy that we had a popcorn ceiling in this room because it forced us to cover it up with shiplap! Haha! Without it we probably would have never done this project but I really love how it turned out!
This room feels so cozy and special now! It has really gone through a huge transformation – check out this post to see our fireplace transformation!
This post was all about how to cover a popcorn ceiling with Shiplap
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Cinthia says
I am so happy I came across your post, I’ve been thinking about doing this in my house, even though my ceilings are nice and smooth I think it would add lots of character to our house because it feels like a blank canvas right now. However, we have lots of light fixtures throughout the ceiling, probably around 15 and I was wondering if it was hard to cut the wood around it and how did you guys do it?
Sprucing Up Mamahood says
Yes! We only added the shiplap where we had the popcorn ceiling, but I wish we did it throughout the main level because it adds so much character! We have 7 recessed cans in the ceiling with the shiplap and we measured as we put the shiplap up (marked on the board about where the cans were going to be) and used a jig saw to cut out the circle. It was simple; the hardest part is measuring the make sure you are cutting in the right spot on the board. Overall it was a very simple project though! Hope that helps!
Swati says
Hi it looks sooo beautiful… we have a rancher and popcorn ceiling through out the house … our ceiling is 8 foot … can you please suggest me if it will look nice on 8 foot ceiling ?? I so want to hide it ☹️ Thanks
Sprucing Up Mamahood says
Thank you so much! Our ceilings are also 8 feet high so you should have no issues with that!
Anne says
I am debating between the 6inch or 8inch ship lap boards on an 8foot ceiling and my room looks to be about the same size! Any thoughts?
Sprucing Up Mamahood says
I really like the 8″!
Colleen Morris says
Hello!
I love how this came out for you. And I’m also happy that you showed the picture where the room opens to a larger room with a higher ceiling. I have the same situation and I’m wondering how you managed it. Mine is a little different setup. On one side, where the ceiling to be covered hits the wall, that wall continues into the next room (the living room). On the other side of the opening, there is a wall that separates the living room from the kitchen. (A picture would be more helpful, but I’m not sure how I would do that.) I’m thinking that I’m going to put a 1″x4.5″ (the depth of the wall), but then I’m not sure that it will match with the rest of the molding. From your picture, the molding looks seamless all around the perimeter of the ceiling. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Sprucing Up Mamahood says
Hi! If you could send me a DM with a photo on Instagram I can try to help you out! instagram.com/sprucingup.mamahood
Bobbie says
Where did you buy your shiplap from ans whatvis the thickness of the planks?
Sprucing Up Mamahood says
We got it from Home Depot … I think it was this one – https://rstyle.me/+bYmkqAbHQ7l4K5W493vQLg