Don’t Let the Ceiling Stop You
“I have my great grandmother’s recipe for black beans, all the way from Cuba, and I know how to make those. I’m actually pretty good at it now. But my first time, the beans actually exploded in the pot, so I had black beans just dripping from the ceiling – which is actually a dream come true for most Cubans. It was a nightmare to clean.” –Danny Pino
The ceiling is the most underrated aspect of our dwellings. It holds the walls together and keeps the sky and roof from falling in on us, but we rarely give it much thought other its height, or lack thereof, and its texture.
Nothing screams 1970’s more than textured ceilings. The spackled roses you find in older ranches is called a “stippled ceiling” and it’s created with sheetrock, mud, and a mop. Some of the peaks on the textures are so sharp they can pop a red ballon a child has held on to all day at Six Flags only to see it impaled when she gets home and finally lets the ribbon slide off her wrist. I know that last sentence sounds bitter, but I speak from experience.
The reason for the textured ceilings is money. It was far less expensive to sling mud on the ceiling than to mud it smooth. It’s an art form to watch sheetrockers practice their craft. They walk on stilts made of aluminum and rubber so they can reach the ceiling. Their gait on these metal poles is a mix of dance and athletic maneuvering as they sand the ceiling smooth. White dust mimics a light snow falling in slow motion and creates a dreamy environment while they work to tejano music blaring from dust-covered speakers. It’s beautiful.
Another common texture is the ubiquitous popcorn ceiling. You’ll find this in older homes and apartment buildings. It gets sprayed out of a huge hose and looks like wet cottage cheese. In older homes some of the popcorn ceilings might contain asbestos. The only way to know for sure is to have it tested. Popcorn ceilings can be made smooth by scraping it off. Call us and we can find a contractor for you who can advise accordingly.
Whatever your next ceiling is made of, don’t let it stop you.