PROJECT STORY · FROM THE STRATALINE ARCHIVE · 2017
The 2017 Popcorn Ceiling Project That Put Our Dust-Controlled Process in The Toronto Star
In 2017, The Toronto Star featured this Mississauga condo while we used vacuum-connected sanding and containment to remove painted popcorn ceilings in an occupied home.
- Year
- 2017
- Location
- Mississauga, Ontario
- Property
- 1,200 sq. ft. condo
- Ceiling
- approx. 750 sq. ft.
- Project
- painted popcorn removal and complete refinishing
- Challenge
- keeping an occupied home exceptionally clean
- Work
- containment, vacuum-connected mechanical sanding, correction, skim coating where needed, painting and pot lights
- NEED A SIMILAR CEILING DONE?
Why the ceiling mattered
Why painted popcorn required a different approach
In 2017, we removed painted popcorn ceilings in Mark Dejczak’s 1,200-square-foot Mississauga condo while his family stayed at home. The Toronto Star covered the job, reporting that approximately 750 square feet of ceiling needed work.
Paint had hardened the texture, making it difficult to soften and scrape. We used vacuum-connected sanding with containment around the furnished rooms.
The vacuum-connected process featured in the newspaper
The technical process
How the vacuum-connected system worked
A Festool PLANEX sander connected to a dust extractor collected material at the ceiling as it was removed. Plastic sheeting enclosed the work area below.
We repaired and skim coated the exposed ceiling where needed, then primed and painted it. Pot-light work was completed before the final finish. The Star reported that Strataline had invested approximately $5,000 in the sanding and extraction equipment in 2017.
The Toronto Star reported
What The Toronto Star reported
The August 26, 2017 article appeared under the section label CEILING RENO. It was written by Ian Harvey, Special to the Star, and described Strataline as one of only a handful of GTA companies specializing in textured-ceiling removal.
Inside the feature
What the article covered
The newspaper covered the vacuum-fitted sander, specialized filtration, containment and the challenge of completing ceiling work while residents remained at home. Its main photograph identifies Nick Splavsky of Strataline using the vacuum-fitted sander and is credited to Maxim Sologub / Strataline Inc. The smaller before-and-after photographs are credited to Strataline Inc.
The painted texture and occupied room before removal
The homeowner's experience
Clean enough to remain at home
The Star reported that Dejczak, a Toronto sound editor, and his family stayed in the condo during the work. The article described the rooms as exceptionally clean at the end of the workday, after the crew removed the containment and left the living space usable.
Finished result
Creating one continuous ceiling
The finished ceiling is smooth and painted around the new pot lights. The furniture and wall displays remain beneath it.
Archival pricing
Historical context: what popcorn removal cost in 2017
For historical context only, The Toronto Star reported Strataline pricing of roughly $6 per square foot in 2017, with some projects lower and small areas higher. The article described a range around $5 per square foot in some cases and $7–$8 per square foot for smaller areas. These archival figures do not represent current Strataline pricing.
Maxim recalls
Some homeowners kept the newspaper for years
I still remember hearing from homeowners years later who had saved the newspaper clipping until they were ready to renovate. One older homeowner eventually contacted Strataline after holding onto the article, a reminder that the feature kept helping people find a cleaner removal method long after publication.
Homeowner takeaways
What still matters from this 2017 project
The project shows the full job: removing painted texture, protecting an occupied room and finishing the ceiling around new lighting.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
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Have painted popcorn ceilings in a finished home?
Strataline can review the ceiling condition, room contents and access requirements to determine the appropriate dust-controlled removal and finishing approach.