Asbestos-tested · Smooth-finish ceilings · Year-round

Popcorn ceiling removal in North Bay, done safely and dust-controlled.

Mandatory asbestos testing on every pre-1990 home. Full furniture protection, zip-walls, and HEPA vacs. Skim, prime, and two coats of Benjamin Moore or Dulux ultra-flat ceiling paint. 1-year written warranty across a 45-mile radius.

Get Free Estimate Call (705) 482-1142

Asbestos-tested pre-1990

Fully bonded + insured

WSIB covered

1-year warranty

Benjamin Moore + Dulux

Zip-wall dust containment

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Free popcorn ceiling estimate

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Home built before 1990?

Project details

No obligation · Asbestos-safe · 1-year warranty

Popcorn ceiling removal · North Bay, Ontario

Smooth-ceiling specialists serving North Bay since 2016.

Popcorn ceiling removal in North Bay typically costs $2 to $4 per square foot, with most projects landing between $1,500 and $5,000+ including dust containment, scraping, skim coat, primer, and two coats of Benjamin Moore or Dulux ultra-flat ceiling paint. North Bay Painting Services has been removing popcorn ceilings across a 45-mile radius from North Bay since 2016, including Callander, Corbeil, Sturgeon Falls, Powassan, and Mattawa. Because popcorn texture sprayed before 1990 may contain asbestos fibres, we require lab-verified asbestos testing on every pre-1990 home before scraping begins — samples go to a certified Ontario lab such as Pinchin or EMSL Canada. Every project is fully bonded, fully insured, and WSIB covered, and backed by a 1-year written workmanship warranty. Owned and operated by Ahmed Khalil, owner and lead painter.

Popcorn ceiling Stipple ceiling Asbestos testing Pinchin EMSL Canada Skim coat Joint compound HEPA vacuum Zip-wall Benjamin Moore Dulux Ultra-flat 1-Year Warranty WSIB Covered Ahmed Khalil

Built before 1990? Asbestos testing is mandatory before we scrape.

Popcorn ceiling texture sprayed onto Canadian homes between roughly 1950 and 1990 was commonly mixed with chrysotile asbestos fibres. Disturbing it without a clean lab result can release respirable fibres into your home — and that is a non-negotiable line for us. If your home was built before 1990, North Bay Painting Services requires a lab-verified asbestos test before any scraping begins.

We collect physical bulk samples from each ceiling area and ship them to a certified Ontario asbestos lab — typically Pinchin or EMSL Canada. Lab turnaround is usually 3 to 7 calendar days. If results come back negative, we mobilize the crew and start the project on schedule. If results come back positive, we will not scrape — Ontario regulations require a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove the material first. Once abatement is documented and complete, we return to skim, prime, and repaint. This is a safety guarantee, not a friction point: it's how we make sure you and your family are never standing under disturbed asbestos.

What's included

Every popcorn ceiling job. Same scope. Same standards.

From containment to final coat, our process is identical whether you're doing one bedroom or the whole upper floor. Prep, lab testing, and warranty are all built in.

Asbestos testing (pre-1990)

Bulk samples to Pinchin or EMSL Canada. Written lab report before mobilization. Non-negotiable on any home built before 1990.

Furniture protection

Removed or consolidated to centre of room. 6-mil poly drop sheets taped to baseboards. Heavy items covered in place.

Zip-wall containment

Floor-to-ceiling plastic barriers at every doorway. HEPA-filtered vacs run during sanding. Dust stays in the work zone.

Light-mist scrape

Wide-blade scrape after a controlled water mist softens the texture. Falls in heavy clumps, not airborne dust.

Skim coat (1–2 passes)

Joint compound applied across the full ceiling. Second pass on uneven substrate. Sanded to a smooth Level 4 finish.

Stain-blocking primer

Full-coverage primer to lock in any tannin, water, or nicotine stains and create a uniform topcoat surface.

2 coats Benjamin Moore or Dulux

Ultra-flat ceiling paint — Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling or Dulux Diamond Ceiling. Hides imperfections under direct light.

1-year written warranty

Cracking, peeling, blistering, or skim-coat failure on our workmanship — we come back and fix it. Written, not verbal.

Who we paint for

Who hires us to remove popcorn ceilings.

Most of these projects share one feature: a dated 1970s, 1980s, or early-1990s home that's about to become something modern.

1970s–1990s homes

Original popcorn from the era it was specified. We test for asbestos first, then deliver the smooth ceiling the home was supposed to have.

Basement renovations

Most basement ceilings in North Bay are textured. As part of a basement reno, we remove popcorn before the new lighting and trim go in.

Dated bedrooms + living rooms

Single-room popcorn jobs that punch way above their weight. Removing texture from one bedroom often makes the rest of the home feel newer overnight.

Real-estate prep

Realtors call us when a North Bay listing is being held back by 1980s ceilings. We coordinate timing with your agent and stagers.

Pre-listing renovations

Whole-home smooth-out in the 30 days before MLS photos. Bundled with interior repaint, it's the highest-leverage upgrade most listings can make.

Full-home repaints

The natural moment to remove popcorn — the room is already covered in plastic. Pairs with our interior painting scope.

Transparent pricing

Real popcorn ceiling ranges. No hidden markup.

Every estimate is free and on-site. We give you a firm written quote with the lab fee broken out separately — not a guess over the phone.

Per square foot

$2 – $4

scrape · skim · prime · 2 coats

Single bedroom (10×12)

$1,500 – $2,500

turnkey · 2–3 working days

Living room or rec room

$2,000 – $3,500

larger span · 3–4 working days

Whole-home (6–10 rooms)

$3,500 – $5,000+

7–12 working days

Asbestos test (per sample)

$50 – $150

certified Ontario lab · billed at cost

Skim only (no scrape)

$1.50 – $2.50

per sq ft · post-abatement returns

Ranges reflect 2026 North Bay market pricing for full-prep popcorn ceiling removal. Pre-1990 homes always include lab fees billed separately at cost. Bundle with an interior repaint for shared mobilization savings.

Get Your Free On-Site Estimate

How we work

Eight steps on every popcorn ceiling job.

Same process whether it's one room or the whole house. Asbestos test first, smooth ceiling last.

Asbestos test

Pre-1990 homes only. Samples to Pinchin or EMSL. 3–7 day turnaround.

Furniture + floors

Removed or centred. 6-mil poly taped to baseboards. Zip-walls at doors.

Light water mist

Controlled mist softens texture. Scraping cleaner. Dust drops, doesn't fly.

Wide-blade scrape

Texture comes off in heavy clumps. Drywall paper protected throughout.

Skim coat

1–2 passes of joint compound. Smooth Level 4 finish across the full span.

Sand smooth

Pole-sander pass with HEPA vac running. Mid-job inspection by Ahmed.

Stain-block primer

Full coverage. Locks in old water marks, tannins, and nicotine staining.

2 coats + walkthrough

Ultra-flat ceiling paint, Benjamin Moore or Dulux. 1-year warranty issued.

Paint products

Benjamin Moore. Dulux. Ultra-flat ceiling spec.

Ceilings are not the place to save money on paint. We use the same brands we trust on every interior project.

Benjamin Moore

Our primary ceiling line

Benjamin Moore is the default for most popcorn ceiling removal projects in North Bay. The Waterborne Ceiling line is engineered for ultra-flat reflectance — meaning skim-coat seams and pole-sander marks vanish under direct lighting. The result is an honest smooth ceiling, not a "tries-to-be-smooth" ceiling.

Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint — ultra-flat, hides imperfections, our default spec
Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec 500 Ceiling — high-coverage option for whole-home jobs
Benjamin Moore Aura — matte, scrubbable, for ceilings that meet wall colour
Benjamin Moore Natura — zero-VOC for nurseries and asthma-sensitive households

Dulux

Our secondary ceiling line

Dulux is our second specification line for popcorn ceiling work. It gets called in on rental turnovers, basement renos with budget caps, and any time the homeowner already has Dulux trim and walls locked in. Easy to source from the Dulux store in North Bay for top-ups and warranty visits.

Dulux Diamond Ceiling — ultra-flat, scrubbable, hides skim-coat seams
Dulux EZ Ceiling — high-coverage budget spec for rental turnovers
Dulux Lifemaster Zero-VOC — schools, daycares, children's bedrooms
Dulux Diamond Matte — when ceiling colour matches wall colour

Service area

We remove popcorn ceilings across Nipissing, Ontario.

North Bay Painting Services covers popcorn ceiling removal across a 45-mile radius from North Bay, including all 17 communities below. Absentee cottage owners along Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake, Lake Nosbonsing, Callander Bay, and the Mattawa River — we act as your single point of contact, coordinate the asbestos lab, and send daily photo updates so you never have to drive up to check progress.

North Bay Callander Corbeil Astorville East Ferris Chisholm Township Bonfield Redbridge Nipissing Village Powassan Sturgeon Falls Field Trout Creek Cache Bay Verner South River Mattawa

What customers say

4.9 stars across 47 Google reviews.

A selection of what North Bay homeowners have said about our popcorn ceiling work.

1978 home with original popcorn in every room. They tested for asbestos first — came back negative — and then scraped, skimmed, and repainted the entire main floor in nine days. Place feels twenty years newer.

Dave J.

North Bay · Whole-home popcorn removal

Pre-listing reno on a 1985 bungalow in Powassan. Realtor said the ceilings were the single biggest thing holding it back. Smooth-finish in three rooms, repainted the rest. Sold ten days after photos.

Janet M.

Powassan · Pre-listing prep

Asbestos came back positive. Ahmed was completely upfront about it, helped us find a licensed abatement contractor, and came back the day after they were done to skim and paint. Felt safe the whole way.

Sandra L.

Callander · Post-abatement skim + repaint

Frequently asked

Popcorn ceiling questions, answered.

Still have one? Call (705) 482-1142 any time.

How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in North Bay?

Popcorn ceiling removal in North Bay typically costs $2 to $4 per square foot, with most single-room projects landing between $1,500 and $2,500 and whole-home projects landing between $3,500 and $5,000+. Pricing includes furniture protection, dust containment, scraping, one or two skim-coat passes, sanding, stain-blocking primer, and two coats of Benjamin Moore or Dulux ultra-flat ceiling paint. Asbestos testing for any home built before 1990 is billed separately at lab cost (typically $50–$150 per sample) and is non-negotiable before any scraping starts.

Does my ceiling need asbestos testing?

If your home in North Bay was built before 1990, yes — asbestos testing is mandatory before North Bay Painting Services will scrape a single square foot of popcorn ceiling. We send physical samples to a certified Ontario asbestos lab such as Pinchin or EMSL Canada, and we wait for the written lab report before mobilizing the crew. If results come back positive for asbestos, we will not scrape — Ontario law requires a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to do that work. Once abatement is documented and complete, we return to skim, prime, and repaint. Homes built in 1990 or later do not require testing.

How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?

A single-room popcorn ceiling removal in North Bay typically takes 2 to 3 working days from setup to final coat: one day for masking, scraping, and the first skim-coat pass; one day for sanding, second skim, and primer; and one day for the two finish coats and walkthrough. A whole-home popcorn ceiling project across 6 to 10 rooms usually runs 7 to 12 working days. Add 3 to 7 calendar days at the front end for asbestos lab turnaround if your home was built before 1990.

Can you remove popcorn ceiling without making a mess?

We cannot guarantee a literally dust-free job — popcorn texture is by definition dusty when you scrape it — but we can guarantee the dust stays in the work zone and not in your living space. Every popcorn ceiling project starts with full furniture removal or centre-of-room consolidation, 6-mil poly floor covering taped to the baseboards, and zip-wall plastic barriers from floor to ceiling at every doorway. We light-mist the texture with water before scraping so it falls in heavy clumps instead of airborne dust, and our HEPA-filtered vacuums run continuously during sanding. You can stay in the rest of the home during the work.

Should I just paint over my popcorn ceiling instead?

You can, and sometimes it makes sense — especially if the texture is in good shape, the home is post-1990, and you only want a colour refresh. But painting over popcorn locks in the dated 1970s look, makes future removal harder because the paint seals the texture against water mist, and does nothing for resale value. Real-estate agents in North Bay consistently tell us smooth ceilings add more perceived value to a listing than a coat of paint ever will. If your goal is to modernize the home or prep it for sale, removal beats paint-over every time. We're happy to quote both options at the same on-site visit.