Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Remove all items, including furniture and decor, from the area where you are getting rid of the textured paint.
2

Remove the faceplates around any electrical outlets and light switches by unscrewing the screws that hold them in place. Set these aside outside the room; be careful not to lose the screws. A zipper bag works well to store the plates and screws together.
3

Lay drop cloths down on the floor and tape them in place firmly with wide painter's masking tape. Also tape over the open areas of your electrical outlets and light switches.
4

Put on a dust mask and eye protection. Position a ladder so you can reach the top corner of one wall and try scraping off the texture with a paint scraper or putty knife. Some rough textures scrape off easily without any additional help.
5

Spray a 6-foot-by-6-foot section of the wall with warm water if the texture will not come off with a dry scraping. Let the water soak into the texture for about 15 minutes, and then try scraping again.
6

Paint a layer of gel-type paint stripper onto a 3-foot-by-3-foot section of the wall if the water method doesn't work. Wear chemical-resistant rubber gloves and a respirator, if necessary, and ventilate the room as well as possible. Follow all instructions on the stripper packaging, including how long to let the paint stripper set before scraping, and then attempt to scrape off the texture again.
7

Scrape the wall in sections until there is no more texture paint, applying water or paint stripper as needed. Your end result will be a wall that likely has some flaws and scraping damage. Wait until the wall is dry and free of all water or chemicals before you attempt to patch and repaint.