The popcorn acostic ceiling is peeling off around the vents in the ceiling due to moisture from air conditioning and is showing the dry wall. How do I repair the damage to the spots? Not all the vents have this problem just some. Also there was black mold around the outside of some ov the (have since had the ducts cleaned). Can I paint over it? Kilz says not to paint over mold. The mold is not growing.
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The texture can be patched with an aerosol repair like Homax http://www.homaxproducts.com/catalog/acoustictexture.html. This product is sold in many paint and home improvement stores for about $10/can.
The "mold" is more likely just an accumulation of dirt that commonly occurs around ducts. The high airflow invariably carries a fine aerosol dust and dirt and household cooking grease that can condense as it emerges from the duct. Most furnace filters do not stop this fine particulate. There should be no harm in painting, but be aware that the texture is delicate and may be damaged by painting.
Acoustic texture is fairly easy to remove with a small amount of moisture and a broad knife scraper (drywall knife). New or updated texture can then be applied. The stripping is messy, but you might want to consider simply replacing the texture with a knockdown or orange peel texture that is easy to paint. This is expecially inexpensive if you own a compressor and can simply buy a texture hopper gun and pre-mixed texture compound.
The "mold" is more likely just an accumulation of dirt that commonly occurs around ducts. The high airflow invariably carries a fine aerosol dust and dirt and household cooking grease that can condense as it emerges from the duct. Most furnace filters do not stop this fine particulate. There should be no harm in painting, but be aware that the texture is delicate and may be damaged by painting.
Acoustic texture is fairly easy to remove with a small amount of moisture and a broad knife scraper (drywall knife). New or updated texture can then be applied. The stripping is messy, but you might want to consider simply replacing the texture with a knockdown or orange peel texture that is easy to paint. This is expecially inexpensive if you own a compressor and can simply buy a texture hopper gun and pre-mixed texture compound.
