apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow - beautiful. You say it's flat - hopefully they just put up drywall and then popcorned it? If so, that shouldn't be hard to rip down. If they plastered directly onto the brick, that's a different story.

Ugly?? Looks like an amazing space! I'd love to know more about it...I've been looking to purchase a place myself. Mind if I ask where it is?

Good luck with your home! Keep in mind these things take time, money and energy, so keep a list of manageable sized tasks to take on one at a time to save you from that sinking feeling.

As for the ceiling, call a contractor, preferably 4, and ask for an on-site evaluation and a price quote. It won't cost you anything, and you'll get a better idea of how it would happen. This is how these guys sell their services, so don't feel like you're wasting their time.

Please, please send in after pictures... sounds like you have a diamond in the rough.

Find out when the ceiling was pop-corned. Some spray-applied ceiling textures from the 1960s & 1970s contain small amounts of asbestos. If so, removal will be more costly. Talk to your neighbors & check your disclosures (though I don't kn ow how that works in NY). If you do have some asbestos-containing material, don't freak out -- it's not hazardous if it's maintained properly in place, or if it's properly removed. Check out governmental websites for current information & recommendations, and don't get caught up with other more alarmist sites -- asbestos is a very contentious topic, and there's a lot of misinformation about it. (The vast majority of asbestos-related injuries are from industrial workers or applicators with massive exposure.)

Have you called a contractor to come and look at the situation? Have you tried removing any of it yourself?Depending on how the new ceiling was installed, this could either be a very simple and straightforward job (and possibly DIY) -- or it could be a bit of a nightmare. I don't think it's possible to answer the question about cost without knowing more.

I agree w/ Peekay - You call 3-4 contractors and they'll give you prices: However, there will be things that they'll need to know ti give you an good estimate, such as what what the building rules are if any, parking restrictions, where they can put their dumpsters, etc. Also - will you have your furniture in the space or will it be empty? (Empty is easier and cheaper.)

Remember - the lowest bid isn't always the one to go with: The most complete bid is.

Arkay is right: some popcorned ceilings contain asbestos. you should send out a few samples of it to a lab and see what the results come back with. If it does, contractors won't touch it, or even begin work till its tested since they know that.

Lindsey -- Here's a link to the EPA document "Asbestos in the Home" http://www.epa.gov/oppt/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html . Good luck!

"If it does, contractors won't touch it, or even begin work till its tested since they know that."

If it does, she'll need an asbestos-abatement sub-contractor - any contractor worth his license would know to test for it and how to go about this.

Gosh, thanks so much for all the helpful info. Never would have even thought about asbestos. I haven't moved in yet, but considering my budget and timeline, the ceiling work would have to be done after i've already moved in. Munckee-the apt is on fifth ave in the 30s. There are a bunch of buildings just like it. The apartment is a two floor, one bedroom two bathroom, in a converted department store. Most realtors dont know about the great apartments in this area because its mostly commercial over there.
I'll definately keep everyone posted with pictures as the reno starts. Anyone have any good contractor recs?

One other thing to consider: sometimes the add-on ceiling is added for other reasons than because the previous owner hated the brick. There could be aesthetic or structural issues under that popcorn that would require further investment of time and money to achieve the look you are going for. Make sure your budget allows you to march forward regardless of what you find.

By way of example, I had carpet removed from a place I was living in only to discover that the carpet hid all manner of major damage to the floors. With the carpet gone, I had two choices: pay to recarpet and call the whole thing an expensive waste, or repair/replace the floors and make it a much more expensive improvement than I had planned on. I went with repairing the floors, but because the process of removing the carpet threw everything into chaos, I had very little time to make a choice.

Be sure to have a "Plan B" before work starts.

DON'T USE DON PERRONE based in Brooklyn. His company did a bathroom renovation mid-January which he said would take 6-8 days to finish. He even listed on his website that it's done, which it clearly is not. 2 months later and I'm still waiting for his plumber Doug to come replace the shower body that he broke. I call and text and email and they either don't return my calls or they don't show up when they say they're coming or they keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow. Not to mention, Doug put in my new tub not knowing how to install the trip lever (which stops the drainage), and I wound up with a really cheap push drainer because the trip lever will not function unless he removes the tub. They say they can do small to large jobs and you don't have to pay upfront, but that's not the case, they still ask you for the money even if the job is not done. STAY AWAY from these guys.