Painting - Popcorn removed. Now what?

I read all the helpful advice in the removing popcorn off the ceiling thread and I actually just scraped the popcorn off our ceiling using the water/scrape method several people talked about.

That worked well, but now I am left with a chalky residue. Our situation is different because it is a high-rise and the ceiling is concrete, but I am trying to figure out what to do next.

Do I have to get all the chalky residue off before I can prime it? There are some irregularities in the concrete ceiling, but nothing too terrible. Then, after I prime it, is there some kind of special paint I should be using?

I have been scrubbing the ceiling with a bristled brush, but that is EXTREMELY time consuming. (Plus, I'm probably getting some serious asbestos exposure.) I'm wondering if this is even necessary.

Bottom line question: Where do I go from here?

Thanks for all your advice. It's really appreciated!

Hello News Clear, as long as there was no staining problems coming through the popcorn a good latex primer like KILZ II, KILZ Total One or Zinsser 123 would be a great place to start. I would apply a 2 foot x 2 foot sample on an area and let it dry. Check when dry to make sure it is stable and doesn't come off like the popcorn did but of course don't use any water. Once primed you can use any paint you want. I would go with a top of the line paint from a pro paint store......Mike

Mike,

I appreciate the advice. I'm gonna give it a try.

Thanks again for the help.