Popcorn Ceiling Asbestos

Tired of your homes old popcorn ceilings that are outdated and ugly looking? Before you begin to go ahead and remove it from your ceilings beware of the dangers that lurk above. Most popcorn ceilings contain a harmful toxic material called asbestos.

Popcorn ceiling asbestos was very popular from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, and almost always contained asbestos. Popcorn ceilings are also known as acoustic ceilings and they were so popular because they were easy to apply, it was a good sound damping agent, hides imperfections in ceilings, and it has a unique look. It is a spray on or paint on ceiling treatment that gives a bright white cottage cheese looking texture. It was used because it was cheaper than painting and it covered poor craftsmanship in the drywall. There are draw backs to having a popcorn ceiling the first off being that most of them contain a harmful substance called asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that has long, thing fibrous crystals.  Asbestos is toxic, and the inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illness including

• Malignant Mesothelioma
• Lung Cancer
• Asbestosis (Type of Pneunoconiosis)

Getting your popcorn ceiling tested

If you are planning to remove your popcorn ceiling yourself, you need to first have samples tested from a certified asbestos testing agency. To remove samples of the ceiling you need to spray water on 3 to 4 small patches on the ceiling taking about one inch samples from each area using a blunt knife. Each sample should be put into a separate plastic bag and taking in for testing. Most asbestos testing companies will also come to your home and preform the testing themselves. Tips for removing samples of asbestos in ceilings.

• You will need protective clothing such as a mask, goggles, gloves, and clothing that will cover as much of your body as possible.
• Place a tarp under the ceiling area, and turn off any heating or cooling systems to keep fibers from being circulated throughout the house if your home contains asbestos. To keep the asbestos from becoming airborne you need to spray water with a few drops of detergent on the areas that is going to be removed for sampling.
• Cut a small piece of the ceiling out using a sharp knife or some type of cutting object, and put the sample into a zip lock bag. To have the sample tested you can ether mail it to a asbestos testing company or take it to their testing facility for an analysis.

If your ceiling does not contain asbestos then you can go ahead and remove it yourself, but if it does contain asbestos extreme care needs to be taken. There are only two options when it comes to removing your popcorn asbestos ceilings and that is painting over it will a fresh coat of paint or getting rid of all of the popcorn asbestos and having the ceiling repainted.

Painting over the asbestos ceiling is very risky and in most US states it is illegal to repaint over a popcorn ceiling containing asbestos. This is illegal because the rolling or spraying of paint can cause the old asbestos containing paint to dislodge and release asbestos fibers into the air.

The second option of removing the asbestos ceiling should not be done by you and only by professionals due to the extreme health risks. These professionals are trained and will make sure that the environment in or around your home is not contaminated with asbestos fibers after the job is over. Along with removing the asbestos it needs to be disposed properly by the professionals due to the existing rules and regulations against asbestos waste management. If you are even considering doing it by yourself then you will absolutely need a respirator fitted with a HEPA filter, disposable clothing, and glasses. But doing it yourself will not ensure that your house will be asbestos free as you will be scraping off asbestos fiber that will be all over your house, which professionals will be able to take car of. Asbestos testing companies will be able to due many things for your asbestos in your home such as:

• Asbestos Management
• Carry out all types of asbestos surveys and comprehensive reports with recommendations.
• Project Management of Asbestos Removal
• Asbestos Air Monitoring
• Issue site clearance certificates