Popcorn ceilings contained asbestos for its resistance to heat and corrosion. Asbestos is no longer added to popcorn ceilings because it's a known health risk. The chances of your ceiling containing asbestos are low for any installations in the late 1980s or after. Newly constructed ceilings don't use asbestos.
The only way to be sure if a popcorn ceiling has asbestos is to have it tested by a certified professional, who can recommend next steps to keep you and your family safe.
How Common Is Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings? Popcorn ceilings installed from 1945 until the early 1990s commonly contained asbestos. It was a popular spray-on ceiling material and contained 1% – 10% asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned asbestos in spray-on ceiling materials in 1973.
Popcorn ceiling material has always been made both with and without Asbestos, and have often been replaced due to damage or discoloration, so the actual odds are closer to 50/50 even for an old house. Either way, it's completely safe unless the popcorn is disturbed.
Leave the ceiling alone or hire an asbestos abatement contractor to do the work. If you remove this ceiling dry, you will contaminate your home with asbestos and expose yourself and your family to potentially high concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers. These fibers may remain in your home indefinitely.
Textured or 'popcorn ceilings' are quite common in homes or buildings built before 2000. These ceilings may contain asbestos, as it was mixed into the plaster to create the desired effect. It is important to note that not all textured ceilings contain asbestos.
Before getting started, open the windows to circulate air. Keeping the space ventilated will help you breathe easier as you scrape away at the popcorn ceiling texture. You'll also want to put on a dust mask and safety glasses.
Most old asbestos ceiling tiles look light colored, slightly textured and powdery white. They often have small dotted indentations. If your tiles remain intact there is little to no health risk. However, deteriorating ceilings can put all of your building's users at risk.
Removing popcorn ceilings will almost always increase a home's value. Not only is the design trend no longer desirable, but it also poses safety concerns for home buyers. Have a listing with an awful popcorn ceiling that needs to go? Tell us about it!
Homes built before the 1980s likely have asbestos in them. For instance, if these homes have popcorn ceilings or vinyl flooring, they may contain asbestos. A simple rule is the newer a home is, the less likely it has asbestos materials.
One of the most worrying issues with asbestos is that in the event that it does get disturbed, it can be easily released into the air, and remain there for some time. It is thought that disturbed asbestos can stay airborne for as long as 48 to 72 hours before settling.
Answer: Asbestos dust does not have a distinct colour that can be visually identified, as the fibres are too small to be seen individually by the naked eye. Asbestos, in its solid form, before it is broken down into dust, can come in various colours depending on its type.
Use of asbestos in textured ceiling materials was at its peak from around 1945 through 1980. Popcorn ceilings contained asbestos for its resistance to heat and corrosion. Asbestos is no longer added to popcorn ceilings because it's a known health risk.
Clubbing of fingers
A persistent, dry cough. Chest tightness or pain. Dry and crackling sounds in your lungs when you inhale. Fingertips and toes that appear wider and rounder than usual (clubbing)
From 1940 to 1980, asbestos was added to drywall components for strength and reinforcement. Exposure to asbestos in drywall may occur at home or in the workplace, resulting in a risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses later in life.
Popcorn ceiling removal will improve the home's air quality because it will be easier to clean the ceiling and fewer particles will accumulate.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Costs (Hire A Pro)
The average sqft cost to remove popcorn ceilings ranges from $5 to $9 per square foot. This includes all labor, preparation work, and materials to do the job right. No question, the intense amount of labor required will make up the majority of the cost you'll pay.
Understanding the Risks of Popcorn Ceilings
Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health issues, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. While intact popcorn ceilings pose minimal risk, any damage or disturbance to the ceiling can release asbestos fibers into the air, increasing the potential for exposure.
It may take five to 20 years before symptoms develop. The accumulated, inhaled asbestos fibres produce scarring (fibrosis) of the lung. The lung develops a 'honeycomb' appearance. The scar tissue, or 'fibrosis', is hard and inflexible – this makes the lungs stiffen and stops them working properly.
You can expect to pay an average of $500 to the air for asbestos. Subject to the number of samples you require and the size of your home, costs range around $200 to $800. This is comparable to the price of an inside air quality test, which sometimes includes asbestos in a list of wanted impurities.
Even if asbestos is in your home, this is usually NOT a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. The danger is that asbestos materials may become damaged over time.
The best way to determine if asbestos is present is to have your ceiling material tested by an accredited lab. You can have an expert come and collect your sample for you or you can collect it yourself and send it to the lab for testing.
If you scraped the popcorn off of your ceiling, you may notice that there is still residue left behind. After you sand the ceiling, remove any stubborn residue by using a dampened block sponge. Apply new texture. You can utilize a joint compound as a base for a new texture on the ceiling.
They save time and costs: Popcorn ceilings can be inexpensive and quick to spray on a ceiling, substantially saving time and labor costs. They hide flaws: “Finishing drywall using joint compound is a tedious process, and popcorn texture hides any blemishes that would otherwise be visible,” Fulmer says.