Popcorn ceilings have a rough and bumpy texture usually achieved by using vermiculite or polystyrene. The ceilings were very popular from the 1950s to 1980s when vermiculite regularly contained asbestos. The EPA recommends treating all vermiculite products as asbestos.
A rule of thumb, if your home was built before 1985, the textured coating is very likely to contain asbestos.
There are many different ways to put a texture on a ceiling, but the most common technique involves mixing some sort of lumpy aggregate -- either vermiculite or polystyrene -- with ceiling paint. The mixture is then sprayed onto the ceiling using a special spray gun like the hopper texture gun from Lemmer.
Asbestos containing textured ceiling materials (acoustic, popcorn, cottage cheese or more, accurately, stucco ceiling), is a term for a spray-on or paint-on ceiling treatment used from 1945 to 1980 in US residential construction.
A hazardous material called asbestos was commonly used in textured coatings and paints until the 1980s. If disturbed or damaged, asbestos in ceilings (and walls) can pose a significant health risk.
If you are concerned about your tiles and want to know for sure if they contain asbestos, you should consider lab testing. EHS uses Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) to test bulk building materials for asbestos.
In 1977, the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned asbestos in joint compounds and drywall tape. However, these products may still have been used until 1980 or later from the oversupply that had been purchased prior to the ban. As a result, buildings constructed before 1990 may still contain asbestos in drywall.
Asbestos-containing popcorn ceilings often have a more rugged and denser appearance compared to non-asbestos varieties. They may also appear more mottled and less uniform in texture. Ceilings installed before the 1980s are also more likely to contain asbestos.
Ceiling textures can add a unique character to a room and provide sound insulation and noise reduction. Popcorn ceiling texture was a popular choice in homes built before 1980 due to its ability to conceal imperfections and provide these benefits at a low cost.
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.
We've all seen popcorn ceilings before, and while they were popular through the '80s, they've since fallen out of favor. Removing popcorn ceilings will almost always increase a home's value.
Hire a licensed asbestos professional to conduct an inspection. The professional will send the samples to a lab for analysis. You'll receive a survey report with the test results.
If it's still functional, there's no need to get rid of it, thus saving them time, money, and unwarranted stress in the years to come.
Popcorn Ceiling vs Asbestos Popcorn Ceiling Removal Cost
ft house. Popcorn ceiling containing asbestos can expect to pay about $3 to $7 per square foot $900 to $2,100 to remove a popcorn ceiling from a 15'x20' room or $4,500 to $11,500 for a 1,6000 sq. ft house.
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.
If these ceilings were not replaced, homes and other buildings may still contain asbestos. People who live in pre-1990s homes should assume popcorn ceilings contain asbestos. Materials installed after 1995 likely did not contain asbestos.
Remove the Popcorn Ceiling
Use a paint scraper to help extend your reach. Pair it with a handle or painter's pole. You can scrape each section while it's dry, but applying a bit of water will help moisten and remove the material if the process becomes difficult.
While the immediate return on removing a popcorn ceiling may not be significant, the perceived value increases depending on buyer expectations for the home's size and price range.
If you think there may be asbestos in your home, don't panic. Asbestos-containing materials that aren't damaged or disturbed are not likely to pose a health risk. Usually the best thing is to leave asbestos-containing material alone if it is in good condition.
The only way to be sure whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory. EPA only recommends testing suspect materials if they are damaged (fraying, crumbling) or if you are planning a renovation that would disturb the suspect material.
Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear (2).
There is no way to know whether these materials contain asbestos without having them tested.
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.
For ceilings containing asbestos, the primary hazard is inhaling asbestos fibers. Disturbing the material during repairs or removal can release these fibers into the air, leading to serious health issues like lung cancer or mesothelioma. Always contact professionals like JJ&S for safe abatement.