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.
Identifying Asbestos-Containing Popcorn Ceilings
To accurately determine whether your ceiling has asbestos requires a professional lab test; however, visual cues may help suggest the possibility that materials contain it.
The use of asbestos in popcorn ceilings was banned in the United States in 1978. Even after the 1978 ban, however, manufacturers were allowed to use up their existing stocks of asbestos-containing products. Homes built or renovated before the mid-1980s could still have asbestos in their popcorn ceilings.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 benefit to covering popcorn texture versus removing it is not having to deal with the mess or risk of asbestos dust in older homes. Another benefit includes more acoustic ceilings, in case your walls and floors are paper thin.
If the test shows the presence of asbestos, be very careful as you cover the ceiling with insulation panels, drywall, or another surface.
In the majority of homes, yes. Popcorn ceilings are easy to notice, and make homes look and feel dated. Removing them is a quick fix, but it's recommended to leave the work to a pro to ensure there's no asbestos contamination in the home.
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.
Can You Paint Over a Popcorn Ceiling With Asbestos? The short answer is no, it is not safe to paint over a popcorn ceiling with asbestos.
What does asbestos cement roofing look like? The roof panels are normally a cloudy grey colour and look like a blend of different materials. They are most commonly corrugated (wavy) sheeting like the attached picture.
It's essential to get a professional to test for the presence of asbestos to find out if your business or home requires asbestos abatement or removal. The cost of an asbestos survey or inspection is around an average of $495 $225 to $808 for the US in 2021.
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.
Schutte estimates that removing a popcorn ceiling would add $25,000 to $35,000 in value for a large estate executive home.
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.
Asbestos does not always need to be removed before a sale. If the material is in good condition and poses no immediate risk (e.g., it is contained and undisturbed), sellers can disclose its presence without taking further action.
Scraping is the most common and cost-effective method for removing popcorn ceilings. This approach involves manually removing the texture using specialized tools.
You can't tell which materials are contaminated with asbestos just by looking at them. Some products have an ACM warning label (like some electrical fuse boxes) but many do not. Three types of asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile) usually appear as blue, brown, or white fibers under a microscope.
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.
Asbestos abatement and remediation are not generally covered by home insurance. However, due to the potential health risks, it's important to have knowledgeable professionals inspect an older home before major work is done.