Is Popcorn Ceiling Dangerous? By Mas Construction Toronto

 

Popcorn ceiling is not a new thing; it is present in our home for the time of Greek. A few years ago the Popcorn ceiling was a decorative thing, but now most people don't like their bumpy ceiling.

The potentially dangerous type of popcorn ceilings was installed in homes until the 1980s. 

The coating provides acoustic benefits through sound muffling. Damaged or uneven ceilings often prompted the application of a popcorn cap. 

According to Painting Contractor Toronto, the problem with some of these coatings occurs because they contain asbestos. Asbestos only becomes dangerous if the ceiling deteriorates or is damaged.

In This Article

• Identification of Ceiling
• Risk of Popcorn Ceiling
• Popcorn Ceilings Management
• Removal or repair
• How to Take Off Popcorn Ceilings
• How to Remove Popcorn Ceiling
• Tips and Warnings

Identification of Ceiling

Asbestos does not change the appearance of the ceiling, so you cannot tell by looking at the ceiling if it contains asbestos. You can also omit the age. 

However, the law allowed the application of the existing product, so textured asbestos ceilings may have been installed later than the 1980s. To be sure, have a professional take a sample for laboratory analysis.

Risk of Popcorn Ceiling

The popcorn cap only becomes unsafe when it is damaged, disturbed, or begins to deteriorate. Damage allows dust containing asbestos to float in the air and can be inhaled by unsuspecting residents. 

Asbestos exposure has been linked to a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma in addition to chronic respiratory problems. house Painter know the risk of having health problems after exposure is unknown, damage does not usually show until years after exposure.

Popcorn Ceilings Management

Attempts to withdraw can cause more problems than leaving him alone. Inspect the ceiling periodically to assess its condition. Take precautions so that the ceiling will not be damaged by accident. Do not touch or disturb it in any way even to clean it.

Removal or repair

If a popcorn cap poses a hazard due to damage or spoilage, you have two options. Or else one should be done by a professional. The repair may involve sealing it so that the asbestos fibers remain stable, or enclosing it by placing another material on top. 

Repair generally costs less removal. Only a professional painter can remove a popcorn ceiling containing asbestos. The procedure is complicated and, if done improperly, will cause more exposure than leaving it damaged and in place.

How to Take Off Popcorn Ceilings

If you're renovating a dated room and want to remove the popcorn texture from the ceiling to create an updated, smooth finish, you'll need to do a bit of prep work and whip up a messy, but rewarding, task yourself.

How to Remove Popcorn Ceiling

• Move all the furniture in the room. Get off all the pictures, curtains, curtains, and other moving accessories.
• Cover heating or air conditioning ducts with plastic to protect them from dust. If the furniture is too heavy to move, or if you don't have room to put it, cover it with large sheets of plastic. If you have a ceiling fan, cover it completely with a trash bag or plastic sheet to prevent dust from entering the motor and ruining it. Cover all outlets and switches by gluing pieces of plastic over them. Lay a large piece of plastic down so that it covers the floor and extends one foot from the wall. Glue in place with blue painter's tape. Removing the popcorn ceiling is dirty, dusty work, and dust will filter into everything.
• Wrap the lower legs of your scale with rags to protect plastic punctures.
• Fill a Popcorn ceiling spray pump bottle with hot water and two to three tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Spray a 4 to 6 square foot section of the ceiling. You want to dampen the texture, but you don't want to saturate the ceiling so that it penetrates the drywall below. This downward wetting helps to soften the texture of the ceiling and helps control the amount of dust produced as well.
• Don a respirator to protect your lungs and safety glasses to protect your eyes. Wear rubber gloves and protective clothing.
• Wait 15 minutes after spraying Popcorn ceiling spray. Scrape the popcorn texture off the ceiling with a wide-bladed tool, such as a floor scraper. Don't tear off too deep or you may damage the drywall and drywall joint strip below the texture of the popcorn. A putty knife works to remove texture in corners and other tight spots. If you have difficulty removing a section of the texture from the Popcorn ceiling, spray the area a second time and wait 15 minutes.
• Fold the plastic covering the floor carefully to keep airborne dust when you have finished removing the textured popcorn on the ceiling, and throw it in the trash.

Tips and Warnings

• If the popcorn ceiling was installed before 1987, it is important to have it tested for asbestos. Scratch a piece of the ceiling with your putty knife, and send it to a lab to have it tested. If the test is positive for asbestos, you need to hire a professional to remove the texture.
• You can paint or texture your existing popcorn ceiling to cover the asbestos. If you want to remove the ceiling, contact a professional. Popcorn ceilings that are old enough to contain asbestos may also have been coated with lead paint. Like asbestos, paint is not dangerous unless you disturb it. It can be coated with another coat of paint or removed by a professional.
• If your popcorn ceiling is painted, you will need to hire a professional to remove the texture for you, or you risk damaging the drywall.

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