Do not touch or disturb damaged asbestos ceilings. Call for professional assistance.
Knowing that a ceiling contains asbestos can be scary for homeowners. Asbestos has been linked to lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, all of which can be deadly. However, the potential for health risks occur only when you inhale loose asbestos fibers, and Columbia University's "Go Ask Alice" website says asbestos ceilings aren't dangerous unless they're damaged. Asbestos ceilings shouldn't be rubbed or handled. Spraying paint on the ceiling rather than rolling or brushing it minimizes the chances of damaging the asbestos and creating a health hazard.
Instructions
1. Examine the ceiling for signs or chipping, fraying or cracking. Do not touch or disturb a damaged asbestos ceiling. Call an asbestos professional for removal options.
2. Remove all items from the room -- furniture, curtains, and lamps should all be taken away. Cover the floors, windows, doors and walls with drop cloths, and tape over smoke alarms or light fixtures that cannot be removed. Protect yourself from any chance of inhaling asbestos, and do not do anything that risks damaging the asbestos material. Wipe the ceiling gently with a damp rag to clean off any dust or dirt.
3. Put water-based latex paint in your airless sprayer. Put on your protective gear.
4. Hold the sprayer 6 to 12 inches away from the ceiling and spray in a 3- to 4-foot-long sweeping motion. Start around the outer edges of the room and frame in the ceiling, then begin working in columns, moving from one end of the room to the other in those 3- to 4-foot intervals. After making a pass with the sprayer, reverse direction and sweep back in the opposite direction. Paint a new section of the ceiling with the reverse sweep, but overlap 50 percent of the preceding stripe as you do so.
5. Allow the paint to dry fully. Inspect the ceiling and spray on a second coating if necessary.
6. Remove all tape and drop cloths after the final coat of paint is fully dried.
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