Removing popcorn ceiling the right way? asbestos uncertian.
Hello, I just bought a house with glitter-laden popcorn ceilings in many of the rooms. The house was built in '65, which from what I've read, was during the golden age of asbestos use in popcorn ceilings. I have contacted two companies to have it tested. Business must be booming in the asbestos-testing world, because I have not received a call back. Because I am penny-wise and lung-foolish, I would like to remove the fluffy stuff myself. I have read many websites with generally the same dictate: Cover eyes, nose, mouth and body; spray; scrape; contain; repeat. Sounds simple enough. Am I really signing a death wish by wanting to do this myself? Save for some ugly carpets (which will be removed in a short while) the house is empty at this point, so I'd like to do this before move in. Thoughts? Thanks in advance. ps. i live in california Just have at it! A wide floor scraper or 12 mud knife may be a benefit...I never had to do it myself. There was a video posted quite a while back from someone with the same issue. They sprayed the ceiling and within 5 min the stuff was falling off in huge sheets from its own weight. Dropcloths on the floor would be recommended. My personal opinion is that much of the asbestos health claims are for those that were exposed during manufacturing, installation, or repair of the products. Not for the average person who removed ceilings or did brake jobs. As long as the asbestos is wet - there isn't any danger. It's when it's dry and can be inhaled that you need to worry. FWIW - I used to spray that texture back in the early 70's and it would be an inch thick on my skin before I washed it off. I'd cover the floor with plastic, then wet and scrape off the texture. It comes off a lot easier while it's wet - safer too. Try to gather up the plastic and all the debris while it's still damp. Some locales are strict on disposal but most aren't. The odds are the texture isn't painted but if it is - you may need to scrape some first before the water can get to the texture. That's all the encouragement I needed. Thanks. I rounded off the corners of a 6 drywall knife to keep from gouging the drywall when scraping. Good tip, Wayne. Thanks! It'll probably be a half fortnight before I take on this task. I'll make sure to write and let y'all know how it goes. I've braved the sleet and snow for six of the seven rooms--My! what a mess. You don't have to be a scholar to remove the stuff, but the cleanup is for the dedicated. The last ceiling will fall tonight. Then it's time to prep for the knockdown texture. Now, I don't know a knockdown from a California, but I have heard I should prime before and after the texture. My wife has purchased some Sherwin Williams paint, is it OK to use Behr primer--or is that akin to putting a Camaro kit on a Camry chassis? Thanks, There are many that say you should prime prior to spraying texture but I've never seen the need for it. Without primer the areas that don't have mud on them will dry a little quicker but in the end it will all dry the same. Obviously the texture would need priming either way. I don't know much about Behr coatings but not all primers are the same.... that's why there are so many of them. All primers help with adhesion but the different primers are formulated for different things, some are made for sealing stains, some for gloss hold out [enamel undercoaters] and some are made for priming drywall - just to name a few. I'd check the label on the SWP paint and see what primer it recommends [it will be a SWP primer] and then see how the Behr primer compares to it. I like to paint the ceiling AFTER I spray a knockdown. You will see why.
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