But merely brushing asbestos popcorn ceiling with your hand releases toxic dust. When scraping popcorn ceilings, you'll want to use a 4-inch utility knife or a drywall knife to chip away at the texture and create a smooth surface. With the Easy Up Installation System, covering popcorn is a simple 3-step process. The crumbliness of popcorn ceiling puts it in a different class than other common asbestos materials leftover in old homes. The second was $3,300, which, by . 5. A trowel or drywall knife smoothes it out evenly over the surface, after which an . For their 1,100 square feet of popcorn-covered ceilings, one bid was $4,600. Let it absorb for 20 minutes, then gently scrape away the ceiling with your floor scraper. Select Room Shape rectangle square custom 2. Knock down any ridges. Method 1 For this method you will need: Garden/Fertilizer sprayer 6" putty knife 12" Mud pan Disposable drop cloths Ladder Drywall Hand Sander Primer/Paint When we started renovating our main floor, I was not blogging yet so unfortunately we do not have many pictures of the process. Asbestos Popcorn Ceiling Abatement Commonly used in residential and commercial applications between the 1940's and 1990, asbestos popcorn ceiling was used as fire proofing to prevent fire from travelling between floors. Sanding might not leave a perfectly smooth finish, but you can easily apply a skim coat and a layer of paint to flatten the texture. 5 Scrape the popcorn ceiling with a rounded joint knife, which is required when sanding a popcorn ceiling. To find out if your old popcorn ceiling contains asbestos, you can purchase a test kit or hire an asbestos abatement professional. The advantage of the wet+scrape method is that it weighs down the fibers and keeps the mass intact. Peter Asbestos removal involves carefully ridding the building of asbestos products. To scrape off the textures from ceiling corners and hard-to-get beam edges, make careful use a small putty knife. This can release asbestos fibers into the air. Place asbestos-containing waste in sealed and properly-labeled plastic bags.Call a trash-pickup or landfill service that is equipped to accept asbestos in advance to make arrangements for removal/disposal.Asbestos Removal By A Specialist Abatement Provider, Asbestos removal is the procedure of clearinga setting up or . Popcorn or acoustic is different than textured ceilings. STEP 2: Wet the popcorn ceiling. The only key concerns involve containing the mess and collecting the dust. It was very dusty and I worked without a mask very close to the ceiling and so breathed in alot of the dust. Process wrap up with sanding & refinishing. Maybe in a few months. Spray a 4 x 4 area of the ceiling with water. Removal is much cheaper if it does not contain asbestos, and disclosure is not a big deal since so many 1960's and 70's houses contain asbestos in the popcorn ceiling. Tips for Living with . These ceilings may contain asbestos, as it was mixed into the plaster to create the desired effect. If there's any damage to the ceiling, such as gouges, repair with joint compound before you start sanding. In 1978, the use of asbestos was banned by the government, but supplies on hand were allowed to be used up. Textured ceilings implies a stomp or sprayed drywall mud finish. We have a team of professionals with the right training, who are experienced and reliable. To avoid making a big mess, do run plastic sheeting all along your walls and floors. Learn more about the Easy Up Installation Kit in this 30-second video. Once the popcorn ceiling has been successfully removed, the ceiling can be sanded, any necessary repairs made. Traditionally, you remove popcorn ceilings by scraping it away one section at a time. You start the process by spraying the ceiling with water and then scraping off the texture by hand. Move onto the next 3' x 3' squares of ceiling area while repeating steps 1 and 2. 4. We have now realized that it is a very serious cancer causing material. Once the primer is dry, you can begin painting. In newer homes, most textured ceilings and walls use sand as a replacement for asbestos. A vacuum itself won't remove the popcorn stuff, you'll need to either follow many of the tutorials online or hire a pro. This helps reduce dust and makes scraping considerably easier. If it's damaged in anyway you would be advised to remove it, which would be quite an undertaking, what with people wearing masks,P.P.E, G. Wear safety glasses / goggles to keep the water from dripping onto your eyes and eventually the popcorn. Asbestos was used in some sprayed coatings for ceilings from 1935 to1978 and can cause mesothelioma and asbestosis. Around here if you're above 0.5%, addressing any substance is very highly regulated and removal is really expensive. The next step towards removing your popcorn ceiling is to apply moisture to the area. Keep the area around the popcorn ceiling well-ventilated. You CAN NOT just scrape a popcorn ceiling off, then paint or Texture it. However, older homes with popcorn ceilings and textured walls likely have asbestos. Sometimes, it is possible to work around asbestos without removing it. Just don't smash, scrape or sand them. Often the new texture is more pleasing than the popcorn ceiling. Use a garden sprayer or spray bottle to mist water onto the ceiling. This is important because the wet popcorn can get everywhere. Watch on. . Once you have completed the popcorn ceiling texture, you can apply the paint. Popcorn ceilings began as a cost-effective way of making a home look nice without the need for fixing, sanding, painting, and maintaining the upkeep of the home. Also, remember to use a plastic drop cloth or drop cloths with painter's tape. Working on about 4-foot square sections at a time, fill your sprayer with water and a few tablespoons of dishwashing soap and moisten the area enough to loosen the popcorn finishing, but not damage the drywall underneath. The EPA asbestos web site contains general information on asbestos sources, exposure and health effects, what to do if you suspect asbestos, training, and laws and regulations. Over time, popcorn ceilings can become worn or disturbed through remodeling. For homes with asbestos ceilings, a professional may choose to remove or encapsulate the materials. If the ceiling is damaged- whether it's water damage, tears, dents, abrasions from sanding, drilling or cutting . Skim Coat and Paint. The heyday of popcorn ceilings was a thirty-year stretch of time between the late 1950s and the early 1980s. Painters tape will hold the plastic in place. A skim coat is a thin layer of diluted joint compound that is applied by hand, spray, or paint roller. Simply having a pre-1980 popcorn ceiling does not automatically guarantee the presence of asbestos, but it is highly likely. Maybe immediately. No scraping required! Make sure you cover the outlets and any light fixtures before proceeding. Expect it to take 3 layers of mud, minimum. Aim for a light misting, as too much water could damage the drywall. You'll probably need to skim it with a thin layer of joint compound to smooth out imperfections, then sand it smooth before repainting. You should also cover the bottom third of the wall and floor in plastic to protect them from any water damage. Your post was not removed but in case you have not seen it yet, we have this handy post and comments section that has useful information regarding how to determine whether something contains asbestos, as well as what to do in case asbestos is encountered. You can test a popcorn ceiling for the presence of asbestos by carefully scraping a small sample into a plastic bag and having it tested at an EPA-accredited lab. If you must remove the popcorn ceiling, do so carefully. First layer will be kind of thick. Textured or popcorn ceilings. Begin spraying the water directly onto your popcorn ceiling. Since asbestos was cheap and easy to apply to ceilings by spraying it on, it was popular for construction. Most buyers decide not to test for asbestos. Walls The ceilings are not dangerous as long as the surface is not disturbed. Vacuum up any remaining dirt or debris. For starters, you need special tools to properly remove . Once all the popcorn/vermiculite texture is off of the . Keep the popcorn ceiling wet to prevent dust from contaminating the air. The paint provides better adhesion to the ceiling as it saturates the tiny foam beads used in the spray. Remove a full-size ceiling panel from the suspension . The ceiling needs 1 gallon of paint for a price of $15 to $30.For extra job supplies such as seam 5 tape, topping compound, outside corner beads, and fasteners 6, the price ranges from $90 to $100. Transform your popcorn ceiling from eyesore to eye candy the easy way - with Armstrong planks or tiles. Popcorn ceiling is the common name for ceilings coved with a spray on texture. If you have not yet read through that post we recommend doing so before proceeding further. 2nd coat goes a lot quicker and probably dont need to make it perfect. One gallon of ceiling paint covers between 400 to 500 square feet of flat ceiling; double the quantity of paint for popcorn ceilings. While homeowners are allowed to. If the ceiling is unpainted, a 10-15 minute wait should be sufficient. Helpful Tips in Removing Popcorn Ceiling. Before 1980, asbestos was an extremely common material. Give the water about 15 minutes to soak in and soften the texture, and then test a small. Sand and prime the ceiling. Although very popular during those times, this was during a period when asbestos was a high-demand material in America. Interesting. By 1978, spray-on asbestos was banned, so homes built after this law were made using different methods. 2. This is a time-consuming way to get rid of the old ceiling texture and it has a lot of downsides. We notice you have a post regarding asbestos. Cutting into it, sanding it down or altering it in other ways can release dust that contains asbestos into the air. Use your scraper for carefully scraping off the popcorn texture, trying to minimize gouging or damaging the ceiling drywall beneath. 1. Textured or 'popcorn ceilings' are quite common in homes or buildings built before 2000. In case, you have decided to remove popcorn ceiling asbestos, it is better to take these safety measures: First, remove all the furniture from your home Turn off your home's ventilation, air conditioning and heating mainly to avoid spreading contamination You can seal the doors and windows using plastic flaps Keep people away from the site Some say most contain asbestos. How to Scrape a Popcorn Ceiling. If it doesn't, spray it again. You must remove the paint if the popcorn ceiling is already painted. If you're unfamiliar with popcorn ceilingsalso known as stipple or acousticallow us to give you a refresher: The once popular texturized finish was applied to the ceilings of residential properties before the 2000s; at the turn of the millennium, the trend turned towards a cleaner and more modern look.Most older homes still retain this relic, namely because the process of removing it is . The first step in removing a popcorn ceiling is to soak the surface in water. To remove asbestos-laced popcorn ceilings in a 1,500-square . Easy Up Installation System Easy Up Installation Video [VIDEO] Once you have removed the entire texture portion of the ceiling, you're going to need to smooth things out. . Most popcorn texture will be gone by the end of this method, but sanding may not be as effective on painted popcorn ceilings. They said it is usually not a problem unless it is 1% or above - could someone please comment on that. Place asbestos-containing waste in sealed and properly-labeled plastic bags. There will be very obvious knife lines due to skipping over the popcorn texture and you will think you've made a huge mistake that can't be fixed. Spray the Ceiling With Water Before Carefully Scraping Away the Popcorn Texture Fact: A wet scrape is easier than a dry scrape. As a previous commenter suggested, MANY POPCORN CEILINGS CONTAIN ASBESTOS! If you are sanding a popcorn ceiling, wet the ceiling with water using a garden sprayer. Popcorn Ceilings in Newton, MA. Let the compound dry, and then sand Give the compound at least four hours to dry, and then you will be ready to sand it smooth to make painting as easy as possible. Just wet and scape. A sander is a planer tool and popcorn ceiling is three dimensional. It was an easy method for builders to hide imperfections on ceilings. Builders were allowed to use their existing stock even later than 1978. 1. Wet the ceiling before you begin to work on it. Protect the other parts of the room by covering them in plastic. Don't touch the ceiling, especially to cut into it or scrape off the popcorn spray. Ceiling material like that typically had a low asbestos content (4-5%). Apr 2, 2014. Popcorn ceilings still to this day not only save money and time but also the popcorn ceiling texture looks intentional. Failing to follow proper guidelines can be expensive. Look for any evidence of the manufacturer such as a stamp on the back of a tile, or records of the installation. Avoid sanding or scraping the popcorn ceiling. Wait 15 minutes. A house that old, it's certainly possible. The texture was a cheap way to hide flaws in ceilings and speed up the finishing process as opposed to filling, sanding, and painting ceilings. Bottom line is get it tested. Textured ceilings can vary, some typical examples . Keep the popcorn ceiling wet to prevent dust from contaminating the air. Pump up the pressure on your tank sprayer and aim your nozzle toward the ceiling. For example, you can walk on vinyl asbestos floor tiles without much risk. The spray on texture was applied to ceilings through the middle of the 20 th century. If your popcorn ceiling contains asbestos and you're worried about contamination, this may be a good alternative to the process of . We are a fully licensed, insured company in the region. Do not saturate the ceiling but wet it thoroughly. Before scraping or sanding, it is a good idea to have a sample tested by an NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program)-approved testing center. Almost all have been negative. Asbestos-containing spray-on "popcorn" ceilings that are in good repair and not being disturbed will not release asbestos fibers. [7] Part 3 12 / 12 Family Handyman Smooth After Scraping Scraping alone won't leave you with a paint-ready ceiling. Once it loosens, use a 4 or 6 drywall knife to scrape it off. 1 - 16 of 16 Posts. Start with a 4 foot (1.2 m) area so the ceiling does not dry before you get to it. Hence, the safest, easiest and least expensive option may be to leave it alone. If your home was built after 1980 and your ceiling is in . Using a vinegar-water solution can help remove the paint from the ceiling. I sent a sample to a lab and the results were "point 5 percent" (.5%) asbestos. The basic labor for a 250-square foot textured ceiling, including the cost of the texture material but with no additional prep work, costs between $215 and $260 for about 3.5 hours. Thin coat. Use a file, a sander or an electric grinder to do this. A good 220 grit sandpaper should get the job done for you pretty well. Duct-taped a spackle knife to the end of a vacuum hose then let the machine go to work suctioning up the dust as when scraping away at the ceiling. Using my Planex Easy with the CT36 AC and Blast Gate to remove popcorn ceilings in a 1976 home. It seemed overwhelming, so they decided to see what professional removal would cost. To test, use a stiff putty knife to see if the popcorn will scrape off. Call a trash-pickup or landfill service that is equipped to accept asbestos in advance to make arrangements for removal/disposal. Sand, prime and paint. This will help you skip out on any extra sanding that may need to be done. This is why we use 1980 as the cut-off point for determining whether we can work on your ceiling. You can expect to pay $3 to $7 per square foot to remove a popcorn ceiling with asbestos, which comes out to the $900-$2100 range for a 15'x20' room (~27m) or $4500-$11,500 for a 1600 square foot home (~149m). Increase Resale Value You may also be curious about whether removing popcorn ceilings will increase the value of your home. Some experts say that all popcorn ceiling used from the 1920s to 1980 contain some asbestos. It is important to note that not all textured ceilings contain asbestos. I was shocked to find three in row with high levels of asbestos fiber. When you hire our services, you can be sure . If you buy a test kit, you will have to collect a sample of the ceiling and mail it to a lab. This will help to reduce your exposure to asbestos fibers. Top 4 Questions about Popcorn Ceiling Removal. I worked for an hour removing it. If you sand/grind, you'll atomize those (extremely fine/lightweight) particles and they can never be fully removed from the house's atmosphere. When removing a painted popcorn ceiling you have more issues. You must make sure to apply primer before you begin sanding. Schmidt & Co.;176275 said: G. Either drop the popcorn texture into the bag if you're using the. Take it from me. On top of that, this better adhesion results in a tendency to remove part of the underlying drywall. Gather any of the scraped-off popcorn that's on the drop cloth and put it in heavy duty garbage bags. It sucks the first coat go around. Follow up with a sander that can handle the dust. Don't even attempt to level or remove asbestos flooring as well as its backing. Spray it again. 4 When all the popcorn is scraped off, sand the entire ceiling with a sanding pole & screen. The popcorn will be sheared off by sanders that deal with the level as they were engineered to do. Find the ceiling tile pattern, size, or type - Generally, ceiling tiles made with asbestos are 9 by 9 inches or 12 by 12 inches white or off-white panels held up in a grid system. For many years, before the United States Department of Health and Human Services determined that asbestos is a known carcinogen, manufacturers used asbestos to make many different products, including the stuff of popcorn ceilings. If the texture doesn't come off with easy, consider waiting for 10-15 minutes and resume the process around the entire room. For example, "popcorn" ceilings that are in Costs. Use a garden sprayer to wet a small area (four-by-four-foot) of the. The texture may have also added fire . Otherwise be prepared for your ceiling to meet your floor at some point. I'm. All over the country, the rough popcorn (or cottage cheese) texture was advertised to customers as insulating, "acoustic" ceiling material, and, indeed, its soundproofing qualities made it popular with homeowners in hallways, kitchens, bedrooms, and . Step 1: Protect the Other Parts of the Room. One more time. OR texture and paint won't stick right. Round off the corners of your popcorn scraperwhether it's a wide putty knife or drywall taping knife so it won't gouge the ceiling and leave you with dozens of ceiling wounds to repair. Embed This Tool Paint, Cover, or Remove Popcorn Ceiling Painting a popcorn ceiling is just one way to improve its appearance. However it is pretty easy to explain. As this occurred, asbestos fibers were released, exposing people in the home. In removing popcorn, do remove any light fixtures and cover-up wiring. Fill a garden sprayer with lukewarm water and spray the entire ceiling. Don't track material through the house that may contain asbestos. Here's why that can result in a failure. Likely the fastest and cheapest option for covering popcorn ceiling, skim coat provides a fresh, smooth surface for a new coat of paint. Apply with a 6" taping knife and use a 10" to smooth it around, keeping the angle of the blade tight to skate over the tips of the popcorn. Also, wear a hair covering. If you are looking for a miracle Festool sander to deal with popcorn ceilings - they don't exist. Answer (1 of 3): If you have a Asbestos popcorn ceiling and it's in good condition, yes you can paint over, and seal the Asbestos in which is quite acceptable. The next step is to sand the surface. Do not try to be a rebel and not wear them. Get Popping. Let it set. It is critical not to begin your construction project on a popcorn ceiling until you have confirmed that there are no traces of asbestos. Known as "popcorn ceiling," "cottage-cheese ceiling" or "stucco ceiling," it was typically 1 to 10 percent asbestos. Little review of the unit with a few photos of how it did at . To protect the rest of the room, cover it with plastic sheeting or drop cloths. Over the years I have sent more than a few samples to be tested for asbestos. In South Florida, one of the brands hat can offer you with all popcorn removal services from a single point is the South Florida Popcorn Ceiling Removal. When we bought our last house in CA, the living room, hall and 2 guest rooms still had the popcorn . Sanding, painting or patching a popcorn ceiling could disturb asbestos fibers and create dangerous asbestos dust. After sanding the ceiling, give it a fresh coat of paint. Popcorn ceilings (aka textured ceilings or stucco ceilings) were very popular from the 1950s to the 80s. Test a popcorn ceiling if your home was built between 1945 and 1980. the air.