Popcorn ceiling or cottage cheese ceiling is a common term used for any type of applied textured ceiling treatment. Also know as an acoustic ceiling, this was a common type of decorative application used from the 1960s to the 1980s in American homes.
Aside from being a fire retardant and a good insulator, in many cases, Asbestos was used to bind the other components in the formulation together. Besides asbestos in popcorn ceilings, other materials used included Styrofoam, mica or vermiculite and cellulose binders and fillers.
Since popcorn ceilings are no longer considered ‘in style’, many homeowners often think about scraping the popcorn texture off to reveal a bare flat ceiling.
If the home was built before the early 1980s, homeowners may wish to think about having this material tested for asbestos before they start demolishing or scraping the ceiling.
Removal by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor should be strongly considered if the laboratory finds that the ceiling material does contain asbestos.
A licensed and accredited Asbestos Laboratory should be used to test suspect materials. In most states, homeowners may collect the samples themselves or hire an asbestos consultant to do it for them.
If you are thinking about scraping a popcorn ceiling and your home was built prior to the early 1980s, call Omni Environmental at (512) 258-9114 for information about how to submit a sample for analysis.
Omni Environmental is a NVLAP Accredited (Lab# 102061-0) and State of Texas licensed Asbestos Laboratory (Asbestos License # 30-0087).
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