Should I remove the asbestos popcorn ceiling myself?
Question by damnitjim89: Should I remove the asbestos popcorn ceiling myself?
This is a big dilemma. We are remodeling the house and part of the plans are to tear apart a room so we have to remove the popcorn ceiling. I got it tested and it does contain 12% asbestos and it is not painted.
All the contractors laugh at asbestos and think it’s ridiculous that we are even considering hiring a professional which would likely charge $ 1,500 for a job that could possibly only take an afternoon if I were to do it myself.
We have talked to many people and almost all of them say not to worry about it. Even professionals that remove asbestos for a living don’t have much of an opinion. How many people have gotten lung cancer from removing popcorn ceiling, i’ve never heard of it. Yes it takes 20 to 40 years… but is this just over paranoia?
Another option would be to hire someone that isn’t certified for much cheaper price. What do you all think?
Anywhere I go online all I hear is asbestos is VERY dangerous there is no known safe level. Then you talk to ANYONE in the construction industry and they laugh that its nothing to worry about. They say most asbestos contracters just hire out some guy working minimum wage anyways.
I should mention the thing about popcorn ceiling and why it could be dangerous is because it’s very friable if you grab it, it’ll turn to complete powder. So even tho its only 12%, 100% of the fibers are released when disturbed. Most of the stuff that contains 60%+ are usually non-friable. This is what I was told by a professional.
Best answer:
Answer by marlenekay4
Wear a face mask, spray water on the ceiling and scrape it off. That is how easy it is and the asbestos will not harm you. It only harms those who are in long term contact with it, breathing it into their lungs daily. That is why contractors who do this job, wear face masks. Do it yourself and save the money.
Because you are spraying it with water, there is no asbestos dust to inhale.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
JVZoo Product Feed
12%….very low but if you want to save the money if you do it yourself then it’s not about asking alot of people if it’s bad or good. I would think the better question is how do I do this with the ultimate safety.
12 % is nothing, do it your self
Don’t try this yourself. One simple solution would be to cover the ceiling with drywall. You would lose less than an inch of ceiling height, and might have to do a little bit of re-wiring if you have any light fixtures, but I think that would be much easier and cheaper than removing the popcorn. You might still want to wear some protective clothing. Try not to “disturb” the popcorn. The real concern with asbestos is the fibers when they become airborne.
You will not get cancer form taking down one asbestos ceiling, but you could risk going to jail and or paying a huge fine. I’d cover it over with Sheetrock, encapsulating it.
You are certainly right to be cautious! Please do not attempt to remove this your self. There are cases of individuals who have had only small exposure to asbestos and developed mesothelioma. It only takes one fibre – lodged in your lung, and cause irritation and disrupt normal cell growth. I.e. One gentleman developed it after scraping moss of his garage roof which was made of corrogated asbestos! Also, a teacher has recently died of mesothelioma after sticking pins in an asbestos board at her school.
What is the point of taking any health risks? You will also put other people at risk in your household. An asbestos fibre can remain suspended once released into the air for up to half an hour! Any unsuspecting person passing through that room can inhale it.
Although a higher percentage of mesothelioma victims arise from high exposure to asbestos. Any low exposure can not be 100% ruled out.
I have included my web address for more info on this,
Kind regards,
Ann.
Look, it is a viable option to remove it yourself but like you said the material can be friable and there’s no guarantee that breathing it in won’t cause damage in years to come even if it is only 12% asbestos.
If you want to do it yourself you need to make sure you take the proper precautions. The room you’re working in should be sealed off, tape around cracks in the windows, cover the floor and power sockets. You’ll also need to wear coveralls, goggles, a asbestos-rated mask and gloves. It makes it hot, hard work but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
There’s a site called Removing-Asbestos that has a lot of tips and steps to follow for home asbestos removal. I suggest you take a look before attempting the work yourself. I’ll put a link to one important article in the sources section. There’s a lot more on the site itself.
Do not do this yourself. Popcorn ceiling material is a friable asbestos containing material meaning it will easily release asbestos fibers into the air when disturbed. You should hire a professional who will build a containment in the room where the material is located in order to protect the rest of your house from contamination. You should also have air monitoring done. (At a minimum following the project to ensure that the air is clean prior to removing the containment.) As for the statement that stuff that contains 60% is usually non-friable is incorrect. Most low percentages are non-friable such as floor tile and transite siding. Higher percentages are found in friable pipe insulation, boiler insulation and spray on fireproofing.
Everyone says its harmless except the thousand upon thousands of people with asbestosis, lung cancer and mesotheleoma.
Keep your peace of mind. Protect your and your families health. Get it done by a company with EPA accredited workers under the supervision of an accredited supervisor.
Go to the environmental yellow pages to find accredited people in your area. http://www.enviroyellowpages.com/
Good luck
JG
Asbestos Project Designer/Management Planner/Inspector/Air Monitor.