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Is it bad to live in a house with popcorn ceiling?
The ceiling will not endanger your health as long as it remains completely undisturbed or properly encapsulated. In the long run, having it professionally removed is the safest choice. A higher percentage of asbestos is worse, but popcorn ceiling is dangerous even if it is just a few percent asbestos.
Are popcorn ceilings a health hazard?
However, popcorn ceilings are constructed from highly friable (crumbly) materials, and even the slightest disturbance can release toxic asbestos dust into the air. If inhaled, asbestos dust can lead to serious health issues, such as chronic coughing, shortness of breath, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and even lung cancer.
What is the advantage of popcorn ceiling?
That said, one great benefit (then, and now) is that they hide imperfections, cracks, and scuff marks a lot better than regular, smooth ceilings. Since the three-dimensional texture is coarse and casts shadows, it can disguise or even completely cover those older, shoddy repair jobs, and no one would be the wiser.
What was the purpose of popcorn ceilings?
Many homes built in the late 1930s through the 1990s have popcorn ceilings or some type of texture applied overhead. It was used to cover up a lot of flaws in the ceiling. It was time-effective and cost-efficient. Often called an acoustic ceiling, it also served the purpose to absorb sound and reduce noise.
Should I keep popcorn ceiling?
The EPA states that if the ceiling is still intact, then you’re not in danger of inhaling the substance and so the ceiling should be left as it is. You are going to want to remove the popcorn ceiling throughout your house: If the ceiling has been damaged at all. If the interior of the ceiling exposed.
Was asbestos used in popcorn ceilings?
After asbestos was mostly banned in 1978, popcorn ceilings were made with paper fiber. However, suppliers were allowed to legally sell their existing inventory of asbestos-containing products. Because of this, popcorn ceilings were installed in homes into the mid-1980s.
How can you tell if your popcorn ceiling has asbestos?
Not all Popcorn Ceilings have Asbestos. But, it is literally impossible to tell if your ceiling does or not without getting it tested by an accredited lab. Asbestos is made of microscopic fibers which become airborne when disturbed. Theses get sucked into the lungs when we breathe, and can cause a wide array of problems.
How dangerous is popcorn ceiling asbestos?
Popcorn asbestos ceilings are not dangerous per se. Health risks for mesothelioma only arise when the ceiling material is disturbed, releasing asbestos fibers into the air. This typically happens when the air erodes the asbestos from the ceiling material.
What year did they stop putting asbestos in popcorn ceilings?
Asbestos was banned in the USA in 1978. Test your popcorn ceiling for asbestos if it was applied before 1986.
What does a popcorn ceiling with asbestos look like?
In acoustical and decorative finishes, asbestos fibers may appear in textured compounds like the once-popular “popcorn ceiling.” The asbestos-laden insulation, Zonolite, has a puffy, granulated appearance.