Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings

Asbestos fibres

One of our frequently asked questions concerns a dangerous material found in many homes built prior to the mid-1980s. No, not shag carpeting (although that’s scary too). It’s asbestos in popcorn ceilings.  Many people have heard it’s bad, but they don’t really know what asbestos is or what can be done about it.

 

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos fibres
Asbestos fibres

Asbestos is a type of mineral fibre. It is naturally occurring and is obtained from the earth by mining. One of the biggest mines is in the town of Asbestos, Quebec. Asbestos has been used in various products for thousands of years, however modern usage began around 1880. There are several types of asbestos, but since this article deals with ceilings, we’ll refer to the one that is most commonly found in ceiling texture: chrysotile. It’s sometimes known as serpentine asbestos or white asbestos.

 

Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings

Asbestos was thought to be a miracle material.  It’s resistant to chemical and biological degradation, so it’s virtually indestructible. It’s even fireproof. You can see how great it seemed, yet this cheap miracle fibre turned out to be a health disaster. Once a link was established between certain cancers and asbestos, Canada banned its use in building materials. This ban took effect in about 1978, but existing stock was allowed to be used. Because of this, homes built into the early 1980s could also have asbestos in popcorn ceilings. 

 

What Health Complications Can Asbestos Exposure Cause?

Exposure to asbestos can cause all sorts of respiratory problems and cancers. The World Health Organization states:

All types of asbestos cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and ovary, and asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs). Exposure to asbestos occurs through inhalation of fibres in air in the working environment, ambient air in the vicinity of point sources such as factories handling asbestos, or indoor air in housing and buildings containing friable (crumbly) asbestos materials.

Most of these health issues are recorded in people associated with the asbestos mining industry, but for safety, any asbestos exposure should be avoided.

Chest x-ray showing extensive mesothelioma on the right side from asbestos exposure
Chest x-ray showing extensive mesothelioma on the right side from asbestos exposure

How Do I Know if There is Asbestos in My Ceiling Texture?

Asbestos fibres are microscopic and the only way to know for sure if your ceiling texture has them is to take a sample to an independent lab for analysis.  At RemoveCeilingTexture.com we offer a service to come and take a sample to a third-party lab for analysis.

 

Can I Still Get Smooth Ceilings if the Texture has Asbestos?

While the only way to get rid of asbestos is to hire an abatement company, the cost can be prohibitive. If you’d like smooth ceilings but don’t want to go through the expensive process of abatement, RemoveCeilingTexture.com can help. Our process for asbestos ceilings will not disturb the ceiling texture, which is important because you don’t want the asbestos fibres becoming airborne. We apply our compound directly onto the texture to seal in the fibres. You’re left with smooth ceilings.

 

Asbestos in North Vancouver

This homeowner in North Vancouver was doing extensive renovations in her basement suite and wanted modern smooth ceilings. The home was built in 1974 and so she had the ceiling texture tested for asbestos. The results came back positive. Asbestos abatement was not in her budget, but she still wanted the ceilings to match the rest of the updates. She got a few quotes from drywall specialists, but in the end decided to go with us at RemoveCeilingTexture.com because we are experts in this field. We applied our compound directly to the texture and soon the ceilings were smooth and matched the new contemporary feel of the suite.

Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: This home in North Vancouver had the ceilings smoothed - Bedroom
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: This home in North Vancouver had the ceilings smoothed – Bedroom
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: Ceiling repair and smooth ceilings in North Vancouver
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: Ceiling repair and smooth ceilings in North Vancouver
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings - Ceiling repair and smooth ceilings in North Vancouver
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings – Ceiling repair and smooth ceilings in North Vancouver
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: Before and after of hallway in North Vancouver
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: Before and after of hallway in North Vancouver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings - Smooth ceilings in living room of North Vancouver basement suite
Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings – Smooth ceilings in living room of North Vancouver basement suite

 

If you’d like to find out more about ceiling resurfacing, or would like RemoveCeilingTexture.com to come out to take a sample for asbestos testing, please give us a call at 604-420-7578 or contact us by email.

 

 

Want to know more about asbestos testing for ceiling texture, or how to get smooth ceilings? Click here to contact us today!

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Resources:
2. Asbestos risk assessment document from the WHO, IARC Monograph (2012), pp219-294:  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100C/mono100C-11.pdf
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The Lowdown on Textured Ceilings

This condo at 518 Moberly Rd in Vancouver had the textured ceilings removed
This condo at 518 Moberly Rd in Vancouver had the textured ceilings removed
This condo at 518 Moberly Rd in Vancouver had the textured ceilings removed

If your home was built from about 1950 onwards, there’s a good chance you have textured ceilings, also known as popcorn ceilings or stippled ceilings. It’s even being used today in the countless highrises sprouting from the earth like fungi. You might think, wouldn’t they be able to sell the units for more money if the ceilings were smooth and actually looked finished? Yes, they most likely would, but the problem is that old adage: time is money. Textured ceilings are quick and cheap and they need to sell the units as quickly as possible. This keeps us at RemoveCeilingTexture.com quite busy.

 

The Nitty Gritty of Textured Ceilings

So let’s break it down. What are the arguments for and against textured ceilings?

 

“Textured ceilings are quick and cheap to build.”

This argument really only works for the developer. But this is about you, the homeowner.

Ceilings transformed from textured to smooth at a condo at 1230 Haro Street in Vancouver
Ceilings transformed from textured to smooth at a condo at 1230 Haro Street in Vancouver

You’re likely not pocketing the savings the developers made by spraying the

texture. Do you know what else is quick and cheap? Leaving the concrete floors unfinished and not painting the walls. How many developers do that? For some reason textured ceilings have become almost an industry standard and people put up with it.

 

“Textured ceilings mute sound.”

If you live in a modern condo building, the texture is not making a difference in sound transmission. Generally, you shouldn’t be able to hear your neighbours walking around.

Living room of Vancouver condo now has smooth ceilings - 1230 Haro St, Vancouver
Living room of Vancouver condo now has smooth ceilings – 1230 Haro St, Vancouver

However, if your upstairs neighbour insists on channeling her inner Victoria Beckham by walking in heels at all hours, textured ceilings will not make one iota of difference. You’re going to hear that clickety-clack whether or not you have textured ceilings. Likewise, the creaks and groans of an older home are going to come through regardless of the texture on your ceilings. The sound may not even be coming through the ceilings. If walls are missing insulation, sound will travel through. Unless you have a seriously sound proofed room that can silence a nine-year old boy and his drum set, you’re going to get some sound transfer.

The other sound issue people talk about is echo within a room.

Removal of textured ceilings in the dining room of a Vancouver Condo - 1230 Haro St.
Removal of textured ceilings in the dining room of a Vancouver Condo – 1230 Haro St.

Echoes occur when sound waves bounce off of hard surfaces such as walls and ceilings, multiple times. It’s true, if you have an empty room with no furniture, textured ceilings will slightly dampen echoes. But once you add softer components such as sofas, chairs, beds, carpets, rugs, etc., the sound waves will be absorbed by these softer items and won’t create an echo. So your textured ceilings are not helping.

 

“Textured ceilings don’t bother me.”

Are you sure about that? They may not bother you visually, but what they harbour could be affecting your health. Asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems can be aggravated by the dust and allergens that are present in every home. In most homes you vacuum, you dust…problem solved, right? Not so fast. The dust gets stuck in the nooks and crannies of textured ceilings. It can then fall back down at its leisure, making your symptoms worse.

Smooth ceilings appear higher - Vancouver condo at 1331 Homer St.
Smooth ceilings appear higher – Vancouver condo at 1331 Homer St.
Resurfaced concrete ceilings at a Vancouver condo - Bedroom at 1331 Homer St.
Resurfaced concrete ceilings at a Vancouver condo – Bedroom at 1331 Homer St.

Smoothing Out the Nitty Gritty

The good news is that you’re not stuck with textured ceilings. From penthouse condos to heritage homes and everything in between, we can provide smooth ceilings for pretty much every type of dwelling (we’ve yet to do a hobbit-hole, though).

At RemoveCeilingTexture.com, our name only tells part of the story. Removing the ceiling texture is only the first step to smooth ceilings. Once the texture is gone, you’ll often see inconsistencies in the ceilings. If you were to paint at this stage, they wouldn’t look very good. The next, crucial step is where our expertise really shines:  resurfacing the ceilings. Our process will leave you with flawless, smooth ceilings that look fantastic.

Contact us today for a FREE QUOTE for getting rid of your textured ceilings. Send us an email, or call us at 604-420-7578.

Close-up view of corner after ceiling texture removal at a condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver
Close-up view of corner after ceiling texture removal at a condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver
Living room with smooth ceilings - condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver
Living room with smooth ceilings – condo at 1331 Homer St, Vancouver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tired of your textured ceilings? Contact us today for a FREE quote!