Hey everyone! I'm currently working on my house that was built in 1965 in central North Carolina. We've got popcorn ceilings in the kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom, and I've been sanding them down to remove about 20 years' worth of nicotine from the previous owners. We've been using respirators and protective eyewear, but I'm starting to worry about the possibility of asbestos in those ceilings. What are the chances that there is asbestos? Also, I was planning to prime the ceilings with Zinsser BIN after cleaning, but if they contain asbestos, is that still a good idea? I didn't realize our 3M P95 respirators aren't rated for asbestos, so should we stop this project? Is there a way to visually confirm if these ceilings have asbestos? We're renting the sander and need to return it tomorrow, but it's getting tricky and we're low on budget! What would you do in our situation? Are we in over our heads?
4 Answers
Why not just cover the popcorn ceiling with new drywall? It’s an easy fix that seals in the asbestos safely. You won’t lose much height, and it avoids the whole sanding issue. Just screw some furring strips into the old ceiling and then put new ceiling panels up. If you want to add lights or fans later, that’s manageable too.
Stop sanding the popcorn ceilings. You can't visually tell if there's asbestos, but you can get a test kit online or locally to confirm. Instead of sanding, try scraping it off with a big scraper, and use a wet method to keep dust down. P95 masks help a bit, but for asbestos, it’s better to be extra cautious and mask everything off properly first.
Given your house's age, it’s likely there’s asbestos not just in the ceiling but also in other areas like around your HVAC ducts. Personally, I’d stop the sanding right away. The best practice would be to remove the ceiling all at once in large pieces and keep the texture attached while you do it. Also, you definitely need proper air filtration and respirators that are specifically rated for asbestos. After the work, thoroughly clean with a HEPA vacuum, and avoid sweeping to minimize airborne dust.
Definitely get the ceiling tested. The risk of asbestos is not something to take lightly. If it turns out safe, dampen the popcorn with a garden sprayer and then scrape it off. If it does contain asbestos, hire someone who knows how to handle it professionally—it's not worth the risk to your health.
We soaked it really well, but it was still tough to move, which led to the sanding decision. We really thought that would help!
We're definitely stopping for now. We attempted the scraping method but didn’t have much luck even after drenching it with water. That's why we turned to sanding, but we're realizing how risky this is.