Asbestos in 'popcorn' ceiling texture

[ArgentCy]

The sellers wouldn't care nearly as much about getting it tested. But they are then required to disclose it by government regulations and forms. So you wouldn't have a problem wanting to get it tested. The same thing has happened for lead based paint testing. Used to be a pretty simple deal but now no one wants to get it tested because of the liability. Even though its pretty easy to tell just by looking at cracked paint.

 

[CascadeClone]

Asbestos is generally more dangerous from what people are saying here. I am no expert, and maybe I am wrong, but it isn't a cumulative risk like radon or cigarette smoke. A single fiber in your lung can cause cancer, is my understanding. Now, it's not easy to get it in your lungs, but if you are sanding it off or breaking it up....

Anyway, just wanted to throw that in, my understanding is it IS very immediately dangerous. Hopefully someone truly edumacated on it will set us right.

 

[Clonehomer]

The sellers wouldn't care nearly as much about getting it tested. But they are then required to disclose it by government regulations and forms. So you wouldn't have a problem wanting to get it tested. The same thing has happened for lead based paint testing. Used to be a pretty simple deal but now no one wants to get it tested because of the liability. Even though its pretty easy to tell just by looking at cracked paint.

So are you advocating that no product you buy should have to disclose whether lead paint or asbestos was used to protect the seller against liability? Or is this just for the biggest purchase that a person would make?

 

[OPButtrey]

We have not closed and they will not test because then they would have to disclose so would have to fix or not sell. They won't let us test either. Basically they're laying it on us to take the gamble.

Then I would walk away from the deal.

 

[1100011CS]

Then I would walk away from the deal.

That would cost me $1000

 

[keepngoal]

That would cost me $1000

I bet you could fight and get that back.

I wonder what it would cost to have the popcorn ceiling fixed?

 

[BCClone]

Did you have a back out clause due to inspection? If the time of testing takes over the time period, I think that that would allow you to get your earnest money back.

 

[2forISU]

Why don't you just sheetrock over it? Scraping popcorn ceiling is messy and there is still a lot of prep work after scrapping the ceiling. Plus, this doesn't expose you to the potential risk of asbestos.

 

[ArgentCy]

So are you advocating that no product you buy should have to disclose whether lead paint or asbestos was used to protect the seller against liability? Or is this just for the biggest purchase that a person would make?

I am saying that these laws, like many others, have the opposite effect and lead to fewer tests to even find these potentially dangerous materials. It is better to not know and stick your head in the sand.

I am all for distributing information on these materials, like I said earlier I did not know that the ceiling textures were potentially asbestos containing.

 

[Clonehomer]

That would cost me $1000

There should be conditions of the offer sheet that the seller allows for inspection of the house. If they are denying you the opportunity to test, then they are not meeting the conditions of the offer sheet and you are not responsible for the guarantee.

If there isn't language that the seller must allow for inspection, then you should fire your realtor.

 

[keepngoal]

I am saying that these laws, like many others, have the opposite effect and lead to fewer tests to even find these potentially dangerous materials. It is better to not know and stick your head in the sand.

I am all for distributing information on these materials, like I said earlier I did not know that the ceiling textures were potentially asbestos containing.

ArgentOnion strikes again!

 

[CYEATHAWK]

We have decided not to build and have made an offer(and been accepted) on a house. It has popcorn ceiling texture with sparkles in it (gotta love the 70s). While researching the best way to remove/cover up the sparkles we learned that asbestos was commonly used in popcorn ceiling texture prior to it being banned in 1978 (or 77?). This house was build in 1976. So my question is: how likely is it that the texture in this house contains asbestos? I've read everything I can find on the interwebs and it sounds like we should get it tested and professionally removed but a) we only have this week to get it tested and can't find anyone to do it that fast b) nobody in Marshalltown has even heard of asbestos in ceiling texture. None of the realtors have ever had it brought up before (which I find odd if not downright lying). Any info or personal experience would be helpful.

Getting the state or anyone who is a "professional" at dealing with this gets messy and expensive. If you have 8 foot ceilings just use 1X6 furring strips and cap with half inch rock. You will lose about two inches of height but who gives a crap. You will avoid all the pomp and circumstance that has to do with removing this crap. I deal with alot of older homes and along with your problem........lead paint. The powers that be would have you believe your ceiling is coated with anthrax. It's BS. Just go rent a drywall lift......get some buddies and spend a little time and money capping your ceiling.

 

[2forISU]

Getting the state or anyone who is a "professional" at dealing with this gets messy and expensive. If you have 8 foot ceilings just use 1X6 furring strips and cap with half inch rock. You will lose about two inches of height but who gives a crap. You will avoid all the pomp and circumstance that has to do with removing this crap. I deal with alot of older homes and along with your problem........lead paint. The powers that be would have you believe your ceiling is coated with anthrax. It's BS. Just go rent a drywall lift......get some buddies and spend a little time and money capping your ceiling.

If the individual hasn't sheetrock before, I highly recommend not to start now. Hire someone to install the sheetrock and tape it, you can prime and paint.

 

[wxman1]

The sellers wouldn't care nearly as much about getting it tested. But they are then required to disclose it by government regulations and forms. So you wouldn't have a problem wanting to get it tested. The same thing has happened for lead based paint testing. Used to be a pretty simple deal but now no one wants to get it tested because of the liability. Even though its pretty easy to tell just by looking at cracked paint.

So you are going to use extremely rare examples of issues to support your argument that it is better to just not know/lie about a disclosure form. A form that is there to protect both sides...

Can't say I am surprised.

 

[Clonehomer]

I am saying that these laws, like many others, have the opposite effect and lead to fewer tests to even find these potentially dangerous materials. It is better to not know and stick your head in the sand.

I am all for distributing information on these materials, like I said earlier I did not know that the ceiling textures were potentially asbestos containing.

My point is that selling a house is just like any other product. There are a lot of companies that would like to avoid testing products, but we make them anyway. I'm sure VW would have preferred to not test their emissions because they had to deal with fixing it. A home seller should not be able to sell a potentially dangerous product and remaining purposely ignorant to avoid having to fix that problem themselves.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

If the individual hasn't sheetrock before, I highly recommend not to start now. Hire someone to install the sheetrock and tape it, you can prime and paint.

If he wants a level 5 then absolutely if you can find the right people. That is why they invented texture. To hide imperfections. It's perfect for people who don't want to take out a 2nd mortgage hiring someone that thinks every time they hang a sheet of drywall it's a giant step for mankind. With the tools someone can rent, the premixes and the 4/8/12 rule......a team of monkeys can have a level 3 (which are 99.9 of new builds)in a matter of days. Then do a little knock down and SHAZAM.

 

[1100011CS]

I've been assured by a long-time, local contractor that by the lat
e-60s 99% of popcorn ceiling texture was asbestos free in this area. If he is wrong, I'll be like

EDIT: rephrasing what he said: he's 99% sure that the popcorn texture in this house won't have asbestos in it because by the late 60s most contractors had stopped using it. Just took the gov't 10 more years to ban.

 

[1100011CS]

As for sheetrocking myself, we're planning on taking out a wall so there will already be some disturbing of the ceiling texture. I won't be taking any chances with my kids.

 

[jbhtexas]

My wife hates popcorn ceilings, so we have been getting rid of them so slowly. In our kitchen, for some reason, somebody sprayed the popcorn with some kind of clear varnish or urethane, and it was impossible to scrape off. The contractor floated it smooth with mud. It worked fine, except the edges where the ceiling (we have vaulted ceiling in the kitchen) meet the wall look sloppy. Still trying to get that straightened out...

 

[2forISU]

If he wants a level 5 then absolutely if you can find the right people. That is why they invented texture. To hide imperfections. It's perfect for people who don't want to take out a 2nd mortgage hiring someone that thinks every time they hang a sheet of drywall it's a giant step for mankind. With the tools someone can rent, the premixes and the 4/8/12 rule......a team of monkeys can have a level 3 (which are 99.9 of new builds)in a matter of days. Then do a little knock down and SHAZAM.

Sheetrocking a ceiling is not the easiest and shows the most imperfections, but I do agree there is ways to hide the small imperfections. Owner can also hang the sheetrock and let someone else mud/tape it, there is options.