Removing popcorn from ceiling

[HoneySuckle]

This is a dusty, dirty, messy task but my ceilings are beginning to look awesome, thanks to an amazing mud guy (he does all kinds of plaster type work).

I will post pics soon.  But I'd like to know why the heck they put this nasty stuff on the ceilings to begin with!!  At least mine does not have glitters, LOL

If you need his number, I'll provide it.  His name is David, and is the ONLY worker I have called back three times.  Can't say the same for the others...sigh. Trades people (some of them) just don't seem to take pride in their work, but David does and it shows.

[inteller]

you ask why:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_ceiling

[Wilbur]

The popcorn was used because it was easier to hide the seems then the mud-and-tape method.

[HoneySuckle]

If my house was built in late 1989, would they have used asbestos in the pop corn?  I sure hope not!

[waterboy]

My father was a painting contractor during that period of time. I worked summers helping to apply those finishes. We used special "hoppers" to spray ceilings and walls. It was messy.

The materials we used were the same ones used to mud and tape only mixed in 55 gallon drums to get the correct consistency for the spray apparatus. I don't think either one had asbestos in them. They were indeed for deadening sound and replacing the more labor intensive mud/tape process.

The sparkle was popular in the early 60's but was just a fad like metal Christmas trees. Practically every apartment built in Tulsa from 1963 through 1970 had popcorn ceilings. The wall treatment was called "splatter" in the trades and made repairs on the walls much easier since smoothness was not needed anymore. Sometimes we would mask off the wood trim, mix paint into the splatter or popcorn and finish them in one step. Hopefully, there was no lead in the paint. If you house was built in 89 it doesn't have lead or asbestos materials.

It should scrape off the ceilings pretty easily but splatter walls have to be sanded. It was a treatment that may someday be revered just as "jazz plaster" from the 20's or papered ceilings from the turn of the century.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by HoneySuckle

If my house was built in late 1989, would they have used asbestos in the pop corn?  I sure hope not!

Fear Not- Asbestos was banned in 1973. They did use that "popcorn" look in many old schools long ago because it was cheap and the asbestos was fire proof, back then they  used asbestos for the "popcorn" look. Asbestos is just about banned all over now in most products.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

My father was a painting contractor during that period of time. I worked summers helping to apply those finishes. We used special "hoppers" to spray ceilings and walls. It was messy.

The materials we used were the same ones used to mud and tape only mixed in 55 gallon drums to get the correct consistency for the spray apparatus. I don't think either one had asbestos in them. They were indeed for deadening sound and replacing the more labor intensive mud/tape process.

The sparkle was popular in the early 60's but was just a fad like metal Christmas trees. Practically every apartment built in Tulsa from 1963 through 1970 had popcorn ceilings. The wall treatment was called "splatter" in the trades and made repairs on the walls much easier since smoothness was not needed anymore. Sometimes we would mask off the wood trim, mix paint into the splatter or popcorn and finish them in one step. Hopefully, there was no lead in the paint. If you house was built in 89 it doesn't have lead or asbestos materials.

It should scrape off the ceilings pretty easily but splatter walls have to be sanded. It was a treatment that may someday be revered just as "jazz plaster" from the 20's or papered ceilings from the turn of the century.

If that was in the 1960's there is a chance they used asbestos, if not for the fire-proofing they used it as filler because asbestos was cheap and was used all over- they even used asbestos in the twin towers of New York because they were built before the 1973 ban- I think latter on they tried to remove some the asbestos from the twin towers but they did not remove it all, that could of played a part in the collapse on 09-11-01- the stuff they used to replace the asbestos was not as good at fire-proofing. Asbestos is pretty bad stuff they say a single asbestos exposure can start the diease cycle for Methelioma. Asbestos factory workers gave Methelioma to family members just from the asbestos dust on their work clothes. Steve McQueen died from that in 1980.

[Michael71]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

quote:Originally posted by HoneySuckle

If my house was built in late 1989, would they have used asbestos in the pop corn?  I sure hope not!

Fear Not- Asbestos was banned in 1973. They did use that "popcorn" look in many old schools long ago because it was cheap and the asbestos was fire proof, back then they  used asbestos for the "popcorn" look. Asbestos is just about banned all over now in most products.

Our house was built in 1920 & we have popcorn in some of the rooms & most of the living space downstairs.  I tried to remove some of it & it was very hard to do.  The newer stuff is much easier...but messy.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelWayne_71

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

quote:Originally posted by HoneySuckle

If my house was built in late 1989, would they have used asbestos in the pop corn?  I sure hope not!

Fear Not- Asbestos was banned in 1973. They did use that "popcorn" look in many old schools long ago because it was cheap and the asbestos was fire proof, back then they  used asbestos for the "popcorn" look. Asbestos is just about banned all over now in most products.

Our house was built in 1920 & we have popcorn in some of the rooms & most of the living space downstairs.  I tried to remove some of it & it was very hard to do.  The newer stuff is much easier...but messy.

I don't think they used asbestos as a spray-on in homes, even if they did, it's likely the past owners removed the stuff when they did upgrades and re-models to the home. Furnace pipes are another story many older homes had furnace pipes wraped in asbestos insulation, but that is OK as long as it's left alone and not torn. If it's riped & torn asbestos dust can get lose and  into the air. IMO I think alot of the hype about asbestos dust is overblown.

[wenwilwa]

This thread got me worrying about the popcorn ceilings that have been removed in my parents' home. Their house was built in 1970, and over the years they've had the ceilings scraped and smoothed in all but one room. They didn't take any precautions against asbestos. Just for peace of mind, I took a sample to Environmental Hazard Control Inc in Tulsa and they tested it for asbestos. I'm happy to say it came back negative.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by wenwilwa

This thread got me worrying about the popcorn ceilings that have been removed in my parents' home. Their house was built in 1970, and over the years they've had the ceilings scraped and smoothed in all but one room. They didn't take any precautions against asbestos. Just for peace of mind, I took a sample to Environmental Hazard Control Inc in Tulsa and they tested it for asbestos. I'm happy to say it came back negative.

It's unlikely a single asbestos exposure can start a disease cycle, many people worked in dust-filled asbestos factories for years before they took ill. Asbestosis requires years and years of heavy exposure as does lung carcinoma and even at that many of those people smoked too. The only bad asbestos disease that seems to have no doseage level is Methelioma, but it is rare, many people who worked years in asbestos plants never came down with that diease. IMO Methelioma forms in people with bad genes for the disease. The best bet is to avoid asbestos exposure as much as we can, but we all inhale some asbestos dust in out normal daily lives, from microscopic brake dust around our highways and things like that.[B)]