The Truth About Asbestos In Your Home - Get Your Free Report
It is important to use good safety and work practices when remodeling or renovating a home to minimize or prevent your exposure to asbestos that could be associated with various building materials, mold that could be growing in areas where there is excess moisture or other potential indoor air problems.
The following are some good ideas to consider:
- Correct whatever may be causing the problem. For example, if ceiling texture is delaminating check to see if there is an underlying moisture problem. This is especially a concern if you suspect that there may be asbestos in the ceiling texture.
- Lead based paint is a potential hazard in homes built before 1978. Unless a lead-based paint inspection shows otherwise, you should treat paint in homes built before 1978 as if contains lead. Exposing anyone to lead dust, especially children, is harmful.
- Consider the potential presence of asbestos. Many types of common building materials such as floor tile, sheet flooring, joint compounds or textures may contain asbestos. If a project requires disturbing areas that contain asbestos, use an asbestos professional or contact your health department for advice before proceeding.
- Identify areas of mold growth. Mold may cause certain health affects and symptoms such as allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles and carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced. If a project is likely to expose large areas of microbial growth, consult with an environmental professional about adequate protective measures.
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Lead Paint,
Mold
The Truth About Asbestos In Your Home - Get Your Free Report
Asbestos in Textured Ceilings
Asbestos is a term used commonly to represent six naturally occurring minerals which have been mined for use in construction, insulation and other industries where their properties have proven beneficial. Asbestos became popular in the 1800s for its use in because of its insulation effects, chemical resistance and tensile strength along with other properties.
One of the many uses of asbestos in construction materials was its use in what is commonly called popcorn ceilings or textured ceiling. A popcorn ceiling, also known as an acoustic ceiling or cottage cheese ceiling, refers to a ceiling technique in which a textured material is sprayed on or troweled on to provide decorative and/or acoustic properties to a ceiling. This type of ceiling treatment was inexpensive and easy to apply and it could easily mask defects in ceiling construction and poor workmanship including stains and structural cracks. The natural noise reduction properties of popcorn ceilings made it popular in kitchens, hallways, bathrooms and bedroom in new home constructions from the 1950s to the early 1980s.
Many popcorn ceiling formulations during this time included asbestos as a main component because it not only was a good insulator, it was good at binding the other materials together to make it easier to work with. In addition to asbestos, these textured ceilings also contained Styrofoam, cellulose or wood fiber, and sometimes mica or vermiculite. These materials would give the formulation its bumpy texture.
Asbestos was banned for use in popcorn ceiling formulations in 1977, however it can still be found in materials that were used in new construction in the early 1980s.
Today, popcorn ceilings are considered unattractive and many people are removing them and replacing them with little or no texture. The textured ceilings can be removed by wet scraping although this is a messy and tedious process.
It is important to note that there can be danger in removing popcorn ceiling that contains asbestos. Since asbestos is a well known carcinogen, extreme caution must be used when removing the popcorn ceiling. In fact, it is very highly recommended that a licensed professional be employed to remove any material that contains asbestos. The problem is that if this is not done correctly and safely, asbestos may become airborne allowing it to be inhaled or ingested.
If your home was built in the early 1980s or older and you are considering ceiling renovations, you should have the material tested. In most cases an expert should be consulted, but a cautious homeowner may be able to collect an asbestos sample and send it to a specialized laboratory for analysis.
For a complete guide about asbestos in the home and how to collect a sample for analysis, please click on the following link.
