Popcorn Ceiling is Asbestos Positive?
Question:I had my ceiling tested for asbestos and it came back positive with a 2% content. The lab that did the testing told me the EPA says not to mess with it unless it's 1% or less. Is the EPA simply being excessively careful or is that extra 1% actually make a difference? I'd remove the ceiling myself with the "do it yourself" technique without any regard for myself, however, I have a wife and 3 children whom I'd rather not foolishly endanger.
Answers:
if they told you its positive more likely it is..
i don't think you can be excessively careful when it comes to asbestos.. sure no harm is done right away..
but do you really want lung cancer later on??
my guess is stick to the EPA.. and follow their guidelines.. make sure your family is away while your removing it..
maybe after you have it removed you can have the air checked.. that will check to see if there is any flying around the air
I wouldn't suggest you do that. For the time being, anything dangerous in the ceiling is pretty well contained. But if you start messing with the popcorn ceiling, it's not just the particles you can see that are getting everywhere, you'd basically be releasing microscopic particles and dust, great for inhaling.
IF you decide to remove the ceiling yourself, have somewhere else for your children to be until the project is completely finished and cleaned up well. Not talking about the next bedroom, I'm talking about send them to Grandma's house or summer camp.
First you want to have a licensed inspector look at it (look in your yellow pages, but confirm the license with your state). This ceiling needs to be evaluated with more than one sample. 2% is a funny number for a popcorn ceiling and no confirmation should be made with one sample.. If an inspector confirms this, then you should either leave it alone or have it removed by a licensed contractor. With three kids, I would have it removed, because with kids, it will get damaged from vibration or just bouncing balls.
If it were my ceiling I would remove it my self and save the money. Asbestos removal is not rocket science, the procedure is to wet down the material to be removed I would use soapy water in a handheld sprayer after I protected the rest of the room and floor with plastic. Then spray it after it is on the floor also, with a normal size room removing it with a scraper shouldn't take more than a few hours. Then roll up the plastic and throw it away. The asbestos is locked into the paint already so it will not become readily airborne. I worked with men that suffered from asbestos related diseases, they were asbestos workers after WW2 and back then they were covered from head to toe at the end of each day with 100% asbestos dust. The dangers of asbestos are real but very overblown.
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