Popcorn Ceilings, Test Before You Scrape

Why Popcorn Ceilings Get Tested

Spray-on ceiling texture, also called popcorn or acoustic ceiling, was popular from the 1950s into the 1980s. Some of it was made with asbestos because the fibers helped it stick and resist fire. Asbestos in spray-on texture was restricted in the late 1970s, but existing supplies were still used for years afterward, so ceilings sprayed in the early and mid 1980s can still contain it.

An intact popcorn ceiling that nobody touches releases very little. The problem is that the most common way people get rid of it, by scraping, turns the texture into dust that settles everywhere. If that texture contains asbestos, fibers end up in the carpet, the ducts and the air you breathe.

That is why the order matters. Test first. Decide second. Scrape only if the result says it is safe to do so. It is worth testing even if a seller or neighbor says the ceiling is fine. Ceilings were often patched or resprayed, and one room can be different from the next.

How Sampling Works

The EPA recommends that a trained professional take asbestos samples, and in some cities that is required before a renovation. Some homeowners take their own ceiling samples and mail them to an accredited lab. If you choose to sample yourself, do it carefully so the test does not create the exposure you are trying to avoid.

1. Turn off the heating and cooling system and close the room.
2. Lay plastic on the floor below the sample spot.
3. Put on a respirator and safety glasses.
4. Mist the spot with water mixed with a drop of dish soap. Wet texture releases far fewer fibers.
5. Scrape a small sample, about a tablespoon, through the full depth of the texture down to the drywall, straight into a zip-top bag.
6. Seal the bag, put it in a second bag and label it with the room and date.
7. Wipe the area and the plastic with damp paper towels, fold the plastic inward and bag it.
8. Seal the spot with spackle or a dab of primer.

Take a separate sample from every room or area that might have been sprayed at a different time, such as additions, patches or rooms with a different texture pattern.

Reading the Lab Result

Use a lab accredited through the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program, or NVLAP. Most labs test ceiling texture with polarized light microscopy and report a result in a few business days.

The report will also list the asbestos type, most often chrysotile in ceiling texture. Keep the report with your home records. Future buyers, contractors and inspectors may ask for it.

A result applies only to the sample and the area it came from. One negative room does not clear the whole house if other ceilings could have been sprayed at a different time.

If the Test Is Positive

A positive result is not an emergency. An intact ceiling that is not flaking, cracked or water stained can often stay where it is. You have three reasonable choices.

• Leave it alone. Avoid hanging things from it, installing new fixtures through it or letting it get wet. Check for damage from roof or plumbing leaks.
• Enclose it. A contractor can cover it with a thin layer of new drywall or a ceiling panel system. Fastening through the texture disturbs a small amount, so this should be done by someone trained in asbestos work.
• Remove it. A licensed abatement contractor seals the room with plastic, runs HEPA filtered negative air machines, wets the texture, scrapes it into sealed bags and cleans the room before the containment comes down. Ask for an air clearance test afterward.

Painting over asbestos texture is sometimes suggested as an easy seal. It can help hold loose material, but a roller can pull chunks loose. A sprayer is gentler. Paint also makes future wet removal much harder, because water will not soak through.

If a water leak soaked an asbestos ceiling and it is sagging or falling, keep people out of the room and call a professional.

If the Test Is Negative

With a negative result for every area, removing popcorn texture is a common DIY project. It is still messy work, so prepare well.

• Empty the room and cover the floor and walls with plastic, taped high on the walls.
• Turn off the HVAC and the power to ceiling fixtures. Cover vents and outlets with tape.
• Wear a respirator anyway. Texture dust is still irritating to the lungs.
• Mist a 4 by 4 foot section with water and wait about 15 minutes so it softens.
• Scrape with a wide putty knife or ceiling scraper held at a low angle. Try not to gouge the drywall paper.
• If it will not soften, the ceiling was probably painted. Painted texture is much harder to remove, and many people cover it instead.
• Roll the plastic inward, bag the debris and wet wipe the room.

After scraping you will need to repair gouges, skim coat, prime with a stain blocking primer and paint. In homes built before 1978, painted popcorn should also be tested for lead before you scrape it, since lead paint dust is its own hazard.

Step by Step

1. Leave the Ceiling Alone for Now

   Do not scrape, sand, drill or paint the ceiling until you have a result. Note any flaking, cracks or water stains.

2. Map the Areas to Test

   List every room with popcorn texture and any area that looks patched, resprayed or different. Each one should get its own sample.

3. Choose Who Takes Samples

   Hire an asbestos inspector, which is required in some cities before renovation, or take careful samples yourself where allowed. Use a lab accredited through NVLAP either way.

4. Prepare the Sample Spot

   Turn off the HVAC, lay plastic, and put on a respirator and glasses. Mist the spot with soapy water until damp.

5. Take a Full Depth Sample

   Scrape about a tablespoon of texture down to the drywall directly into a zip-top bag. Seal it, double bag it and label it.

6. Clean Up and Seal the Spot

   Wipe the area with damp paper towels, fold and bag the plastic, and dab spackle or primer over the sample spot.

7. Send and Read the Results

   Mail the samples to the lab. A result of none detected means that area is clear. Trace, or 1 percent or more, means you should talk to a professional.

8. Choose Your Path

   For negative results, plan a wet scrape with good prep. For positive results, leave it, enclose it or hire a licensed abatement contractor.

Mistakes That Make It Worse

• Scraping first and testing later, after the dust is already in the carpet and ducts.
• Testing one room and assuming the whole house is the same.
• Dry scraping or sanding popcorn texture, even when it tested negative. Wet scraping keeps dust down.
• Rolling heavy paint onto a positive ceiling, which can pull chunks loose and makes later removal harder.
• Forgetting about lead paint on painted texture in a home built before 1978.

Where You Live Matters