Building inspector clears up misconceptions about asbestos and popcorn ceilings

Aug 22, 2009

A homeowner asked certified building inspector Barry Stone of California about asbestos in his popcorn ceiling. He did not realize that the ceiling texture contained asbestos, and had removed it from two rooms without following asbestos safety procedures to prevent contamination, instead scraping the dry ceilings and cleaning up the floor with a shop vacuum. He is now concerned about the contamination of his home and the damage to his family’s health.

Barry responded that only a qualified asbestos inspector can determine whether or not the home is contaminated, by taking air samples from the home and from both fabric-covered surfaces and the shop vacuum. If an accredited environmental lab determines that the samples test positive for asbestos, then a certified asbestos abatement contractor will need to come in to perform cleanup. As for the health risks to the family, there is no way to know right now if they are in any danger. Asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, do not develop for many years following initial asbestos exposure.

Barry also clears up some common misconceptions about asbestos.

Has asbestos been banned from all products?

Many people believe that asbestos has been banned from all products being manufactured in the United States, but this is not the case. Although asbestos has been banned from many products, it can still be found in automotive brake linings and building products like flooring materials and roofing mastics.

When was asbestos banned from use in ceiling texture?

Many people believe that asbestos was banned from use in popcorn ceiling texture in the 1970s. In fact, the manufacturing of asbestos ceiling texture was banned in 1978, but it was still legal to install it. Installation of asbestos ceiling texture was not banned because of the financial loss it would have meant for manufacturers, suppliers and contractors who had already purchased stocks of the product. Asbestos ceiling texture was still being installed in homes until the 1980s when those product stocks finally ran out.

How can you tell if your ceiling texture contains asbestos?

Many people believe that asbestos can be identified based on the age or physical appearance of the ceiling texture. Asbestos fibers are microscopic, and can really only be identified by a polarized light microscope. Barry recommends that anyone who wants to remove popcorn ceiling texture should have it tested by a lab, as the cost of lab analysis is very reasonable.

For the full story, go to San Jose Mercury News.

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