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Losing Sleep Over Asbestos

How much exposure to "popcorn" ceilings is dangerous?

By Barry Stone
Inman News
May 22, 2007

Large exposures to airborne asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other severe respiratory diseases, such as mesothelioma. But the mere presence of asbestos ceiling texture is not a cause for worry or alarm. The drilling of holes in acoustic ceilings should be avoided unless proper precautions are taken, but the fact that you once made a few holes in your ceiling should not be remembered as a moment when your fate was sealed.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber, commonly found in certain rock formations. It has been used in numerous manufactured materials for more than 100 years. Common asbestos-containing products include automobile brake linings, fire-proofing in high-rise buildings, air-duct insulation, and a long list of residential building materials such as floor tiles, asphalt roof shingles, drywall joint compound, and acoustic ceiling texture (commonly known as "popcorn" ceilings).

The national asbestos panic, which reached its peak in the late 1980s, was spawned and nurtured by sensational news reports, frivolous lawsuits and bureaucratic excessiveness. Fortunes were spent on asbestos removal, and many home buyers canceled purchase contracts at the mere mention of asbestos.

In the early 1970s, the gradual elimination of asbestos from many products was begun, but there was never an absolute ban on asbestos products. In the case of textured ceilings, the manufacture of asbestos containing acoustic material was prohibited in 1978, but the sale and installation of existing supplies were allowed to continue. Therefore, many homes that were built through the mid-1980s do have asbestos ceilings. This point should be noted by many remodeling contractors. Asbestos ceilings are often removed in ways that are illegal and potentially hazardous because of misinformation among tradespeople.

To determine if your ceilings contain asbestos, testing by a certified lab is necessary. You can hire a qualified professional to take the samples, or you can take them yourself. If you gather you own samples, precautions should be taken to avoid the release of airborne fibers. The material should be wetted, and a HEPA-type facemask (available at hardware stores) should be worn. A minimum of three samples should be taken from various rooms because asbestos content in acoustic ceilings may not be uniformly distributed.

If the lab report confirms that you have asbestos, removal is not necessary. What matters is that you avoid damage to the material. A common approach is to encapsulate the surface with paint. Many homeowners, however, prefer removal simply for cosmetic enhancement. Those who elect removal should have the work done by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.

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