Are My Popcorn Ceilings Asbestos

The ceiling treatment was commonly used from the late 1950s into the 1980s in homes across the united states because of its ability to hide imperfections in handiwork and its acoustical characteristics.

Are my popcorn ceilings asbestos.

An asbestos ceiling is also called an acoustic ceiling or popcorn ceiling due to its soundproofing qualities and it looks a little like popcorn once it s sprayed on. Popcorn ceilings were embraced due to their ability to. In the late 1970s the use of asbestos in building products was banned because of the. Unfortunately a popcorn ceiling made.

Popcorn ceilings were a popular feature of 1960s and 1970s homes. Popcorn ceilings cottage cheese ceilings or stucco ceilings whatever you call them they re not only an eyesore they also may contain a carcinogen known as asbestos. Known as popcorn ceiling cottage cheese ceiling or stucco ceiling it was typically 1 to 10 percent asbestos. Better known as popcorn ceiling stucco ceiling and or even called cottage cheese ceiling this material was generally one to ten percent asbestos.

If it was built before 1977 take caution. Asbestos was used commonly in ceilings since it helps with soundproofing and insulation it s more resistant to fire and it also hides ceiling imperfections. Spray on popcorn ceilings were immensely popular in the early 1950s to 1980s. Blown on textured ceilings aka popcorn may contain asbestos depending on when they were installed.

As opposed to the smooth ceilings of today s modern homes asbestos ceilings are textured and rustic in appearance. Absorb echoes and noise. To find out if your old popcorn ceiling contains asbestos you can purchase a test kit or hire an asbestos abatement professional. Its use in textured paint was banned in 1977 by the consumer product safety commission so yours might not contain the substance if your home was constructed later than that.

Not all popcorn ceilings contain asbestos. They can be white or cream coloured with a bumpy texture that resembles cottage cheese. Asbestos a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral was the material of choice for popcorn ceilings until the substance was banned as a health hazard in 1978. Many of these ceilings were made partially out of asbestos a silicate material which was banned in many countries starting in the 1970s.

The texture of popcorn ceilings was more than just an ornamental choice for homebuilders. Asbestos can cause many health problems including lung cancer so it s very important to test your ceilings if they were built prior to the. It also had visual and noise dampening properties.