Acoustic – Popcorn – Cottage Cheese – Ceiling Removal

Acoustic – Popcorn – Cottage Cheese – Ceilings or whatever you want to label the typical spray on ceiling textures of years past, accomplished two tasks.

1. There was less finish plaster work to finish the drywall ceilings.
2. This texture help keep the echo chamber effect down in large rooms. Typical in the Simi Valley Homes built in the 1960s & 1970s many homes came without carpet, rather they came with asphalt or linoleum style floor tiles.  A smooth ceiling under these conditions would have created the sound quality of a gymnasium.

The Acoustic ceiling has fallen out of favor as a interior design style and many homeowners are faced with the dilemma on how to remove the material safely and if they do, there is a worry about asbestos.  Homeowners should really take the approach that the material needs to be tested no matter how old or new.  The homeowner can take samples and send it in for testing.  Precaution should be taken when taking samples.

Homeowners in California can remove acoustic ceilings containing asbestos on their own (make sure to verify this with your local building and safety department), but as soon as the homeowner hires some one to remove any of the asbestos ceiling, the homeowner must hire a license contractor that is registered with the state to handle asbestos removal.

If a homeowner chooses to remove the material on their own, a word of caution, this material is very dangerous and is extremely hazardous to your health and any anyone living in your home as soon as you disturb (remove) the material.  The preferred method of wetting the material with water mixed with a small amount of dish soap can help but is not guaranteed to keep Asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.

Warning: Any of the comments to this blog regarding the removal of ceilings is for information purposes only.  If you decide to remove an acoustic ceiling, you do so under your own risk and you are advised to seek profession advise and assistance.  Nothing contained here on this blog is intended to encourage you to take part in this hazardous activity and you do so under your own free will.

Now that I have the disclaimer out of the way; if the tests comes back negative, still take precaution to use a respirator similar to the type in the picture and not the one that is crossed out.  This is a messy job.  Typically the material is removed by wetting the material with a garden mist sprayer, letting the water soak in and then using a 5″ drywall taping knife to scrape the material off.  You will need to use plastic protective sheets taped to the walls and spread across the floor to keep this mess off the carpets and furniture.  A disposable painting paper suit with hood will keep the material out of your hair and clothes.

I want to encourage comments to this blog post by both homeowners and contractors on this topic. Any tips and precautions especially.  If you are a licensed contract registered to remove asbestos please make sure to post your contractors license number if you are soliciting business.