coolranchdressing Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 hello, I am not an inspector, but I was hoping for some honest opinions! I recently purchased a 1978 bungalo in Toronto area, Canada and tested the popcorn ceiling at a lab. Contains 0.5-5% asbestos (the actual material). I would like to have the popcorn ceiling removed in the 2 rooms affected, however am cautious w/ the asbestos. I contacted a drywall contractor thru' a reliable reference; he'll be coming by my place this week. He's not too concerned re: Asbestos. I did paint the walls first (b/c originally I was going to just leave the ceilings as is) so I plan to tape down/tarp/plastic wrap the walls/floors (I should say subflooring b/c the floors are torn out--will put in the hardwood later this month). I have been researching this topic extensively and I guess NO ONE knows the answers...but I really don't feel like paying an abator $20/square foot to "properly" remove the popcorn ceiling--I'd rather leave the ceiling in place then! My Q is: if I get the contractor to do his job w/ "sealed off" areas, then maybe after everything is removed air out the premisis and not live there for 1 week...is that "ok"... I mean I am concerned re: "lingering asbestos in the air" post removal. I'm sure I could get the air tested... But I mean, how many popcorn ceilings were removed and people didnt know it contained asbestos and lived in the "dust" for years.... thanks for the help!! Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 They'll keep everything wetted down and use a product specifically designed to remove it. If they do their job right, there won't be any dust. When they start scraping it, they'll use 1ft wide putty knives and it will slough off the ceiling in long damp bands at a rate of abouit 5 - 6 square feet every five seconds. They'll be done scraping lickety split, will wipe down the ceiling with damp sponges, roll up the still-damp mud in plastic, take down their plastic and roll it up and then leave. You'll be standing there wondering why you didn't save a bunch of money doing it yourself. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Responding to your post air concerns. Seal the rooms off from the rest of the house. Turn the HVAC system off. Enter and exit via a window. Install a fan, the higher cfm the better, in another window opening oriented to exhaust/depressurize the rooms. Have it running before, during and after any construction process. This process will produce the results you desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 The OP was concerned enough to test and now knows the ceiling is hot. Am I the only one that thinks it's a bad idea to be advising her how to half-ass the containment and disposal of a known ACM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Nobody has told her how to "half-ass" anything. I didn't say she should do it and neither did Charlie. She's wondering how they'll keep the dust down and how contaminated the house will be when they get doen and both Charlie and I have described what we've seen of that process. It's simple and straightforward and she will be sitting there wondering why she paid someone to do it after she gets done. It's the same with mold remediation. Folks envision this wildly technically difficult process that's beyond the average person's capability and when they finally see how simple it is they're left wondering why they paid so much money to someone to have it done. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 She clearly stated that she didn't want to pay for abatement, and then asked if the plastic her 'contractor' says he'll wrap the room in is enough. Sounds pretty half-assed to me. Proper removal requires certified workers with appropriate PPE, properly designed containment, negative air machines with HEPA filters, air monitoring and clearance testing, and specific waste disposal protocols. Nobody mentioned any of these. Home owners can and will do whatever they want, but appropriate advice is to leave it intact or have it properly removed and disposed of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Home owners can and will do whatever they want, but appropriate advice is to leave it intact or have it properly removed and disposed of. Or cover the existing with new drywall, box extenders, etc...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.