In order to remove popcorn popcorn ceiling removal seattle safely, you must first understand what the substance can contain. Popcorn ceiling or cottage cheese ceiling is a ceiling treatment that emerged decades before the Clean Air Act of 1978, which banned the use of asbestos in ceiling treatments. Many of the treatments contain the toxin. Popcorn ceiling removal, therefore, can be a dangerous task if not administered by a popcorn ceiling removal company. The link between asbestos exposure and cancer has been strong enough to motivate government intervention and remove the chemical from our lives in many ways. For those attempting to remove popcorn ceiling themselves, the general rule of thumb is to send a sample of the ceiling for testing and ensure that the sample contains no asbestos before beginning the process. Even so, the risk of sample testing itself by cutting the ceiling may involve the inhalation of toxins and for this reason some people opt to get a qualified contractor to administer and carry out the process.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal: Use a Company or Do It Yourself?
If pursuing the do it yourself route, one must send the sample out. And, if all is clear, it is most advised to remove furniture from the room and cover the floors and walls with protective material before starting. From there on, many tutorials advise soaking the material with water for 10-15 minutes and then starting to scrape it off. Tools used include a garden sprayer for applying the water and a ceiling texture scraper to remove the material. Removers are also advised to command a space small enough to work quickly, so that the material beneath the popcorn ceiling does not have much time to absorb the water and acquire damage.
The EPA website advises those who are removing the material for construction and remodeling purposes to use a professional popcorn ceiling removal company instead of attempting the D.I.Y. route. The site also states that having popcorn ceiling material, if it has no damage, is not necessarily a health risk. All the same, many homeowners feel more comfortable removing this material once they learn that it may contain asbestos, despite it’s inherent noise insulating properties.
To consult a company, ensure that the company is a qualified contractor for asbestos removal. Contractors identify themselves through these and other terms such as cottage cheese ceiling removal and acoustic ceiling removal.
According to the EPA, a quality contractor is willing to give you a written analysis before beginning work and a summary of what has been done when the process is over. The government agency also recommends choosing a company which administers a visual examination at the start of the process.
Potential Dangers
Some of those who study trends in asbestos and mesothelioma have noticed an upward move in contracting the disease by those involved in DIY remodeling and in women. Speculators believe this connection exists because of women’s increased exposure to asbestos through occupational environments and because of the asbestos containing material that is often met by DIY remodels.
The answer of how to remove popcorn ceiling safely on your own is a tenuous one. Mesothelioma is not the only asbestos related disease and even qualified handlers of asbestos related materials do pose some risk of exposure and later health problems.
