Comments on: Popcorn ceiling removal

By: Tony chase

Tony chase — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:22:10 +0000

Ardell, the issue is as the ban took place the suppliers had warehouses full of the stuff, part of the ahera act allowed those that had it to use all stockpiles, not only that but as Canada is still producing asbestos, the closer to canada you get the more you will find. I recently did a survey in whatcom county and the popcorn was put in back in 99, it was 5 %. so in doubt call guys like me.
we can take a few enxpesive samples and end all worries.

Not only that but if we are worth our salt we can tell you how to do it yourself without wreaking
the costs for your new home. many of us are just out to feed our family’s, not rule the world.
As far as cost ardell, The industry standard is two to three bucks a sf without asbestos, you still need a containment and PPE for your workers, its damn near a push.

My pleasure to speak with you again, I will try to make myself more available for your questions in
the future
Best Regards,
Tony

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:42:50 +0000

Hi Tony,

Nice to see you again, thanks for popping by with that info.

I have a question, Rob in the comment above yours said he assumes they all have asbestos. I don’t and have a house in escrow built much later than 78. We had it tested and it is not asbestos, as we expected given the age of the house.

Here’s my question. Why would someone assume it is asbestos and not check? Doesn’t it cost more to remove a ceiling with asbestos than one without asbestos?

By: Tony chase

Tony chase — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:05:59 +0000

Foo, you are correct that in Washington state a condo must be abated by a licenced abatement contractor. this may change in the future but not now that I am aware of.

All notices of abatement are on file with Puget sound clean air, you have to make a appointment
but under the freedom of Information act you do have access.

As far as burden of proof, there is none that I am aware of regarding asbestos abatement. if
anyone has worries you can have an abatement contractor come out and look at the place for free.
He may not see anything but if someone did a bad removal he will notice it right away.
Remember, abatement contractors dont have microscopes for eyes, if you need testing hire a testing lab or an Ahera building inspector.

By: Rob Graham

Rob Graham — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:39:56 +0000

I’m with you Ardell. In addition to the asbestos issue, popcorn tend to get really dirty and is difficult to clean. I especially like the ceilings that have the sparkles in them. I have recommended that they be removed before listing a house. I really can’t stand them. I assume they are all asbestos. I don’t even worry about testing.

Rob

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:22:56 +0000

Foo,

What is or isn’t “legal” is a question you need to ask an attorney. In the general course of a real estate transaction, if there is no popcorn ceiling…well, we just aren’t talking about popcorn ceilings.

The best source of info would be from the current owner. If they did not remove the popcorn ceilings, you might ask the HOA if they required any type of permissions when work was done in that unit. That might lead you in the right direction at least as to timeframe of when they were removed.

It’s likely pretty rare for someone to be asking about popcorn ceilings, when there aren’t any in the unit they are buying. I have never had that experience.

By: Foo B.

Foo B. — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:07:55 +0000

This has been a great, informing thread. I’m looking at putting in an offer for a condo. The building is around 50 years old and many units contain, which are pretty much guaranteed to have asbestos in them given the time frame of construction. In a unit that I was interersted in, I noticed that the owner had removed the popcorn ceilings.

It’s my understanding in WA, that it’s illegal for anybody other than a licensed abatement contractor to remove asbestos for condos and rental properties. If the owner improperly removed the popcorn ceilngs, what would this mean for me as a prospective buyer?

If the texture did have asbestos, would this mean that I would have the ceiling drywall and carpets replaced? What about the walls themselves, would they need to be replaced too? If I’m uncertain, would I (or the seller) have to have an asbestos survey to determine the extent of the problem? If the asbestos were illegally removed, what would be a fair credit (or work) to ask of the seller?

Finally, with whom does the burden of proof lay? Does the seller have to prove that the ceilings didn’t contain asbestos? If not, is it fair to assume they did given the age of the building? If they did contain asbestos and were removed by a licensed abatement contractor, does Seattle require permits, and would I be able to obtain these from public records?

Thanks for any assistance!

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:29:25 +0000

Thank you, Joe. Looking forward to the update. Also, without naming who you chose, can you tell us if your selection was primarily based on cost?

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:38:01 +0000

Thanks for the info! We are moving ahead with this abatement project. I’ll be sure to report back here later this month when it’s all done to update everyone on the process and results.

Thanks again for all the help and great info!

By: Dan Murray

Dan Murray — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:21:00 +0000

The abatement company will do the air monitoring. The whole inside of room is protected with two layers of plastic. Most abatement companies apply enough water to the ceiling to prevent any fibers being released into the air. Then we apply more water to the ceiling and use scrubby pads to remove any loose fibers. The carpet is protected with two layers of 6 mil plastic including up the sides of the walls. The air is exchanged four times and hour using a HEPA Filtered Fan ducted to the outside. After the popcorn is removed, we spray encapsulant on the ceiling which locks the fibers to the ceiling. Then we take an air sample, we are not allowed to tear down the containment until the sample is read and is below 0.01 Fibers/cc. When removing the containment, the walls are removed and folded in to the floor, then the floor is rolled up. We have not had any release of fibers using this method.

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:31:08 +0000

Dan,

Can you answer Joe’s question about “air monitoring”. How do companies who remove popcorn ceilings prevent the asbestos particles from ending up in the carpet or elsewhere? What assurance do people need after removal that the asbestos isn’t airborne as a result of the removal?