If you buy a house with popcorn ceilings, one of your first concerns may be that it contains asbestos. This can also be a concern for a worker who notices that their place of employment has these older styles of ceilings. If you’re spending eight hours a day somewhere, you don’t want to be breathing asbestos particles the entire time.
But is this concern warranted? Is there actually asbestos in popcorn ceilings?
Asbestos content can be as high as 10%
It is possible for there to be asbestos in older popcorn ceilings. If so, experts who work with remediation note that it is usually from 1% to 10%. Any percentage is dangerous. 1% sounds like a very small amount, but these are microscopic particles. Any amount of exposure is plenty to increase your risk of developing mesothelioma in the future.
How old are your ceilings?
Part of this is going to depend on when your ceilings were installed. Asbestos can no longer be used in popcorn ceilings, but it can still be made with paper fiber. So you want to check when the house was constructed or at least when the last run of aviation was done. It could be that your popcorn ceiling does not have any asbestos because it was made after the ban went into effect. But if it’s an older ceiling or if someone just painted over a popcorn ceiling that had been in place for decades, then it certainly could contain a concerning amount of asbestos.
If you or a family member has developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you know how detrimental this can be and how expensive things can get. Be sure you understand your legal options.