Hey, Shouldn't you change your handle to Anteaternonscientist?
The ceiling in your home are commonly called "popcorn" or "cottage cheese"
People just hate them because like an old kitchen or bath It gives the house a dated appearance.
These ceilings also can affect a house?s value. They are found in Turtle Rock, College Park, El Camino, Deerfield and University Village of Irvine
So how did this type of ceiling finish become popular in the first place? Some experts claim it was a noise deterrent. Others say it hid imperfections in the large expanse of a ceiling. It became popular because it was easy for builders to apply, and hid a multitude of sins by crappy builders. Yes, Hispanic were already on the construction team way back then.
It was a hot idea during the 1950's but faded by the early 80's
If you want to remove an acoustic ceiling, you?ll first need to determine whether it contains asbestos. Asbestos was used as a binder in many construction materials before it was banned in 1978 for posing health risks such as cancer and respiratory disease. You?re not required by law to test for asbestos, but the Environmental Protection Agency strongly recommends it.
If your home was built prior to 1979 in Irvine villages, the chances are very good that your popcorn ceiling contains asbestos. In fact, it?s not uncommon to find asbestos in acoustic ceilings installed in the 1980s because existing inventories were exempt from the 1978 ban.
Using a spray bottle, thoroughly wet three or four small ceiling areas with water mixed with a few drops of liquid detergent.
With a putty knife, carefully scrape about one square inch of ?popcorn? from each area into a sealable plastic bag.
If the lab results are negative, meaning less than 1% asbestos was found in the sample, the EPA recommends taking two additional samples to confirm the analysis.
If your sample comes back positive for asbestos, there are only two ways to deal with it safely and legally.
1. You can encapsulate the asbestos with a new layer of non-asbestos acoustic sprayed over the top of the existing ceiling. This is the most economical solution to the asbestos problem, but still leaves your home with that dated look.
2. The pricier solution is to have a certified asbestos-abatement company remove the finish and then have the wallboard retextured and painted. Cost for having professionals remove asbestos vary, but for say, a 15-by-20 foot room you can 7 grands.
It is illegal to paint an asbestos-containing acoustic ceiling because rolling or spraying can release the harmful fibers into the air, where they can then be inhaled. Paint is not an efficient way to encapsulate asbestos fibers, according to the EPA.
While it is not illegal to remove your asbestos-positive ceiling yourself, there are no known safe levels of asbestos exposure and the EPA recommends strongly against doing so. If you decide to remove it on your own anyway, you?ll need to use special HEPA filter respirators, disposable protective clothing, rubber boots and eye protection. And you must use special containment bags for all debris and dispose of them only at sites licensed for asbestos. Older Cities like Orange and Costa Mesa would have brochures to show you how to eliminate Asbestos.
If there is no asbestos present, there are other ways to deal with popcorn ceilings that fall short of removal. One option is to freshen them up with a new coat of paint.
Think twice about using a roller because acoustic ceilings are very porous and will absorb a great deal of paint. Also, using a regular roller makes it nearly impossible to achieve even coverage. Often, the entire layer of the cottage cheese texture will come right off, leaving a bare strip of drywall. New on the market are thick rollers with slits that are less likely to scrape the acoustic off, but they still require a lot of paint and can be drippy.
The most efficient way to put new paint on a textured ceiling is to spray-paint it with flat latex. Spraying is a difficult job, and unless you already have most of the supplies, it may be cheaper to hire a professional. Professional painters can usually respray the acoustic ceilings in an average-sized home in less than a day for about the same price as materials alone. After all this is done, however, you?re still left with that same outmoded look.
Removing an acoustic ceiling is not beyond the average homeowner. But it?s hard work, and not particularly pleasant.
Soften the acoustic material with a light water spray; a pump garden sprayer works well.
Scrape the popcorn off with a wide-blade taping knife.
Let the drywall dry overnight. The next day, repair any imperfections with drywall joint compound, then sand with a sanding pole using sandpaper.
Apply texture to match the wall finish.
The final steps are to seal the ceiling with drywall primer and paint.
Use a good primer. Think of primer as the glue that makes the paint stick. Finish with a flat latex.
