Asbestos in ceiling has owner concerned

Q: I would like to get rid our popcorn ceiling, which contains 2 to 3 percent asbestos. We plan to cover the cathedral living room ceiling with paneling. The bedrooms are in no danger of being compromised, but the downstairs family room ceiling could very easily be disturbed accidentally by our active 4-year-old and his friends. Can I cover the ceiling with drywall or paneling without releasing any asbestos fibers? – Stacey M., Spokane

A: Stacey, the answer to your question depends on how you prep the surface before installing drywall or ceiling planks and how you handle those materials during installation.

It is impossible to do justice to this complex subject here, so I will give a brief overview. However, I encourage you visit my Web site, look up the article “Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings,” and follow up with sources identified in this column.

Many popcorn ceilings installed before the 1980s contain up to 8 percent asbestos (although its use in popcorn ceilings was banned in 1978, asbestos has been found in ceilings installed as late as 1986). Intact and undisturbed, popcorn ceilings pose no health risk, but when asbestos-containing material deteriorates or is damaged or disturbed, its tiny fibers (too small to be seen by the naked eye) become airborne. Even roller painting the ceiling may disturb fibers or weigh down the popcorn, causing it to delaminate from the substrate. Once the fibers are airborne, it takes careful cleaning with appropriate equipment to decontaminate a home.

Removal of a sprayed-on popcorn ceiling is simple, but the required asbestos abatement process is detailed and time-consuming. Encasing a ceiling with drywall or ceiling planks is acceptable, but asbestos fibers could be released during the installation.

Following asbestos abatement guidelines, I will only describe how to encase the asbestos—not how to remove the popcorn ceiling.

Before beginning work, contact the local building department, as a permit will most likely be required, and contact the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority (SCAPCA, 477-4727) as it regulates asbestos abatement in this area. Its Web site, www.scapca.org, has useful information for homeowners about asbestos, and it offers a guidebook for dealing with popcorn ceilings.

The Department of Labor and Industries ( www.lni.wa.gov) must also be notified. Washington state law requires certification for handling asbestos-containing materials; however, homeowners, and live-in family members, are partially exempted from these rules. Anyone else participating in the work (paid or unpaid) must be certified.

The real work involves the preparation and additional measures necessary for a safe and healthy project. Here is an overview of the basic procedure to encase a popcorn ceiling using drywall or ceiling planks.

First, clear the room of furnishings and cover the floors in 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting and the walls with 2-mil or 3-mil plastic. Begin with the floor and run the sheeting up the wall about a foot, securing the top edge with masking tape. Tape the wall sheeting close to the ceiling and make sure it overlaps the top edge of the floor covering. Seal up the entrance to the room and close all windows.

Turn off the furnace, and seal the return air opening and all heat registers with plastic. While working, anyone involved in the project should wear approved respirators (half-face, dual-cartridge, each equipped with purple color-coded P-, N-, or R-100 [HEPA] filters), disposable clothing, eye protection, and gloves.

There are two approaches to attaching drywall: directly to the ceiling or to furring strips. Direct attachment allows you to position the drywall before installing fasteners into the ceiling; fibers released by the twisting action of each fastener would then be encased between the ceiling and drywall.

However, drywall sheets are heavy and awkward, and the potential exists for damage to the popcorn (and release of asbestos fibers) as you drag them across the ceiling. A rented drywall lifter would be a valuable tool, although the rental store may require its decontamination at the end of the job.

Attaching furring strips requires you to drill through the strips themselves into the framing members behind the popcorn ceiling—this would release asbestos fibers.

If you opt to install furring strips, predrill them before attachment. Apply shaving cream to the backside of each strip and position the strip with the shaving cream against the popcorn ceiling, then drill through it into the ceiling. The shaving cream will help to contain asbestos dust as the drill bit is removed.

Wipe off any debris left on the drill bit with a wet rag and discard the rag into a hazardous waste bag. Once all furring strips are in place, attach drywall to them to encase the asbestos.

I believe the best approach to encasing the popcorn is to install drywall directly to the ceiling. However, take precautions before handling the drywall.

First, locate the framing members so you’ll have something solid to which to attach drywall. In areas such as your cathedral ceiling, where you won’t have attic access, use a stud finder, such as Zircon’s Triscanner. You can hover this unit ¼-inch over the surface, which prevents dragging the stud finder tool across the ceiling and disturbing the popcorn.

Mark framing member locations on the walls with blue painter’s masking tape.

While painting the ceiling is cost-effective, it will not protect the ceiling from damage during drywall installation.

The best solution, although more expensive, is to nail (not staple) Tyvex or a similar breathable house-wrap product (not plastic –it doesn’t breathe) over the entire ceiling using drywall nails and plastic flat washers, such as those used to attach rigid foam board as seen at http://www.rodenhouse-inc.com. Install the house wrap prior to the drywall and follow all available guidelines.

To encase the popcorn on your cathedral ceiling, attach ceiling planks to furring strips over a house wrap. The house wrap will protect the popcorn from damage during the ceiling plank installation, and furring strips will provide a solid fastening surface.

After drywall installation, carefully dismantle the room’s protective plastic sheathing.

First, wet down the plastic using water in a spray tank. Then carefully remove the plastic, rolling it inward to contain the asbestos fibers.

Do not use a standard vacuum cleaner for any of the cleanup because asbestos fibers can be broken down in the fan and filter and will be dispersed into the air.

Instead, use a HEPA filtered vacuum, but be sure to remove the bag and properly dispose of it with your other asbestos waste.

Keep the entrance to the room sealed until all debris and plastic sheeting have been tied off in double plastic bags. Use wet rags for any further cleanup to prevent stray asbestos fibers from becoming airborne. Dispose of these rags in one of your asbestos waste bags and then properly dispose of the bags with an approved asbestos landfill.

You should contact the facility where you plan to take the waste before doing any work. It may accept asbestos only at certain times or days and may have specific bag labeling requirements. The facility also may require a copy of the asbestos work permits.

Be sure to follow all instructions to safely remove and clean, or dispose of, your tools, protective equipment and clothing.

Finally, finish the drywall with tape and drywall mud, sanding between coats, and a ceiling texture of your choice.

Dealing with asbestos is hazardous, so carefully evaluate your options whether you remove or encase it. It would be less expensive to encase the popcorn ceiling by installing new drywall or ceiling planks or by painting, whether you do the work yourself or hire a contractor.

A certified asbestos contractor will charge roughly $8 per square foot to remove the popcorn or roughly $4 per square foot to hang drywall.

If you hang the drywall yourself, then I recommend that you hire a consulting firm to sample the air once the work is completed. The cost is around $200, and SCAPCA can provide you with a list of “Asbestos Service Providers.”

For the expense, I recommend that you bring in an abatement contractor to remove the popcorn. Popcorn removal offers some benefits: It will allow you to creatively finish the ceiling without the worry of disturbing asbestos fibers, future work can be done without worrying about asbestos, and the proper removal of the asbestos ceiling will enhance your home’s value.