Keep it. You know it's coming back right? :rolleyes:
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Keep it. You know it's coming back right? :rolleyes:
Why do you want to get rid of it? The texture covers up your shitty uneven ceilings.
Scrape it off and put it in the crockpot with some salsa. 8 hours on low and you have dinner.
we have popcorn ceilings too- yuck
It always looks sweet when they scrape it off, but probably not quite as easy as they make it look...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWmmjPhC5R4
It's insane how many things we've done to the house just by watching youtube videos haha
Didn't read all the posts but this can't be stressed enough; NEVER run out of money before the project is finished! Reduce scope, get a bigger mortgage, whatever it takes, but it can ruin your life if you go broke during construction.
Other less important advice;
Don't compromise. It will bug you every day after the project is done. I know this from experience.
Plan how it's all going to work during construction. This is mostly if you are not moving out. If you are tearing apart your kitchen, how will you cook? Do dishes? Store food, etc. Be realistic about how long you will be putting up with the inconvenience.
Don't put up with lousy anybody. From the architect, to the GC, to every last one of his subs, EVERYONE is expendable. It really helps to do a lot of research before the project on this one. It's much easier to never have them on the project than it is to get rid of them.
I'll add that I initially tried to scrape my ceilings (and walls, actually, they also had a really shitty texture) and it was a fucking pain in the ass. Much easier to skim it with 1/4" drywall.
And texture is used to cover up shitty uneven walls/ceilings put up by drywallers that can't be bothered to just do a good fucking job. It ain't difficult to get things flat and smooth, but you have to kinda pay attention/not be completely wasted when you're hanging/finishing.
glad to hear that it is a good solution to the problem. always nice to find out that they're not talking out their ass.
The wife says they just scrape the popcorn off, then skim.
you missed the part about possible asbestos.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
I don't think he did.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Scrape it off using a mask. Not sure about your area, but around here just covering asbestos with more sheetrock is no bueno.
not sure I follow
And you can die in 20 years. Seriously. Don't fuck with asbestos. The safest solution is to cover it, encapsulate it etc. Even if it's removed professionally there'll still be fibers floating around. Asbestos is safe as long as you don't touch it, but dangerous when disturbed, kind of like sleeping bears.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
I thought someone said to just cover it with sheetrock. According to the Frau around here is you get rid of the popcorn by soaking and scraping, thus getting rid of what's there, then skimming the ceiling. I'm not in the biz, so maybe I missed a pertinent equation. Is the asbestos in something other than the popcorn?
Note: I said nothing about the cost. It is, however, very possible to remove asbestos popcorn from a ceiling. It may suck tho.
Asbestos is essentially benign when not disturbed. The problems arise when it's disturbed and asbestos fibers get airborne. That shit is bad for you. The fibers are exponentially less likely to become airborne when wet. So, a professional asbestos crew essentially soaks the shit out of whatever they're removing, wears a mask, then removes it.
My understanding is Danno wants rid of the popcorn ceilings and presumably wants smooth ceilings instead. He doesn't (and shouldn't) care about removing the asbestos, since it's fine if not disturbed. Either scraping the popcorn off then skimming the ceiling smooth, or sheetrocking over it will accomplish the desired result. IMO the sheetrock is easier.
I don't care whether there is asbestos in the popcorn if the popcorn stays. As adrenated said, it's fine if left there. But the cost to remove it is crazy high, and I'm not keen on trying to do it myself. While I understand the job of removing popcorn is messy but doable, and the asbestos doesn't make it inherently harder, my understanding is that when the popcorn has been painted as ours has, it can be much harder, as the water doesn't soak in very well. So that coupled with the asbestos, makes me doubly not keen on doing it myself. Hence asking about the drywall. Which, because it leaves the popcorn undisturbed, does not require the asbestos mitigation crew.
Just did this. Had it professionally done throughout entire house and looks awesome. Got it tested and positive for asbestos so only option really. Still pricey. If I didn't have a baby I might of got a respirator, sprayed it and scraped it myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by adrenalated
Might be a DC thing but around here Asbestos was used in a lot of siding. The old method of remediating it was to just put more siding over it, just like putting sheetrock over the Asbestos popcorn. That turned into an issue when it was found that the fibers were possibly going to be exposed either by the process or by decay over time. YMMV. Now people remove all asbestos when remodeling (at cost, I understand) rather than taking a chance on future non-compliance.
Asbestos used to be used in siding, flooring, drywall, insulation etc. Most contractors and government agencies will tell you to leave it alone. Wetting it down and wearing an N95 won't cut it for asbestos, you have to be worried about your clothes and equipment too. You need to dispose of it properly too. Leave it alone or cap it, don't scrape. I would just paint it again and leave it. It doesn't look bad and helps rooms be quieter.
ok, please give me a call I do lots of consultant work $50.00 an hr bag of weed and a six pack would love to spend the winter in boulder chasing tail around campusQuote:
Originally Posted by Danno
don't listen to anyone here but me I"m epa certified (all my certs are hanging on my bedroom wall) I'm well rounded and educated on assbestoes you can find my profile on houzz it's bong hit construction "we do it right cause we do it twice" based out of breck
who house scrape with will run you 15-20k and you'll have to leave town for 10-16 days
don't half ass anything, don't cut corners, don't be an idiot, don't be cheep, hire me, if you want to cover it up the only way to go: rc channel 1/2 drywall, you'll loose 1 to 1 1/2 inches of ceiling if your in a multifamily install acustiblok first the channel then drywall, I'd run 18 - 22 sq ft for sound channel and drywall
i do this for a living trust me ask me anything
guaranteed to look like shit don't do this 1/4 drywall noQuote:
Originally Posted by adrenalated
Are you based in Nigeria and do you still need a shitter?Quote:
Originally Posted by fastfred
Fastfred knows what he's talking about. Everyone hates choices until they don't have them. Half-assing is a choice but it's still half-assing.
a. EPA regulated pop-corn scrape. Expensive. Do you even know you have asbestos? Knowledge is power. Get that shit tested.
b. Non-EPA style scrape. It gets done all the time. Honestly, if all EPA regs were followed, the remodeling industry would die. On something so blatantly obvious as this, I let the homo contract with someone and call me when it's done. The penalties for homos are so much less than contractors. Less expensive but still expensive.
c. 1/4" Drywall over. I've never seen is not look like shit, your mileage will vary. Might have code issues. Good luck getting that DW to sit flat, hitting with all your screws and getting the joints to look good. You'll still have to tape onto the walls and repaint at a minimum.
d. Fred's way. Good but expensive. You'll have to extend all your electrical boxes.
Popcorn ceilings and moss rock fireplaces are the two things that often get left in a remodel because many people just do not see the value.
have not had it tested yet, just started this process, but yes, that is first step.
anyone worked with a testing company? kind of hard to google that shit cold, not really sure where to start.
I'd do option B personally...and if you're thinking about selling your place in the future there's a decent chance that you'd have to disclose that you knowingly put drywall over a potentially asbestos popcorn ceiling...not saying that it would be a show stopper, because maybe your building code would grandfather that sort of situation in...but if you can mitigate the issue by option B above then I think that would make your life easiest in the long run. Just my 2 cents tho. I've never done that sort of cleanup myself, but have had friends that DIY'd it...sounds like a royal pain in the ass...but as you say, expensive to contract out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Danno I can help with testing. I live around the corner from you. I was a home inspector in NJ (which has rigorous licensing, unlike CO) but no longer working in the business. Our business had/has a very high focus on environmental testing. Luckily, I still have good ties with my prior company (i.e. my dad is the company owner) and I can get lab testing kits at pretty much wholesale and help you take the bulk sample as well. PM me.
Edit to add: Definitely don't try to do the mitigation yourself. EPA mitigation protocols for asbestos include taping and sealing off the entire contaminated area, positive pressure ventilation with HEPA filters, workers all wearing fan-driven respirators (N95 masks don't do shit) etc. Definitely not a DIY job. I know how to do it myself and still wouldn't go near it with a 10 ft pole. All you'll do is spread asbestos throughout your entire house.
Thanks! PM sent.
Lots of noise in the padded room, but a hell of a lot of signal too.
friend of mine mom, died from asbestos, from an office building she worked in. do not mess around with this stuff
Haven't seen this but didn't look real hard.
What is the age of the house? Later than about 1986 and you have very low chances of Asbestos.
1969
How's the painting debacle coming along?
Oh, and since we're ton the topic of asbestos, some drywall mud had asbestos as well.
I wouldn't take a chance with it.
mostly done (I updated the thread, I think). I paid the guy some money to go away, and have someone coming by in a couple of weeks to fix the shit he did,Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesp
This asshole doctor who thought he was a contractor (unlicensed) bought a POS house next to ours and hired a bunch of undocumented workers to rip out the asbestos covered ducting and lead painted plaster, with zero protection, everything thrown into the regular dumpster. The guy was just smart enough to not do the work himself. (Eventually got shut down by the fire marshall-something about the unshielded romex going into the shipping container he was using as a shop, said romex being pinched when he shut and locked the doors, potentially electrifying the whole container. City razed what was left of the hosue and he sold the lot, thank god.)
While most people with lung cancer and mesothelioma from asbestos have long standing occupational exposure, there are definitely cases with single limited exposure, and in the case of that exposure being your own house the fibers linger after the bulk of the asbestos is removed, so the exposure is ongoing. Yeah, improper removal gets done all the time; people drive drunk all the time too, sometimes they die. Do not do it yourself. Please.
here is three more cents
asbestos is in the mud not the drywall usually has 2-3% asbestos content, it was fazed out completely between 78-88 at 1% content you can do whatever you want
9 out of 10 times you can scrape your ceiling and not have any issues, scrapped got busted and had the air tested and there was nothing in the air afterwords, no charges
I breath in shit all day long ever day and have for many years, I wouldn't worry about scraping your own ceiling and dieing or getting sick, i would be conserned if you were messing with friable asbestos such as pipe insulation, other insulation, maybe some siding products
plenty of people will scrape your ceiling for you and not care one bit, other people who are on the up and up will not touch it, i wouldn't touch it unless it was done right then cause I don't need johhny law the epa who is run by idiots coming after me, ever day a ceiling gets scraped in colorado and no one knows or cares
^^^You and SkiFishBum share the same bong? I think I know what you are saying and agree with you. Ultimately, the homo has to make a decision about the risks involved. Go to Libby, MT and walk through the grocery store before you make your choice.
I bid a job once where the plumber was going to have to tear out a giant octopus boiler with asbestos pipe insulation all over it. We bid it full EPA and, of course, the customer laughed in our faces when he saw the price. About a month later, I saw that boiler on the back of a flat bed driving down the road with shit blowing everywhere, not even a tarp on it.
I have that asbestos wrapped octopus in my basement. I have access to a lot of contractors, especially of the clean up type through my work, and I've had several of them come and take a look. Everyone one of them told me to do it myself and save the dough. One told me he'd drop off a negative air fan and a dumpster and gave me a few tips on how to wet and wrap with plastic/duct tape. I'm hesitant, but it sounds like I wouldn't do too much different than they do for a fraction of the cost.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
I'm just an environmental testing company would disagree but I'd do the same thing. I'd probably try and test air when I was done.
I'm leaning towards the "not fuck with it". I could live with the popcorn but my wife hates it. We'll probably drywall over it.