1-855-860-(7366) | Vancouver Asbestos and Pop Corn Ceilings

1-855-860-(7366) | Vancouver Asbestos and Pop Corn Ceilings - By Advisor Gary Kwong

Written by FairTradeWorks Advisor Gary Kwong

So, who loves popcorn ceilings? Chances are you probably won’t get too many “yes” votes.  What exactly is wrong with stucco ceilings? Are they dangerous? Or are they simply just a turn off?!

Asbestos is one of the main concerns homeowners have about their textured ceilings.  Research shows that most popcorn ceilings can be safely removed for properties built in Canada after 1975.  A client of mine bought in a bungalow in the Vancouver area that was built in the early 70s; tested the popcorn ceiling at a lab and it contained 0.5-5% asbestos in the actual material.  Therefore he hired an abatement company to handle the task properly.  It should cost you about $50 to have a sample tested before you try to do it yourself.

Once it’s proven to be safe for removal, you can simply use a spray bottle to soak the texture until its wet enough so that you can use a scraper to scrape it all down.  I have personally done it before and it took me around 3 hours to scrape out the entire 300sq ft bedroom.  Some sanding will need to be done before painting your new smooth ceiling though.  I have also seen others simply cutting the entire ceiling out and replacing it with a new layer of drywall.

Besides the asbestos debate, a cottage cheese ceiling is also a big turn off for some consumers.  It almost speaks out loud and tells your guests how old your property really is.  It is hard to clean, it is hard to remove once painted over and it is also difficult to match the exact pattern after doing any sort of repairs to the ceiling.  So what is the best way to hide it if you’re not ready to remove it?  Here are a few tips.

1. Lighting.  Try to avoid using the traditional flush ceiling light fixtures as they will really show all the stains and the shadow makes the lumps look even larger.  Track lights or any light fixtures with the light source facing towards the floor will distract the attention of viewers so that they  will look at the floor instead.
2. Contrast.  You can put a fresh coat of bright white paint over your stained/dirty bumpy ceiling; then pick a beautiful color that you like to paint over the walls by adding a featured wall with a richer color it will help hide the stucco ceiling itself.

There are always the “more cost effective” ways to work around the DIY  projects; but for everything else, our FairTradeWorks Advisors are always here to give professional suggestions to help increase the value of your property.