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Query originally posted several weeks ago but lost during the recent hiccup.
I have sprayed-on “cottage cheese” ceilings that contain asbestos. The ceilings are 23 years old and very dirty, including spider webs and general dirt, and mildew in a couple of particularly damp areas.
I really don’t want to have it removed. What other options do I have. One person mentioned an approved encapsulant and then sheetrocking over it. I’m interested in “legal” remedies only please.
Replies
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J: You could just paint over it. Will still look like the 60's but at least the dirt will get covered. You could construct a suspended ceiling under it, but you'd lose a lot of ceiling heights.
If it were my house, I'd probably screw 1/4 or 3/8 sheetrock over it, screwing into the joists above. Tape the joints and you've got a modern looking ceiling that's easy to clean. Legally, you can remove small quantities (
It gave me a start the first time I saw my wife (an MD) put on her respirator to see a patient. It was the same HEPA particulate filter I use on certain toxic waste sites, but she was using it because of the Tuberculosis in the air when the patient coughs. -David
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David,
Because of all the dirt and mildew and the difficulty in cleaning this kind of ceiling without knocking off a lot of "cheese", I sort of eliminated painting as the best option.
If you were to rock over it, would it be best to install some lath strips over the old ceiling first for leveling purposes?
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Just mark all the joists with a chalk line and slap the drywall right up against the old ceiling. It will look great.
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Something to consider is the posibilty that the celing might have to be replaced sometine in the future, that's not a common thing, but sometines roofs leak and wreck ceilings. If the celing ever is removed ,having two layers with asbestos between will just make the job that much harder.
If you ever sell the house, will you inform the buyer that there is asbestos hidden in the ceiling? if you do, it may cost more in reduced resale value than having it removed now, if you don't tell, it could cost you even more in legal costs if they find out. Even if the hysteria over asbestos is largly unjustifed, you could still have a lot more trouble than you want (just ask Bill Clinton).
I have tried covering damaged plaster with 1/4" drywall, and it looked like crap, but you might have better luck/skill than me. If I were to cover this ceiling (which I wouldn't) I would use furring strips and 1/2" drywall.
Jay
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You could just burn the house down and call your insurance agent... Oh never mind, the ceiling won't burn. So then, the best solution with minimal work is a couple goods coats of quality paint to seal the ceiling and leave it at that. But one of the previous posts makes an excellent point about resale and truth in selling. Better to remove now than worry about it later. The whole asbestos scare is a little overdone. If you are not working with the stuff 60 hours a week for 40 years straight, I wouldn't be overly concerned. Get a respirator for some added safety and maybe one of those disposable paper suits and plastic off the room well like you do when you originally "popcorn" a ceiling. Use a spayer that will dampen the ceiling without soaking it to heck and scrape, scrape, scrape. Then stick it in the trash, bury it in the yard or pay half a million to haul it 3 states over to a toxic landfill.
Frankly,
Pete Draganic
*Hello everybody. Now I am curious- How does one tell when that stuff contains asbestos? Does every 23 year old blowed on ceiling contain asbestos? My level of concern couldn't be much lower, but I do like to be informed. Thanks.
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hey lonecat, just grab a small chunk of the cottage
cheese and squeeze it between your fingers. if it is
more or less "spongy" and doesn't fall apart then it
is of the styrene family and safe (relatively
speaking). if it crumbles apart easily and makes
dust, then its asbestos. don't snort. thanks. by
*The only way to know is to have a lab test. I have a house that had "cottage cheese" ceilings that had been done 25+ years ago and after testing found content to be 60% cellulose and 40% binders. The product crumbled very easily but contained no asbestos.
*I've heard about "respraying" this kind of ceiling. I assume that means to put another layer of cottage cheese over the old one. Anybody have any thoughts about that? Would the mildew spots affect the new layer? I know they will affect new paint. The usual remedies for mildew - bleach compounds - would seem difficult to use on a ceiling because they would not stay put long enough to do their thing.
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Nice Post, Pete.
Or here in California, we just go to the local home center, pick up a truck load of day laborers, and have them do it for $50-75 a day per guy plus lunch.
Double wrap the ceiling remnants in plain garbage bags, cruise the alleys for open dumpsters, and wha-la! Its a memory!
I think my grandson's diapers are more toxic than that ceiling. I know they smell worse.
Environmentally irresponsibly,
Scooter
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While we're on the subject of asbestos, what about linoleum floors with asbestos backing? What are the laws? I would like to remove the subfloor so adding another layer is out. Thanks
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Query originally posted several weeks ago but lost during the recent hiccup.
I have sprayed-on "cottage cheese" ceilings that contain asbestos. The ceilings are 23 years old and very dirty, including spider webs and general dirt, and mildew in a couple of particularly damp areas.
I really don't want to have it removed. What other options do I have. One person mentioned an approved encapsulant and then sheetrocking over it. I'm interested in "legal" remedies only please.