Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Toronto & the GTA

Why does an asbestos test come before anything else?

Because some popcorn ceilings contain asbestos, and you cannot tell by looking. Asbestos was used in some textured ceilings in Canada, mainly in homes built before about 1990. Scraping or sanding that texture can release fibres into the air.

A lab test on a small sample of the texture is the only way to know. So every popcorn ceiling job starts with that test, before any work begins. In Ontario, texture with 0.5% or more asbestos by dry weight counts as asbestos-containing material, and different rules apply to removing it. Popcorn ceilings and asbestos in Ontario explains the test and the regulation.

Is a popcorn ceiling a risk if you leave it alone?

Generally not, while it is intact and undisturbed. Health Canada's guidance is that asbestos is a concern when its fibres get into the air, which happens when the material is damaged or disturbed.

That makes the practical rules simple until a test says otherwise:

• Don't scrape, sand or drill the texture.
• Don't hang anything from it.
• Fix a roof or plumbing leak above it quickly, since water loosens the texture.

How is an asbestos-free popcorn ceiling usually removed?

By wetting it and scraping it off, one room at a time. Painters and drywallers typically follow the same order:

1. The room is emptied or covered, and the floor and walls are protected.
2. The texture is misted with water so it softens and makes less dust.
3. It is scraped off with a wide blade.
4. The drywall underneath is repaired and skimmed smooth where it needs it.
5. The ceiling is sanded, primed and painted.

A ceiling that has been painted before is slower, because the paint stops the water soaking in. Stains, cracks and sagging sections also mean more repair once the texture is off.

It is messy work even when it is done carefully, which is why the room is sealed off first. Each room is quoted after we see the ceiling, because the ceiling's size, height and condition decide how long it takes.

Can you paint over popcorn instead of removing it?

Often, yes, if the texture is sound and you are happy to keep it. Painting freshens a stained or yellowed ceiling without the mess of removal. Most painters spray it, since a roller can pull loose texture off.

Two things are worth knowing first. Paint seals the texture, so it no longer softens with water, and a painted popcorn ceiling is much harder to scrape later. And a ceiling that is already flaking will not hold a new coat. If it is coming down eventually, removing it before repainting the room saves doing the ceiling twice.