How to Test a Ceiling for Asbestos
Asbestos seemed to have almost magical properties — highly durable, resistant to fire, corrosion, dust, and pests, as well as useful in soundproofing, it was also affordable. It’s no surprise that around half of all American homes contained asbestos at some point, then, but when it became apparent that this naturally-occurring compound also posed serious health risks, its use was gradually rolled back. Starting from the 1970s, new asbestos ceiling materials were no longer being manufactured. Pre-existing ceiling materials were installed throughout the 1980s and even into the early ‘90s, however. While older popcorn ceilings are the most likely to contain asbestos, some ceiling tiles have asbestos in them, too. If you have recently bought a new home, and it hasn’t been refurbished in decades, chances are that you could have an asbestos ceiling. That poses a huge problem, especially because popcorn ceilings have well and truly gone out of style — … Continued
