# Home purchase, popcorn ceilings and possible asbestos **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821 "2012-04-15T04:30:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/21 "2012-04-15T23:15:19Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > Horrible advice. > > The fibers don’t magically disappear once removal is complete. They will stay in the air for days to weeks. If removal is the course of action you want to take, have a professional operation complete the work. > > Like I said in the other thread, working in a lab located within a facility with good amounts of the material, I’m required to be trained in its management. If you PM the specifics of the house, I can ask the people who deal directly with it to give an estimate on work costs. You have a cite for the number of cases of that cancer from non occupational exposure? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/22 "2012-04-15T23:15:51Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > No, to be considered friable the material must be able to be crushed by hand. Mastic is considered non-friable because it is in a tar matrix. > > The above definition comes from an EPA Regulation dealing with schools, and is the strictest standard for dealing with asbestos. > > Now if you decided to use a grinder to remove the floor tile or mastic, then it would be considered friable. Seems a fine point, but I’ll concede it. Old brittle tile can certainly crumble and break when it’s removed (if one isn’t careful), and vinyl asbestos sheet goods are considered friable. The rules are a bit awkwardly stated, in that VAT is not considered friable as long as it remains non-friable. O-kayyyy. The need to gear up sure doesn’t change; it’s just that some DEQ rules can be ignored for tile removal. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/23 "2012-04-15T23:58:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Seems a fine point, but I’ll concede it. Old brittle tile can certainly crumble and break when it’s removed (if one isn’t careful), and vinyl asbestos sheet goods are considered friable. The rules are a bit awkwardly stated, in that VAT is not considered friable as long as it remains non-friable. O-kayyyy. The need to gear up sure doesn’t change; it’s just that some DEQ rules can be ignored for tile removal. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/24 "2012-04-16T00:09:19Z")
> [@thelabdude](#): > > You have a cite for the number of cases of that cancer from non occupational exposure? Nobody is disputing the fact that people work who work with asbestos have a greater chance to develop complications. But the fact remains there is no safe exposure level. And since you are the one giving advice contrary to recommended work practices, I’d ask for a cite that performing gross removal of asbestos won’t result in adverse health problems. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/25 "2012-04-16T07:44:23Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Wetting it makes it \*much \*easier to remove - it turns to kind of a mush, which comes off easily without raising much dust, although there will still be a considerable amount no matter how well you wet it. Not spraying it causes massive amounts of dust all over the place. > > Aren’t you the guy with the bad back, obbn? It really is a physically difficult job to be working overhead like that for long periods - after scraping, you have to wipe away all residue left behind. > > I like the idea of taking a small closet sample to be tested. Yes, I am the guy with the titanium back, I guess I have been complaining too much on the board here if someone assosiates my name with my back! My wife and our 21 year old son will be doing most of the overhead work. The frustrating thing about my back injury is that I am still big and strong. I can do almost anything I could do prior to my injury (except tie my shoes and put on socks in non-embarassing way!) The problem is, and this is what prevents me from working, is I can only do things for a very short period of time, measured in minutes, not hours. And it takes so little for me to end up in terrible pain and basically bed ridden afterwards. I hate the fact that I am so limited, as prior to getting hurt, I was very active. I worked 50+ hours a week, built barns and shed swhen I or a friend needed one, restored cars and even flew airplanes. None of that is realistically possible now. One problem with being disabled is that you are unable to do so many things, but you don’t have the funds to pay someone else to do them for you. Usually I can manage to do whatever needs doing, but while it might take most people a few hours to complete something, it will take me days or even a few weeks to complete the same task. As far as the house is concerned, my wife and I put an offer in on it today. We took our Realror’s and the Realtor that responded in this thread’s advice. The deal is contingent on the home passing not only a standard home inspection, but specifically an asbestos inspection. The home is bank owned, so if asbestos is found, I doubt they will remove it, but they will then have to disclose that fact to other buyers if we decide to walk. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821/26 "2012-04-30T16:54:31Z")
Update: The bank accepted our offer on the home and of course prior to closing we used our option to inspect. Samples were taken from every room in the house and brought to a local lab in Orlando. The lab found high concentrations of asbestos in every single ceiling sample, even those that weren’t popcorn. We contacted a removal company and the lowest quite we could get was $8k for removal, plus they identified a high possibility of asbestos in other areas. With that knowledge wee decided to evoke our right to walk from the contract. A provided the bank with a copy of the lab findings and we were assured that the findings would be disclosed to any potential buyers. It was a shame as we really liked the property, more so the acreage than the house but if we had gone ahead the thought of possible future health problems would have driven my wife nuts. There are other properties, so the search continues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-purchase-popcorn-ceilings-and-possible-asbestos/618821.md?page=1)