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Popcorn Ceilings – Why They’re Bad for You and Your Home

Written by Milan Jara on 17th Dec 2014

Popcorn Ceilings

Photo By Patrick Fitzgerald

We like to have fun with the topics of our blog because my wife and I believe that art should always be fun no matter what kind of art it may be. When we are creating a new ceiling, we immerse ourselves in the process to create results that will excite ourselves as well as our customers.

But today we want to talk about serious topic in the ceiling world and that is popcorn ceilings. These can seem like harmless relics of an older era, but it is important to understand what popcorn ceilings are and why they are bad for your home. Aside from looking bad, popcorn ceilings can actually be dangerous and we wanted to give you the information you need to understand why.

The History of Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn ceilings originated in the 1950s and quickly became a standard ceiling in commercial and residential construction. While they tended to show up primarily in hallways, they were also used in living rooms and even bedrooms. They are a spray-on product that creates a bumpy surface that resembles popcorn being stuck to the ceiling.

In the 1950s, it was common for ceiling products to have asbestos in them and that included popcorn ceiling products. From 1973 to 1978, the federal government issued a series of laws that made it illegal to put asbestos in spray-on building products. To help offset the financial damage that could have been done to the suppliers who had invested heavily in popcorn ceiling products with asbestos, the government allowed existing supplies of popcorn ceiling materials to be sold. That meant that popcorn ceilings with asbestos were installed into American homes as late as the early 1980s.

Why Are Popcorn Ceilings Dangerous?

Old popcorn ceilings pose a hazard to your home because of the potential for asbestos, but new popcorn ceilings can pose a problem as well. The materials used to make popcorn ceilings can become dislodged from your ceiling and fall. Those materials can wind up in your food, your clothing, and even the crib where your baby sleeps.

If there is asbestos in the popcorn ceiling materials, then the dangers of consuming those materials are enhanced. But even popcorn ceiling material that does not have asbestos can become dislodged from your ceiling and create a health hazard that is just not worth it.

What Are Your Options?

We will not work in a home that has a popcorn ceiling until that ceiling has been tested for asbestos. We always recommend to customers that they have their popcorn ceiling tested and removed by professionals. While we are definitely professional ceiling installers, we are not certified asbestos testers or removers. For the health of your family, you need to have your popcorn ceiling contained and removed by a professional organization to prevent any further danger to your family.

Once you get your popcorn ceiling removed, then we can come in and give you a ceiling that you will never forget. We can give you a metal ceiling with a stamped design that will really make your room stand out. If you prefer the look of a drop ceiling, then we have a wide array of tiles and looks we can use to get you a final product that you will really be happy with.

While we love to brag about the quality of our work and we like to have fun with it, there are certain issues that we take very seriously. If your home has a popcorn ceiling and you have no idea how old the ceiling is, then we recommend that you get the ceiling tested and removed immediately. Some things are just not worth playing around with and an asbestos popcorn ceiling is one of those things.

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