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Popcorn ceilings have been a popular design choice for homeowners for decades, especially in homes before the 1980s. However, more information has come out about the dangers of asbestos. Rarely is anyone using asbestos anymore, but there was no formal ban in Canada until 2018.

Asbestos testing in Oshawa has been availed by owners of old homes. Others have started wondering if their popcorn ceilings contain asbestos. If you’re one of these homeowners, there are things you can do to check whether your ceiling has asbestos or not.

Why Asbestos Ceilings Are Dangerous

The most common place to find asbestos is in ceilings, especially one design called “popcorn ceilings.” These ceilings have a bumpy texture, hence the name. This bumpy texture comes from asbestos fibres.

People may not know that they are inhaling toxic dust when they’re sitting under one of these ceilings. Even if the building housing the ceiling doesn’t have asbestos, a company might have installed it with their own supply. The harm isn’t noticeable for years after exposure, but it can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

How to Test Your Popcorn Ceiling For Asbestos

If you want to know if your popcorn ceiling has asbestos, there are a few things you can do to check for this hazard. One way is to scrape a small area of the ceiling with a putty knife and look for white fibres in the material underneath. The other way is to vacuum up particles from an area of the ceiling. This is complicated work. Be careful to avoid inhaling the substance.
If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, you can ask a professional to drop by and collect the sample. The sample should be in Ziplock bags and brought to a lab for asbestos testing in Oshawa and other cities. You need about two teaspoons of the substance for accurate results.

What to Do If You Detect Asbestos

If you happen to detect asbestos in your popcorn ceiling through asbestos testing services, call in a professional who has experience dealing with the dangerous substance right away. The contractor will usually perform one of three available options:

• Abatement – This is the complete removal of the ceiling. There is meticulous care to avoid dust particles from spreading
• Encasement – instead of removing the ceiling, contractors encase it into another material, like ceiling panels
• Encapsulation – same as encasement, but by spraying the ceiling with vinyl paint or another type of sealant.

Get Professional Help When Dealing With Popcorn Ceilings

For more than eight years, Air Doctors Inc. has been providing residents in Oshawa, Toronto, and other areas with asbestos removal services. If you’ve been worried about your ceilings for some time and wonder, “Where is a reliable provider of asbestos testing near me?” and then search no more. Just contact us today and see which of our wide array of services fits your needs.