How Asbestos Removal Companies in Washington, D.C. Handle Popcorn Ceilings
Asbestos Remediation Q&A
In this piece, we’ll address a few of the questions we more commonly get from the clients we serve.
Q: Why is asbestos remediation important?
A: Starting in the 1920s and continuing on through the 1970s, asbestos was widely used as a construction material in homes, office buildings, and government installations around the country. It can be found in a variety of forms, including, but not limited to:
- Insulation
- Flooring Tiles
- Shingles
- And siding
It was initially seen as something of a wonder material, possessing a number of highly attractive qualities, which is why it was so widely used.
Unfortunately, the people who worked with it over that span of time didn’t fully understand the dangers it posed. That realization only came later.
When asbestos starts showing its age, it gets very brittle and is prone to crumbling. When it begins to crumble, it releases tiny airborne asbestos particles which can easily be inhaled by anyone in the vicinity. These particles are highly damaging, in the best of cases, causing painful inflammation in the lungs, and in the worst, leading to a deadly form of cancer known as Mesothelioma.
Q: Where can I find a group or company qualified to test for the presence of asbestos, and safely remove it if and when it is found?
A: You’re in luck, and you’re in the right place. We’re the #1 asbestos remediation company in the region and have been diligently and safely removing the substance from homes, businesses and government installations since we first opened our doors back in 2000.
If you even suspect you have asbestos somewhere in your home or anywhere on your property, just give us a call to schedule an appointment. We’ll be happy to come by and test for the presence of asbestos and remove it for you safely and completely, giving you a free, no-obligation estimate before the remediation work begins.
Q: I have a popcorn ceiling in my Washington, D.C. home. How would an asbestos company deal with that?
A: Older homeowners in Washington, D.C. are calling in asbestos removal professionals to handle “popcorn ceilings.” Many homes built in Washington, D.C. in the late 1930s through the 1990s have popcorn ceilings or a texture of some type applied to the ceilings. Other names for the slang “popcorn ceiling” include cottage cheese ceiling or a stucco ceiling. This was the standard for bedroom ceilings and hallway ceilings because of its bright, white appearance and to hide imperfections.
The first step in safely removing such a ceiling would be to have it tested for the presence of asbestos. If asbestos is found, our removal and remediation process are fundamentally similar to removing asbestos in all its other forms.
We’ll start by cordoning off the room containing the ceiling so that as we begin the remediation process, we trap all of the asbestos particles that are released by our work in a tightly controlled area.
Once the area is secured, we’ll remove and properly dispose of the material, using a licensed and accredited facility, and then proceed to cleanup, which is truly the heart and soul of the process. Here, we ensure that all traces of asbestos are removed from your home so you can reenter it when our work is done and do whatever you’d like to do with the ceiling, now minus the dangerous material.
Q: Will the removal of asbestos from my home improve my indoor air quality?
A: It most assuredly will. Although asbestos is colorless and odorless, it’s still an incredibly dangerous material that can cause serious damage to human lung tissue. The World Health Organization ranks air pollution as being one of the biggest risks we face today, having this to say on the matter:
"Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution. The risks are now far greater than previously understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes," says Dr. Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.
Given how dangerous asbestos is, even if you don’t have someone in your family with an upper respiratory condition, it’s well worth taking the time to have it removed completely from your home. If you do, it’s all the more important, and we’d also recommend having a whole-home air purification system installed.
These systems have built-in HEPA filters that trap more than 95% of pollutants within them, returning fresh, clean, delightfully breathable air to the entirety of your home. If you’re not sure whether your home could benefit from such a system, we’ll be happy to conduct an indoor air quality test for you to find out. Give our office a call today. You’ll be very glad you did.
