Popcorn ceiling
Encyclopedia
A popcorn ceiling, also known as an acoustic ceiling, is a term for a spray-on or paint-on ceiling
treatment used from the late 1950s into the 1980s in residential construction. Cheaper than painting, it could be quickly and easily sprayed on in new construction and was also useful in masking ceiling defects in older homes, such as stains, uneven ceilings or poor workmanship. It was the standard for bedroom and residential hallways ceilings for its noise reduction qualities, while kitchen and living rooms ceilings would normally be textured in smoother skip-trowel or orange peel texture for their higher durability and ease of cleaning. Unfortunately, its bright white "cottage cheese
" texture often contained asbestos
.
Some popcorn ceiling textures were created using a paper based or Styrofoam
product to create the texture, rather than asbestos. Nevertheless, when asbestos
was banned in ceiling treatments in 1977, popcorn ceilings fell out of favor. Fashions changed to more natural and handmade finishes. Popcorn ceilings become unattractive when they get dirty, are easily damaged, and are hard to clean, repaint, or repair. They can be easily, if messily, removed by spraying them with water to soften them up, and scraping the material off with a large scraping trowel or putty knife. If they may have been applied before the ban on asbestos, their removal should only be done by a licensed professional or after testing to rule out asbestos contamination.
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
treatment used from the late 1950s into the 1980s in residential construction. Cheaper than painting, it could be quickly and easily sprayed on in new construction and was also useful in masking ceiling defects in older homes, such as stains, uneven ceilings or poor workmanship. It was the standard for bedroom and residential hallways ceilings for its noise reduction qualities, while kitchen and living rooms ceilings would normally be textured in smoother skip-trowel or orange peel texture for their higher durability and ease of cleaning. Unfortunately, its bright white "cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
" texture often contained asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
.
Some popcorn ceiling textures were created using a paper based or Styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
product to create the texture, rather than asbestos. Nevertheless, when asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
was banned in ceiling treatments in 1977, popcorn ceilings fell out of favor. Fashions changed to more natural and handmade finishes. Popcorn ceilings become unattractive when they get dirty, are easily damaged, and are hard to clean, repaint, or repair. They can be easily, if messily, removed by spraying them with water to soften them up, and scraping the material off with a large scraping trowel or putty knife. If they may have been applied before the ban on asbestos, their removal should only be done by a licensed professional or after testing to rule out asbestos contamination.