The Perils of Popcorn Ceilings

There’s no getting around it: today’s buyers dislike popcorn ceilings. Whether you call it popcorn, cottage cheese or an acoustical texture, it instantly dates your house and limits its appeal.

Although the texture is inexpensive to apply, reduces noise and hides defects, popcorn ceilings have many serious drawbacks. They get dirty easily, attract and hold dust and are difficult to clean. Repairs are often visible, and the texture makes repainting difficult. In addition to aesthetic issues, popcorn ceilings raise health and safety concerns. The original texture material was banned in 1978 because it often contained asbestos as a binder. If your house has popcorn ceilings and was built before 1978, you may have a problem, but be aware that existing inventories of the texture weren’t banned, and continued to be installed into the 1980’s. Although you’re not legally required to test for asbestos, it’s smart selling to do so before you list, so there are no surprises.

When you’re selling a house with popcorn ceilings, you have several decisions to make. If you want to test for asbestos, you can hire someone to do it or do it yourself, but go on-line to learn about safe sample collection procedures before you begin. If there’s no asbestos, focus on cosmetic fixes, ranging from removal to camouflage. Remember that you may discover other problems, like an uneven surface, when the texture is gone. If asbestos is present and you want to remove the texture, the work must be done by a certified asbestos removal contractor. Do not attempt to do the work yourself!

 If you don’t want to remove a popcorn ceiling, you have other options:

• Add a new layer of sheetrock.
• Install PVC ceiling tiles in a grid system or, with adhesive.
• Apply a special wallcovering to encapsulate the ceiling and create a decorative look, or create a simple smooth finish. 
• The ceiling can possibly be painted, preferably with a sprayer, so long as the texture isn’t disturbed, but painting can make future removal of the texture much more difficult. The texture on some ceilings is so unstable that the slightest touch will remove it, so test an area before you commit to painting.
  

Smart Selling Tip: Popcorn ceilings affect the cosmetic appeal of your house and could raise health and safety concerns. To sell for maximum profit, test for asbestos if appropriate, then choose a safe, cosmetic solution.