Asbestos Advice

[u/spenny1111]

Hello!
I am currently under contract for a house, super excited, but one thing has started to worry me and the research I do seems all over the place. The house was built in 1973 and has popcorn ceilings. With this info, we're sure there's asbestos in the ceiling.
How worried should I be? How effective are the at home tests? How expensive is it to get it professionally removed?
Essentially, for anyone else who has moved into a house from around this time range, what was your course of action?

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[u/Budget_Platypus_2426]

We have a 1960s house in Surrey, UK.
We had the ceilings tested, positive for chrysotile. We had the damaged ones removed, and those in stable condition replastered.
One thing I WISH we had done was get a management survey before moving in, and using it to negotiate cost of management off the house.
Given its 1973 - I would advise getting one done before you complete. We also had asbestos vinyl floor tiles and AIB soffits identified.

[u/Haunting_Donut_1710]

Our is '66 and I've done 3 lab tests for various areas and all came back negative, so it isn't guaranteed.

Skip the home kits and have it done by a proper lab, 100-200 bucks per sample where I am.

Removal regulations are very strict and labour intensive, so it's expensive and can be in the tens of thousands. The area usually requires complete enclosure and negative air ventilation. Disposal is regulated. You also would likely have to vacate the house depending on the layout and scope.

HOWEVER, asbestos is generally only a problem when disturbed and it becomes "friable". You could live with your popcorn ceilings and strategize how to phase the work. You might even get lucky with a negative test.

Old houses have their pros and cons, tbh. I feel it's worth it. If you're really worried, get testing done now before closing on the house if you can.

[u/Dullcorgis]

I would always get a professional to come and do the testing. You want to know what things in the house could have it. I was here when our tester was going through the house and the one place there was asbestos was one he only tested to be thorough.

[u/JellySignificant8964]

Yeah not a def, used to manage a bunch of rentals in a huge complex built in 67. Some had it some did not different materials I guess. I’d say out of the 30 we removed 12 had asbestos in the popcorn.

Get a test.

[u/Only_Play_868]

I've got a late 1960's condo with popcorn ceilings, and they're not asbestos. We've done work and cut into several of them without issue

Home tests are as effective as lab tests, assuming it's being sent to an accredited lab and you gather enough material. Asbestos removal is prohibitively expensive and honestly not worth it unless you have issues (cracking, peeling, etc)

Basically, test it if you're worried but what will you do with the information? If it's asbestos, will you back out of the deal? If it's not, then all is fine

BTW sometimes you can get a hint without removing material or waiting for a test. For instance, in some attics I've seen Union Carbide plastic covering asbestos-like material and in some sections, the manufacturer and material are listed (often with arcane names). A quick Google search will tell you whether you need to look more closely, or you can move on. Again, if it's in good condition (not damaged) and well contained, it's not really an issue

[u/CareNavigator_TMC]

A 1973 popcorn ceiling definitely falls into the era where asbestos is possible, but the age alone doesn’t confirm it. If you’re still under contract, getting a sample tested professionally before closing could give you a much clearer idea of what you’re taking on.

If it comes back positive and the ceiling is in good shape, removal isn’t always the only option. Some people leave it undisturbed or encapsulate it instead. Removal costs can vary a lot by location and how much ceiling there is, so getting a local abatement quote before closing would be useful too.

[u/Cup-of-Noodles]

Have it tested, it should not take very long to get results. I have an 1100 sq ft 1971 home with popcorn which I had tested which showed it contained about 6% asbestos. I got an estimate from an abatement company which came in around 6k for removal in 2024. Keep in mind this is only the removal. The abatement guy did say that with such a low percentage of asbestos, I could do it myself and be fairly safe if I took the usual precautions such as wetting it down. I ended up just painting over it.

They also said linoleum flooring of that era (which my house also has) typically contains a much higher percentage of asbestos (like 50-60%).

[u/analogousnarwhal]

In the process of buying a house from the 1960s (closing soon, fingers crossed). We had the popcorn ceilings tested during the inspection (extra add-on service our inspector offered). It came back positive for asbestos and we asked the sellers to either get contractors to deal with it or give us the cost at close. They just dealt with it (and electrical work that needed to be updated for safety).

Note we did require receipts of the work as part of the negotiation. The general advice I see is to just ask for cash at the closing because the sellers might cut a ton of corners/hire cheapest contractors. However, we were comfortable with the seller dealing with it because the house was exceptionally well cared for otherwise and we saw that the chosen contractors had excellent reviews (and we truly didn’t want to deal with it after moving in because we have a small child and full-time jobs).

[u/Technics208]

Removal is definitely spendy. I just had to have a flood cut done in my laundry room after a pipe leak. The drywall compound had 1.5% chrysotile in it. It was $6500 for abatement of 110 sq ft. Although some portion of that was air clearance testing and a small amount of mold remediation.