Is fish scale ceiling texture usually asbestos?
- Thread starter dragonballz
- Start date
my guess is yes, also the plaster behind probably has it too
Robbie B
Well-known member
My parents house had that in it. I’m not 100% but I’m pretty sure it’s just plaster. It’ll probably be a nightmare to take down. And I know it’s hell to try to paint.
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Lassen Forge
Well-known member
Yepperdoodles. Pretty common back then as the base or additive to the plaster matrix, as it was easy to add into the mix and allowed you more fun dimensional stuff for strength (and of course, fireproofing). Like Cobbler said, it's also in the plaster. Your choice is either don't touch it or have it abated, which is a PITA because you're legally supposed to have a licensed asbestos contrator do it.
Be glad... my folks place had asbestos shingle siding covering the hous we grew up in. Someone damaged the side of their house, and their choice was to try to locate more of this fine building material or pull it off. Back then abatement was a lot less restricted than it was today, how we did it could have gotten him in a world of ****, but he had us kids prybar it off and throw it away. Nowadays you'd get fined AND go to jail for that.
I remember the popcorn flocking with the "glitter" asbestos on ceilings - beautiful, oh so 60's groovy, and would fall off if you touched it. The house was too old to have it (thank God), but yeah, all my friends in newer houses had that stuff on the ceilings... to think I envied them.
Be glad... my folks place had asbestos shingle siding covering the hous we grew up in. Someone damaged the side of their house, and their choice was to try to locate more of this fine building material or pull it off. Back then abatement was a lot less restricted than it was today, how we did it could have gotten him in a world of ****, but he had us kids prybar it off and throw it away. Nowadays you'd get fined AND go to jail for that.
I remember the popcorn flocking with the "glitter" asbestos on ceilings - beautiful, oh so 60's groovy, and would fall off if you touched it. The house was too old to have it (thank God), but yeah, all my friends in newer houses had that stuff on the ceilings... to think I envied them.
OP
dragonballz
Well-known member
Thanks for the replies. Since it’s a pain to remove, how about plastering over it to make it smooth and “encapsulate” it? Is that something a drywall guy (or girl) could do?
doable for sure. My neighbor skim coats popcorn ceilings and you cannot tell it was popcorn before.
need to find the right person, not everyone will take the time
need to find the right person, not everyone will take the time
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I wouldn't dismiss it so easily. It's very common to have asbestos in plaster (especially popcorn ceilings and decorative plaster like the OP has) and drywall in homes built between the 40's to the 70's and was even used to a lesser extent up to the early 80's.
Tommy
rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
I started to skim coat a sand paint finish once. What a pain!! I ended up using a wall paper product that was made to fix cracked plaster. I did the wall and the ceiling of the room. I would have loved to have had a "discussion" with the idiot that thought the sand in the paint was a good idea.
66Caprice
Well-known member
Buy the test kit and have it tested. Peace of mind in knowing.