How Removing Popcorn Ceilings Keeps Your Home Cleaner
Cleaning your ceilings on a regular basis can drastically reduce the amount of dust that lands on the objects below. Of course, some ceilings are easier to clean than others. Not only that, but certain types of ceilings also attract more dirt and dust.
Popcorn ceilings may be the worst offenders in this regard. Let’s discuss the good, bad, and ugly about popcorn ceilings, and how investing in popcorn ceiling removal can keep your home cleaner.
What to Know About Removing Popcorn Ceilings
What Are Popcorn Ceilings?
Even if you’ve never heard the term “popcorn ceiling” before, chances are you’ve seen one at least once. Quite common in the mid- to late-20th century, these ceilings go by many names, such as textured, stucco, stipple, and even cottage cheese.
As their various titles imply, popcorn ceilings are typically white with a bumpy or veiny surface (almost like the surface of the moon). They are sprayed or rolled onto a ceiling to provide additional insulation and hide surface imperfections. Installing a popcorn ceiling is relatively easy, cheap, and fast, which is why this trend became so popular in the first place.
Problems with Popcorn Ceilings
Despite the benefits that some popcorn ceilings offer, it’s generally agreed today that the bad outweighs the good. Aesthetically speaking, many homeowners prefer a more modern, sleek look for their interiors. This alone makes popcorn ceilings virtually obsolete.
But beyond mere appearances, popcorn ceilings also harbor a lot of dirt, dust, and other particles that can negatively impact air quality. Small particles cling to bumpy surfaces more easily than they do to smooth ones, after all (cobwebs are quite common). This means you must clean a popcorn ceiling more frequently than other types of ceilings. Unfortunately, due to the texture, cleaning a popcorn ceiling can be difficult and time-consuming.
The issues with popcorn ceilings don’t end there, though. As the popcorn material deteriorates, pieces of it can fall on your surfaces and floors. Also, should you decide to paint over your popcorn ceiling, you’ll find that the texture makes this challenging as well. In short, then, popcorn ceilings are outdated, they attract dust, they can crumble over time, and they’re hard to clean and paint over.
A Bit About Asbestos
It’s also worth noting that some popcorn ceilings may contain asbestos, primarily if they were installed in the 1980s and before. The U.S. Clean Air Act of 1963 banned the manufacture of asbestos fibers in ceiling treatments, but asbestos products that were already in existence were exempt from the law and continued to be used over the following two decades. Since then, most popcorn ceilings have been made from paper or Styrofoam.
If you’re concerned about asbestos in your ceiling, however, you need to hire a certified contractor for a safe, dustless popcorn ceiling removal.
Keeping Your Home Clean and Safe by Removing Popcorn Ceilings
You may want to hire a popcorn ceiling removal service simply to update your home’s look and increase its value. In doing so, however, you’re also taking a major step in keeping your home cleaner. By replacing that popcorn ceiling, your new ceiling will attract less dust and other harmful particles. And when it’s time to clean your interior spaces, you’ll have a much easier time making your ceilings spotless. Plus, with a smooth ceiling, you won’t have to worry about any falling pieces.
Is it time to remove that popcorn ceiling? If so, Anderson Painting contractors can help. Popcorn ceiling removal is just one of many home improvement tasks we can handle. Interior and exterior painting, drywall repairs, siding replacement, and concrete coatings are all on the menu, plus more. For more about Anderson Painting and everything we do, call us today at (919) 610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
