After a popcorn ceiling with asbestos has been removed, how and where do I dispose of the asbestos and the asbestos-contaminated products, such as the work clothing, plastic sheeting, rags, etc.?

When the entire project is completed, deposit the asbestos waste (the popcorn ceiling debris, disposable clothing, rags, plastic sheeting, etc.) in 6-mil transparent plastic bags, seal the bags with heavy-duty tape, and place each bag into a second bag. Seal the second (outside) bag with tape also.

Use a permanent marker to label each asbestos waste disposal bag with your last name, address, and date of removal on each bag.

Transport the properly bagged and labeled asbestos debris to a disposal site or transfer station licensed to received such hazardous waste. You should contact the facility where you will be taking the waste before doing the work. They may only accept asbestos at certain times or days and may have specific bag labeling requirements. They may also need to have a copy of the asbestos work permits.

Air samples will need to be taken to insure that the area is clean.

Before you even begin to remove your popcorn ceiling, please read all the Q&As here carefully, check out all the links to read what others have to offer, and consult your local/regional/state air quality authorities about the applicable regulations

Asbestos abatement has stringent requirements. When you finish your research, you may decide to turn it over to the pros, something I heartily recommend.

I've been in the construction field for over 25 years and wish I'd known then what I know now about asbestos. I would not have tackled a lot of projects because of the asbestos content of certain building products.

To get the whole picture, I recommend that you purchase my informative article, Asbestos In Popcorn Ceilings, which describes how to determine if asbestos is present and the steps a professional takes to decide if removal is the correct course of action. These same steps apply to homeowners facing the same decisions.

Included are links to government and state agencies where you can get more information on the subject, locate state-certified professional asbestos contractors for removal, and find other documents that address removing the asbestos yourself.

As an added bonus, Patching a Popcorn Ceiling has been added to Asbestos In Popcorn Ceilings to help those who need to make repairs to their ceilings. The process is about the same whether the ceiling contains asbestos or not; however, for your own peace of mind, you still need to determine if your ceiling contains asbestos, and the article describes procedures to follow to safely take a sample for testing.

Don't forget—before starting this project get your informative 10-page PDF article titled Asbestos In Popcorn Ceilings and Patching a Popcorn Ceiling. To order your downloadable .pdf printable copy, click here or click the purchase button to the left!

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C.R.S., Inc. · Spokane, Washington · USA