Asbestos Testing for Popcorn Ceilings

The EPA banned asbestos in ceiling texture in 1978, but existing product stayed in distribution and continued to be used through the mid-1980s. Green Bay homes built during this era — Preble, Astor, Ashwaubenon ranches, De Pere colonials — may still carry asbestos-containing popcorn.

Asbestos fibers are dangerous when disturbed. Scraping a textured ceiling without testing first can release microscopic fibers into your home's air and HVAC system, where they linger indefinitely. That's why professional contractors always test on pre-1985 homes — and why DIY removal on older homes is genuinely risky.

We arrive at a scheduled time, wet a small ceiling area, and collect a quarter-sized sample using proper containment. The sample is labeled, sealed, and delivered to a Wisconsin-accredited AIHA-certified lab that same day. Results are emailed to you and to our office within 48 business hours.

The vast majority of Green Bay homes we test — over 95% — return negative. When results come back positive, we walk you through the abatement options: full professional removal by a licensed asbestos contractor, or encapsulation (sealing the texture in place). We don't perform removal on positive samples ourselves; we coordinate with a specialized partner and stay involved through completion.

Positive asbestos results are not a disaster. Encapsulation — sealing the ceiling with specialized primer and drywall or paint — is often a legal, safe, and much cheaper option ($800–$2,500 for most rooms) than full abatement.

For clients who prefer complete removal, we coordinate with a Wisconsin DNR-licensed abatement contractor. Abatement typically runs $3,000–$8,000 for a whole home and requires the home to be vacated for 2–3 days. Once the ceiling is professionally cleared, we return and refinish it to a beautiful Level-5 smooth surface.