It breaks our heart every time we are the first to inform and educate someone who has just purchased a home about the possibility of asbestos being present in their popcorn ceilings. It’s even worse when they call us back and let us know that they’ve tested positive. Even though it is up to the homeowner to perform their due diligence before they buy, it’s still is hard to hear. So weather you are purchasing a home or you are a current homeowner, please know that in the state of Florida, you must test any home that was in or before 1978. If the house was remodeled, you will need to provide documented dates the work and the upgrades were completed.

Once California banned the product, a lot of it was shipped over here because it was still legal to use in Florida at the time. Also, once the ban was finally put in place, builders were still allowed to use what they had until it was gone. For that reason our company will require you to perform the test if your home was built in 1979 or before. We have seen positive tests from an Orlando Popcorn Removal that was built in early 1979. The safety of our customers and our team is the most important reason we do this. We may lose of few jobs to the companies that don’t, but we’ll never lose sleep over it.

Many folks will ask, “who does the testing?” A certified third party must conduct the test. Your contractor cannot be the one who performs it. This is for your protection and the safety of all parties involved. There are several companies here in town that can assist you with this process. Some test onsite and give you the results immediately and some will send the sample away to a lab and your results will be emailed to you. Either way, it’s worth the time and minimal cost to stay safe and feel secure about your Popcorn Removal project.

We hope this article has educated you about the possibility of asbestos fibers in the home you are about to purchase or the home you are about to renovate. If your ceilings test negative, please give us a call at 407.987.7050 to schedule a free in-home estimate with one of our expert team members.