Now that the ink is dry on the sales contract for the condo you’ve been dreaming of owning, you are ready to settle in and enjoy the fruits of homeownership. However, there are some things you would like to change in the condo—the popcorn ceiling throughout the unit is not your taste. But you know you can’t just scrape it off the top without first getting an asbestos test done to determine if the popcorn texture contains asbestos because you don’t want to put your family at risk of exposure to this dangerous material.
How to get popcorn ceiling tested for asbestos
One can’t tell by just looking that any asbestos-containing material does or does not have asbestos; the only way to know for sure is to do what is called asbestos bulk testing. What needs to be done is first collect samples of the popcorn texture. Start by determining the room’s square footage (s) where the popcorn texture will be removed. The EPA recommends collecting three samples of the surface of the popcorn texture’s total area is up to 1000sqft, five samples >1000-2000sqft, and 7-9 samples >2000-5000sqft.
Get yourself a small spray bottle filled with some water and a couple of drops of detergent, wear some latex gloves and a nylon suit, use a small knife, some sandwich bags, a marker to label each bag with a number and a step ladder. Spray the area to be sampled to prevent airborne fibers, cut and place a dime-size sample in the sandwich bag, and repeat at different sections of the room and make sure to clear the space so that no one else is with you before doing this.
After getting the pieces, you can drop off or send the samples for asbestos testing to an asbestos testing lab near you that will process the samples. You will need to fill out the lab’s chain of custody form and include it with your pieces. The asbestos testing lab will perform analysis using Polarized Light Microscopy and will tell you the type and percentage of asbestos in their report. You can choose different delivery options from the lab to receive your results.
How much does it cost to test for asbestos?
Asbestos testing costs between $25-$50 per sample, and there may be a fee assessed for expedited service. Check with the asbestos testing lab that you choose for their service level agreement. If you decided to hire an asbestos consultant to manage the process, expect to pay between $150-$250 for this service, not including sample testing costs. The benefit of using a certified consultant is that they have the tools and training to perform all the actions professionally and safely. They also produce a report which will include their certificate. A remodeling contractor often requires the latter if you hire them to remove the popcorn texture.
Where can I send a sample for asbestos testing?
5 Microns Inc. provides an asbestos testing service and will deliver the results within 2-3 business days of receipt. Same-day service is also available for a $50 fee. You can either drop off your samples, and we also offer mail-in your asbestos testing. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding asbestos testing or concerns. I hope you found this article helpful. We hope to be of service to you today.
Mail in samples to the following address *at Tabor 100 co-working offices:
5 Microns Inc.
7100 Fort Dent Way #100
Tukwila, WA 98188
IMPORTANT-MUST READ FIRST: All mail-in samples must have a tracking number and include our asbestos chain of custody form to be processed. If the chain of custody form is missing, your sample(s) will not be accepted and processed. Drop-offs MUST have the COC form inside your package but not in the sample bag. DO NOT MAIL YOUR SAMPLES BY FIRST CLASS MAIL. Send your sample(s) via USPS Priority Mail, UPS, and FedEx. It is essential to closely follow these directions so our asbestos testing lab can promptly process your sample(s).
*PLEASE NOTE FOR ALL DROP-OFFS: All samples must be dropped off at the back of the office building located at 7100 Fort Dent Way Tukwila WA outside the Tabor 100 Office and placed inside the black drop-box pictured below. Do not take your samples to the front desk. The front desk will not accept drop-offs over the counter, NO EXCEPTIONS
