Asbestos Testing Lab Review | Stipple Ceiling Asbestos Test

As part of our the recent remodel where we removed walls on the first floor of our house, we also sanded down the rest of the stipple ceiling on the first floor. We had sanding the stipple ceiling in our dining room the year before, and as part of that project, decided to get the ceiling checked for asbestos. Many popcorn and stipple ceilings built between 1950 and 1980 contain asbestos. Undisturbed,... 

Removing a Stipple Ceiling by Sanding (Reducing Stalactites)

Stipple ceilings were very popular in the late 1970s and 1980s.  They are commonly mistaken for popcorn or ’spray on’ ceilings that also have texture.  Both of these ceiling types were installed in this period because they are much less expensive ways of finishing a drywall/sheetrock without mudding and sanding the joints of the drywall smooth, which generally requires more time.  Both... 

Industrial Basement Ceiling Look using an Airless Paint Sprayer

Have you ever wanted to create a basement that has an industrial ceiling look (the one that has become popular in many commercial businesses, especially restaurants?).  Instead of installing a drop ceiling or a drywall ceiling in the basement, you might consider using an airless paint sprayer to paint the joists, ductwork, and beams.  You could try to do the job with brushes and paint rollers,... 

Painted Basement Ceiling (How-To, Tips, and Lessons Learned)

This guest post comes from a co-worker and friend, Chuck.  This post is the detailed follow-up from Sunday’s Before and After featuring Chuck’s basement ceiling. With no further introduction, here’s Chuck’s post: In an effort to upgrade my unfinished basement, I wanted an alternative to acoustic tile or a drywall ceiling.  Fred told me of his tentative plans to paint his open... 

Before and After: Painted Basement Ceiling Joists

This week’s Before and After is brought to you from my coworker and friend, Chuck.  You may remember Chuck from the emergency water heater replacement we performed at my house a few weeks ago.  Chuck recently painted his basement ceiling beams with my Wagner airless paint sprayer.  He was going for an open, slightly industrial look.  Painting the beams is a much easier alternative to... 

Fixing Stippled Ceilings

Our house was built in 1984, and as such came with a few features we’d rather not have. One of those features is stippled ceilings. Last year, I read and read on how to remove the stipple texture. A simple Google search revealed many methods for removing it: sanding, wetting down the stipple, scraping. Many people said removing the stipple was easy… It wasn’t. I decided to try the...