No. Not every popcorn ceiling from the 1970s contains asbestos, but a large share do, since chrysotile asbestos was commonly mixed into ceiling texture through the 1970s and into the mid-1980s. You cannot tell by looking at it, sniffing it, or scraping a corner — the only way to know for certain is lab testing.

In Ontario, Regulation 278/05 requires testing before disturbing suspect material, and the Ontario Building Code does not regulate popcorn ceilings directly, so there's no legal requirement to remove asbestos-containing texture if it's left undisturbed and in good condition. The requirement kicks in once you plan to scrape, skim, or renovate.

We coordinate asbestos testing at cost, $300–$500, with no markup, before any removal work begins on a home built before the mid-1980s. If your home was built after that period, testing usually isn't necessary, but we'll confirm before quoting.

Call us at (519) 729-7394 and we'll walk you through testing and next steps. KW Popcorn Ceiling Removal · Waterloo service area · Google Reviews