Safe asbestos acoustic ceiling removal for southern California homeowners.
Safe Acoustic Ceiling Removal: What Homeowners Need to Know.
Acoustic ceilings — also known as popcorn ceilings or cottage cheese ceilings — were a popular finish in homes built before the 1990s. While they helped with sound dampening and covered imperfections, many of these ceilings were made with asbestos-containing materials (ACM). If you're thinking about remodeling or removing your acoustic ceiling, here's what you need to know to keep your family safe and stay compliant with California regulations.
🧪 Step 1: Test Before You Remove
Before any work begins, have your ceiling tested by a third-party Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC). This independent testing is required to confirm whether asbestos is present and, if so, at what concentration.
🛠 Step 2: Hire a Licensed Asbestos Abatement Contractor
Once testing confirms asbestos is present, contact Ramirez Demolition Services Inc. (RDSI), a licensed and experienced abatement contractor specializing in the safe removal of asbestos-containing acoustic ceilings. RDSI will provide a detailed proposal, walk you through the process, and address any questions or concerns you may have.
🧹 Step 3: Preparing Your Home
As a homeowner, your role is to clear personal items such as:
Furniture
Clothing from closets
This allows RDSI to safely set up a fully enclosed work area and prevent fiber contamination in your living space.
🧯 Step 4: Containment & Environmental Controls
RDSI will isolate the work area using:
Two layers of plastic on all walls, floors, windows, and doorways
HVAC system isolation, including registers and returns
Negative air pressure containment, maintained with certified HEPA-filtered machines
Continuous monitoring using specialized equipment to ensure safe air pressure conditions
These steps are crucial to prevent any asbestos fibers from escaping into uncontaminated areas of your home.
💧 Step 5: Wet Removal Process
Our trained, certified technicians wear full PPE and:
Pre-wet the acoustic ceiling using amended water for deep saturation
Carefully scrape the asbestos material from the substrate, while workers continue to mist the air to ensure a dust free removal process
Bag all debris in approved, labeled asbestos disposal bags
✨ Step 6: Cleaning & Final Wipe-Down
After removal:
All surfaces are HEPA vacuumed, wet wiped, and HEPA vacuumed again
The area is cleaned to ensure it is fiber-free
While post-clearance air testing is not required by law for residential homes, it is highly recommended and can be coordinated through a third-party testing firm
📄 Step 7: Regulatory Notifications
RDSI will handle all required notifications to local and state agencies, including:
OSHA
Your local Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
If your project is located in the South Coast AQMD region and involves removing over 100 square feet of asbestos-containing material in a residential home, you may be subject to a 14-calendar-day notification period before work can begin. RDSI will guide you through the timeline and ensure full compliance.
💲 What Can Affect Pricing?
Several site-specific factors may impact your project’s cost:
Vaulted or high ceilings
Stairwells or limited access
Ceilings that have been painted over, reducing water absorption
Whether the material is on plaster or drywall (plaster is more labor-intensive)
🔨 What Happens After?
Once RDSI completes the abatement and safely removes all containment materials, you’re free to move forward with renovation or reconstruction. Most ceilings will require skim coating and retexturing afterward, as acoustic ceiling texture often hides imperfections that become visible post-removal.
✅ Ready to Remove Your Asbestos Acoustic Ceiling?
RDSI Solutions offers licensed, insured, and fully certified asbestos abatement throughout Southern California, serving Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and surrounding areas.
RDSI
Your Southern California Abatement Pros.
📞 (909) 260-8990
📩 info@rdsisolutions.com
