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Asbestos in Drywall Compound and Textured Ceilings: What Ontario Requires Before Sanding or Scraping Anything Built Before 1990, the $150 Test, and What Abatement Costs
Drywall, Taping & Painting
Asbestos in Drywall Compound and Ceiling Texture: The Rule, the Test, the Cost, and the Reason This Page Comes Before Every Repair Page for an Older House
Until the late 1970s, and in some products later, asbestos was added to drywall joint compound and to sprayed ceiling texture because it made them stronger and easier to work. The board itself was rarely the problem; the compound over every joint and the popcorn on every ceiling were. Sitting there painted, it is harmless. Sanded, scraped or cut dry, it is fibres in the air, and that is the thing you cannot take back. Ontario’s regulation on asbestos in buildings is specific about this material, and so is this page: in a house built or renovated before 1990, test before you disturb.
What the regulation says, in plain words
Ontario Regulation 278/05 covers asbestos on construction projects and in buildings. It lists materials that are to be treated as containing asbestos unless shown otherwise, and drywall joint compound and sprayed or trowelled texture finishes are among the ones the Ministry of Labour guide names for buildings of this age. Before work that would disturb them, the owner is expected to know whether they contain asbestos, which in practice means a sample to a lab, and the contractor is required to follow the procedures for the type of work:
- Type 1: small, low-risk work such as removing a small amount of non-friable material or drilling a few holes, done wet with basic precautions.
- Type 2: most of what a renovation involves: removing or disturbing friable material (texture and compound are friable) over a small area, with wet methods, respirators, containment and proper disposal.
- Type 3: large-scale removal of friable material, such as scraping every ceiling in a house: full enclosure, negative air, trained workers, clearance air testing, and notice to the Ministry.
Sanding the compound on one wall to repaint it is a disturbance. Scraping a popcorn ceiling is a Type 2 or Type 3 removal. The contractor who knows this will ask for the test; the one who does not will fill your house with it.
The test
A sample is a thumbnail of the material: a piece of texture scraped wet into a bag, or a bit of compound dug out of a joint with a utility knife, from somewhere that will not show. One sample per material and per area that looks different (the ceilings in an addition are a separate sample from the original house). It goes to an accredited lab, by courier or drop-off, and comes back in two to five days as a percentage by material type. Under 0.5% is treated as not asbestos-containing in Ontario; anything above is. About $50 to $75 per sample at the lab, $150 or so with a contractor or an environmental consultant taking it, and a consultant will do the whole house in one visit for $400 to $600 and write a report your contractors can rely on. Keep the report with the house papers; the next owner’s contractor will want it.
Dates to remember: compound before 1980, texture before 1990, and anything renovated before then. A 1985 house with original ceilings gets tested. A 1995 house does not need it. If you are not sure when the ceiling went on, test.
What it costs when it is positive
| Job | Negative test | Positive test, abatement contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Popcorn ceiling removal, per sq ft | $4 to $7 | $8 to $14, plus disposal and air clearance |
| Small compound repair (patch, crack) | $300 to $600 | $600 to $1,200, done wet in a small containment |
| Skim coating a room (disturbs old compound when sanded) | $1,200 to $1,700 | Often not done; the wall is boarded over instead, which does not disturb it |
| Gutting a room with textured ceilings and old compound | $1,500 to $2,500 demolition | $4,000 to $8,000 abatement, then the demolition |
The practical lesson: a positive result usually changes the plan from removing to covering. New board over an asbestos ceiling, screwed through into the joists without sanding or scraping, is a legitimate way to leave it undisturbed, and it is what most people do.
What you can do, and what you should not
The regulation binds employers and workers; a homeowner working on his own house is outside it, which means you can legally do things that would be illegal to pay someone to do. That is not a reason to do them. Painting over intact texture or compound is fine; it is sealed. Hanging a picture is fine. Scraping, sanding, grinding or dry-cutting a positive or untested material in a house with your family in it is the thing to not do, and if you do it anyway, wet it down, wear a P100 respirator, bag everything, and wash the clothes separately. Then call an abatement contractor for the rest. Health Canada’s guidance on asbestos and on indoor air is linked below with the regulation.
Questions people ask
Does old drywall contain asbestos?
The board itself, rarely. The joint compound over the joints, commonly until about 1980, and sprayed ceiling texture until about 1990. In Ontario those materials are treated as asbestos-containing in older houses until a lab test shows otherwise.
How much does an asbestos test cost?
$50 to $75 per sample at the lab, about $150 with a contractor taking it, $400 to $600 for a consultant to sample a whole house and write a report.
Can I remove asbestos popcorn ceiling myself in Ontario?
The regulation does not stop a homeowner working on his own house, but it stops you hiring anyone to help who is not trained, and it exists because the dust is dangerous. Test first; if positive, cover it with new board or hire an abatement contractor. Do not scrape it dry.
Is it safe to live with asbestos in the ceiling?
Intact, painted and undisturbed, the risk is very low; the fibres are bound in the material. The risk is in sanding, scraping, drilling and demolition. Leave it alone or cover it, and keep the test report.
The calculators ask the question
The repair calculator adds the test for any pre-1990 house and prices popcorn removal and skim coating on the assumption it comes back clear. If it does not, come back to this page and price the cover-over instead.
Sources and further reading
- Asbestos on construction projects (O. Reg. 278/05): Ontario Ministry of Labour. Drywall joint compound and textured ceilings in older houses are named as materials that may contain asbestos; the regulation says what has to happen before anyone sands or scrapes them.
- Addressing moisture and mould in your home: Health Canada. When wet drywall can dry and when it comes out, and the 48-hour rule.
- Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs: Ontario government. The 10-day cooling-off period, the written contract rule over $50, and what to do about a contractor who walks.
