Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings: What Wichita Homeowners Should Know

If your house went up before about 1981, there is a real chance the ceiling texture has some asbestos in it. Plenty of Wichita neighborhoods were built right in that window, from College Hill bungalows that got re-textured in the 70s to the postwar tracts near the old Boeing plant on the south side.

Do not guess, test

You cannot tell by looking. A small sample, about the size of a quarter, goes to an accredited lab and results usually come back in a few business days. Wet the spot first with a spray bottle so you are not making dust, and wear a disposable mask. Many homeowners pay somewhere around $30 to $60 per sample for the lab work.

Kansas rules in plain terms

Kansas regulates asbestos work through KDHE (the Kansas Department of Health and Environment). Homeowners have some leeway on their own single-family house, but contractors who remove asbestos material need the proper license. If you hire it out and the test is positive, make sure the crew is licensed for asbestos work. Check KDHE directly for the current rules before you start.

If the test is negative

Good news. That is the most common result we see, and the job is a regular scrape, skim, and prime. See what that costs in Wichita.

If the test is positive

You have three choices: leave it alone and paint over it carefully, cover it with new drywall, or pay for licensed abatement. Covering it is often the cheapest path in a ranch with flat ceilings. We will walk you through the tradeoffs honestly. More on our asbestos page.