How to Paint Asbestos Ceiling Tiles
The use of asbestos in home building materials has been banned because the fibers can cause mesothelioma and other serious respiratory diseases and cancers. Common asbestos-containing materials include ceiling tiles, insulation, vinyl flooring and wall texture compound. As long as the material isn't friable (crumbling) and releasing asbestos fibers into the air, it's safe to encapsulate or paint it--with a few cautions. Painting asbestos ceiling tiles requires basic painting tools or an airless sprayer and latex paint. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Roll of plastic sheeting
- Drop cloths
- Duster or broom
- Spackle or caulking
- Airless sprayer
- Latex paint
- 1/2-inch nap roller
- Roller pan or bucket and grid
- Painter's tape
- Paint brush
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Instructions
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Spraying Asbestos Ceiling Tiles
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1
Remove as much of the furnishings as you can, including window coverings. Spray paint can get everywhere, so cover what you can't remove with plastic sheeting. Remove or mask off light fixtures and smoke alarms. Protect the floor with drop cloths.
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2
Tape plastic sheeting to the walls, unless you're planning on painting them as well. Buy plastic sheeting that comes with masking tape attached so you can efficiently drape plastic from ceiling to floor.
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3
Fill holes and cracks with spackle or paintable caulking, but don't scrape or sand it. Clean off dust and cobwebs with a broom or duster.
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4
Spray the ceiling with at least two coats of latex paint. Wait until the paint is dry, according to label directions, in between coats. If possible, spray one coat back and forth in one direction and the next coat in the other direction.
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5
Wait until the paint has dried for about four hours before removing the tape and plastic from the walls to ensure a clean, straight line.
Rolling Asbestos Ceiling Tiles
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6
Follow steps one through three from Section 1 to prepare the room and the ceiling.
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7
Cut in with a brush around the edges of the ceiling and around light fixtures or anything else affixed to the ceiling.
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8
Roll the ceiling. If the ceiling tiles are textured, use a 1/2-inch lambswool roller. They are expensive, but they hold more paint and get into nooks and crannies much better than synthetic rollers.
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9
Paint at least two coats on the ceiling with the roller and brush.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you spray asbestos ceiling tiles, you virtually eliminate the risk of handling them. Put on several coats of paint to encapsulate them safely.
Flat or eggshell finish paint will hide imperfections and texture much better than satin or semi-gloss paint.
Don't sand or scrape the ceiling tiles or handle them in any way that may cause damage and release asbestos fibers.
