Type 3 certified · Toronto, GTA & Hamilton
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Toronto
Tested before it's touched. If your ceiling predates the 1990s, that texture may contain asbestos — and scraping it dry is how a one-room job becomes a whole-floor cleanup.
- Assessment free when you go ahead
- Lab tested
- WSIB covered
- Fully insured
Test first. It's the cheap part.
Stipple and popcorn ceiling texture was standard across Toronto homes, semis and low-rise apartments from the 1950s through the 1980s. Plenty of it contains asbestos. Plenty of it doesn't. Nobody can tell which by looking at it, and a lab test costs a small fraction of what a contaminated house costs to put right.
Here's the failure mode we get called to clean up: a homeowner watches a video, wets the ceiling, scrapes it into a pile, and spreads fibres through the room, the hallway and the furnace return. What would have been a straightforward removal turns into full containment and decontamination of an entire floor.
If the test comes back negative, you're clear — do it yourself if you want, and you've spent almost nothing to find that out.
How it works
Two possible paths, one starting point.
Assessment
We look at the ceiling, the age of the building and how the texture has been treated since. That tells us whether testing is worth doing — sometimes it plainly isn't.
Sampling
A small sample taken under controlled conditions, sent to an accredited lab. We tell you the turnaround when the sample is submitted, because that is when it is actually known.
If it's negative
You've got a written result and no hazard. Scrape it yourself, or we'll take it down as a straight removal — no containment premium, because none is needed.
If it's positive
Type 3 abatement. Poly containment, negative air, sealed decontamination access, wet removal and bagged disposal. Nothing leaves the work area.
Clearance
Air testing before the containment comes down, analysed by an accredited third-party laboratory, with results in writing. On a positive job that document is what makes the room safe to re-occupy — and what a buyer will ask for later.
Ready to finish
We leave you a clean, flat ceiling ready for your painter or drywall finisher.
$295 for the on-site assessment, and it comes off the price of the work when you go ahead with us. Conditions apply: the work has to come to $2,500 or more, and the deposit has to be paid within 30 days of approval. If the material tests clean there is nothing to remove, so the assessment stands on its own — which is usually the cheapest result there is. Laboratory charges are separate either way, because the lab invoices us whether or not the work goes ahead.
Questions
What people ask us.
How do I know if my popcorn ceiling has asbestos?
Only lab analysis of a sample tells you. Age is a strong hint — texture applied before the 1990s is worth testing — but there's no visual difference between a ceiling that contains asbestos and one that doesn't. Anyone who tells you they can identify it by eye is guessing.
Can I scrape it myself if I wet it down first?
Only after a negative test. Wetting reduces airborne fibre compared to dry scraping, but it isn't containment — it doesn't protect the rest of the house, it doesn't protect you, and it leaves contaminated debris to deal with. If the ceiling hasn't been tested, don't put a scraper to it.
What does it cost?
Testing is inexpensive. Removal depends on the result: a negative ceiling is a straightforward removal priced by area, while a positive one requires containment and clearance testing, which carry a fixed cost regardless of room size. We quote a fixed price once we know which situation you're in.
How long does it take?
A single room where the ceiling tests negative is often a day. A positive result adds containment setup and clearance testing, typically putting a room at two to three days. Multiple rooms scale better than people expect, because setup is the fixed cost.
Do I need to move out?
Usually not for a single room. The containment isolates the work area, though you'll lose access to that room and we'll shut down the HVAC while we work. For whole-floor jobs we'll give you a straight answer about whether staying is practical.
Can you just encapsulate it instead?
Sometimes. Sealing or covering intact asbestos-containing texture — for instance boarding over it — is a legitimate approach and can cost less than removal. The catch is that it stays in the building and becomes the next owner's problem, and it constrains any future work on that ceiling. We'll lay out both options honestly once we know what you have.
Related
Asbestos removal
Pipe wrap, floor tile, joint compound and full Type 3 abatement.
Vermiculite
Loose grey-brown attic insulation. Disturbed by simple movement through the attic.
Mould
Ceiling stains alongside texture often mean a moisture problem above.
Service area
Where we work.
- Toronto
- Etobicoke
- Scarborough
- North York
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Vaughan
- Markham
- Richmond Hill
- Oakville
- Burlington
- Hamilton
Answering now
Test before you scrape.
If it doesn't need testing, we'll tell you that too.
Call 416-474-3978