Asbestos popcorn ceiling. Was i careful enough?

[Chase cantrell]

hello all i have a question about a job already half done. Covered up my asbestos popcorn ceiling with drywall using a drywall hoist, 1/2 in ultralite and 2” drywall screws today. Tomorrow i plan to tape and mud. I’m concerned that i didn’t take enough precautions when drilling the screws through the popcorn, Into the joists. I wore a proper respirator, and safety glasses (not goggles). Blue taped painters plastic over every doorway and installed a zipper door that was kept closed the whole day, except the 7-8 times I had to go out for tools or supplies. If anyone has any experience in this project, or has any advice on whether or not I’ve just exposed me and my family to harmful asbestos dust please chime in. Thank you In advance.

 

[ElectricalGuy]

When you say proper respirator do you mean a paper mask, half mask respirator with filters, or an full face respirator that covers your eyes as well. The paper mask does not help at all, the half mask with asbestos filters is sufficient enough but the full face with asbestos filters is always the best option. You should have used the see through red tuck-tape for the door way instead of painters tape for the best seal. Overall it sounds like you took appropriate enough precautions and should be fine. There is no way the be sure as asbestos has chronic effects that won't be noticed until years later. One thing you could have done in addition to this was to rent an air scrubber from Home Depot (see attached).

As a Tradesman myself I must recommend that in the future you hire an approved contractor who will take appropriate measures, or at the very least hire an abatement crew to scrape the ceiling and remove the popcorn (without the popcorn there will be a lot less dust created when securing new sheets of drywall to the existing ceiling) and complete the job yourself.