jtablerd t1_jaaf8o0 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 12:36 AM

Reply to comment by threwthelookinggrass in Is this a good plan on removing a probable lead paint ceiling? by threwthelookinggrass

Re reading your original post I would demo as little as possible, do you have to pull the whole ceiling?

Was the soffit added later? Maybe when HVAC was put in or last kitchen reno? Lil weird to see a proper lathe & plaster ceiling with a soffit

threwthelookinggrass OP t1_jaahgom wrote on February 28, 2023 at 12:52 AM

I think I could just patch the hole I made in the soffit and just forget about the second ceiling. I mainly want to get rid of the soffit but it’d be nice to reclaim the height and fix the insulation.

There’s no hvac, plumbing, exhaust in the false ceiling. The pictures I linked are between the false ceiling and the plaster ceiling. The false ceiling ends where the soffit begins if that makes sense. They didn’t drywall wall to wall, only up to where they started the soffit.

https://i.imgur.com/DMhWvEH.jpg

jtablerd t1_jaajckt wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:06 AM

I would very honestly recommend that you don't open that any further and patch the hole, I'm sorry...that (definitely) lead substrate is so unstable that if I ran into that at my own (1912) house - I'd set down my tools and set a 20-30k budget to deal with it (which would be pulling the whole ceiling+ but still wouldn't be lead abatement). And for that kind of money I'd deal with the stupid ass soffit and spend it elsewhere. It's totally possible and legally you can tear that shit up as a homeowner but I wouldn't touch it were it mine... Just my $0.02... I'm sorry
If you are hellbent or if you have any other lead questions happy to advise you how to do as safely as possble but don't.

threwthelookinggrass OP t1_jaalmun wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:22 AM

Again I really appreciate your insight. I got a lead guy coming by later this week to give me his opinion and I’ll get my asbestos guy back to give me his. I just want to make sure the thing is as safe as can be structurally and from a lead/asbestos perspective. I’d hate for shit to start falling down onto the false ceiling.

It really pisses me off that A) some fucker did 90% of the job by smashing up the walls and converting them to drywall but left the last 10% for the next guy and B) they didn’t take the drywall ceiling wall to wall and then add the dumbass soffit.

jtablerd t1_jaaoh40 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:44 AM

Yeah it's fucked a, b, and c is my professional opinion but I'm not on site or actually giving a professional opinion. I'm so glad you're consulting w folks local to make sure it's all safe... Most folks dgaf. I've been at it professionally for almost 20 and only screaming about lead about ten years ago when I exposed a kid and it got pretty real

jtablerd t1_jaak2hi wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:11 AM

A bit of insight on what I see in this photo - there's a calcimine coating as well as lead paint (you can test it for lead for kicks, calcimine is less harmful - used to be used as a washable coating for ceilings etc when we burned coal or wood inside) - the calcimine is the unstable coating (if you have any other old ceilings in your house that aren't covered they may develop a pattern like this but on a way lesser scale as they're coated more recently). The instability of those ceiling coatings means that it will all come off.. In very small and particulate pieces.

threwthelookinggrass OP t1_jaalwhu wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:24 AM

Rest of the house has original height ceiling, some sort of texture, and has been recently painted. Doesn’t look anything like that.