Walls and Ceilings - Popcorn ceiling nightmare

I moved into my house (built in 73) two years ago, and just recently I've noticed that the popcorn ceiling in some areas is starting to crack and peel off. Upon closer inspection it looks like the ceiling was never sealed or primed before being sprayed with the popcorn. :wall: I've tried doing some patchwork, but I'm wondering whether ultimately I need to remove the popcorn and paint instead. Any advice? I know that I'll need to get asbestos testing done before I tackle any project. If it does contain asbestos, what precautions do I need to take? Or do I need to hire a contractor for all this? :confused:

Welcome to the forum
One of the big problems with popcorn is it often goes unpainted. Since for the most part it is water solubule the moisture in the air deteriates it. You may be able to spray it with an oil base primer and stabilize it. I hate to recomend that though because if you do wind up removing the texture it will be a lot harder with the primer on there. Popcorn is realitively easy to remove, just get it damp and scrape. Asbestos dust is where the danger is. They say as long as it is wet there is no danger. I would however have it tested and take all precautions.

Thanks marksr! I might just bite the bullet and remove the popcorn altogether (after testing it for asbestos). Thanks for your input!

Forgot to mention that the ceiling will likely need a skim coat of mud after all the popcorn is removed. Doing 1 room at a time might make a big job more managable.