As homeowners in Long Beach and across the region turn to indoor improvement projects during the colder months, a painting contractor is drawing attention to a hidden hazard that can lurk in older homes: asbestos in textured ceilings and walls. Dream Painting, a company providing Painting in Aurora CO and the Denver metro area, is encouraging anyone planning to smooth out popcorn ceilings or refinish walls in an older house to find out what those materials contain before work begins.
The warning carries weight for local property owners and renovation professionals alike. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is generally not possible to tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it unless it is labeled. The EPA notes that homeowners planning to remodel may want their homes inspected by a trained and accredited asbestos professional, because remodeling can disturb building materials. The agency also advises against sawing, sanding, scraping or drilling holes in materials that contain asbestos, and recommends against taking samples themselves.
Dream Painting owner Kyler Williams said the ceiling is often the first target in an older house and the one most likely to be attacked with a scraper on a weekend. "If the house has some age on it, I tell people to get the texture tested first," Williams said. "It's a small step that tells you how the project needs to be handled." Once testing confirms a ceiling can be safely disturbed, homeowners can move ahead with Popcorn Ceiling Removal Aurora projects that leave a smooth surface ready for paint.
The same advice applies to walls that will be patched or sanded before repainting. Dream Painting provides Interior Painting Aurora services for walls, ceilings, trim and cabinets. Williams noted that winter is also a practical time to plan for spring, when the company's exterior painting season resumes and Colorado's sun, hail and temperature swings have had another year to wear on siding and trim.
"Most of the trouble we see on interior projects comes from rushing the prep," Williams said. "Knowing what's in the walls and ceilings before anyone starts sanding means nobody has to stop halfway through and start over."
The implications extend beyond one company's project calendar. For homeowners, testing before demolition can prevent costly mid-project delays and reduce exposure risks for families and workers. For the painting and remodeling industry, the message reinforces a broader shift toward verification-first preparation, in which contractors document material contents before disturbing older finishes. As housing stock ages in Long Beach and surrounding communities, that approach may become a standard expectation rather than an optional step, shaping how renovation contracts are scoped and how safely older interiors are updated.
