best removal method?

Test for asbestos before disturbing in any way.

wondering if we can just cover with wood directly with removing texture?

Yes, fur out from the studs.

Don't know what fur out from studs means?

Friend put mask & goggles on & used a wide plastic spreader thing, think it was meant for wallpapering & scrapped it off the ceiling & then painted the smooth ceilings. On the walls popcorn would gouge very easily. Could use mask & goggles & open windows & power sander & see what happens. I think he means "far out from studs" Spelling isn't taught like it used to be, in our schools or kids aren't paying attention!

High probability that the popcorn contains asbestos, unless it's stipple rather than popcorn. I think acoustic tile itself can contain asbestos too though. Removal is largely about (a) working wet and (b) containment, but look it up for more detail.

Furring is nailing strips of wood over the studs and then drywalling onto the strips.

KarinL

kids aren't paying attention!

Fer shure!

Thanks for all the replies. Can't we just put drywall or wood over the existing walls? Can an inspector test walls, or give us an idea if it could have asbestos?

It's a simple test for a lab. Here's a list of accredited labs. Make it part of your inspection. I'll venture that it's hard to find any homes built or renovated in that era that don't contain asbestos--from tiles, to texture, to shingles, to adhesives. Not mention all the lead paint.

Worthy is right. Most will have it somewhere, disturbing asbestos is when you have a problem. So, I'll qualify my advice by saying, "if you are thinking of removing it", and you find asbestos everywhere, then I'd probably walk away. As for covering it up, I guess it comes back to whether or not you'd fracture the asbestos fibers in the process of installing something over it. Maybe someone else here can give you good advice about that.

I only base my opinion on the fact that we had an asbestos backed vinyl kitchen floor and a few heating system ducts covered in asbestos laden material (one was 80%) removed professionally and it cost about $5,000. Everyone will have their own choices to make with this stuff. One could argue we were overly cautious, and we probably could have removed the flooring safely enough ourselves, but we weren't at all comfortable removing the covered ducts ourselves. It just galled me to spend $5,000 to remove something and "get" nothing for it when I was spending a huge amount of money renovating the kitchen. (I realize maybe I "got" a healthier future! LOL). Anyway... stepping off my soapbox... somebody else?

If your house was built in 1956, there's most likely asbestos and lead paint somewhere. Asbestos is only a problem when it's disturbed, causing it to become airborne and thus inhalable. Cover up the popcorn and it'll be fine.
Oh, and don't eat the lead paint. :)

I believe the spelling should be "Fir". As I understand it, it's known as "Firring" because a cheaper grade of wood, usually a type of "Fir" or pine, was used to make the strips out of that attach to the ceiling and then the ceiling boards, panels or ceiling tile are attached to that. This gives a 3/4 inch or so space or drop between the existing ceiling and the new one. That's my understandingâ¦although, as often pointed out by my wife, my understanding is not always correct. :-)

Actually, us limeys do call it "furring"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furring
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furring

That should be NON-limeys...

We REALLY need an edit button.

Furring.

Unless the surface is already flat it can be a real PITA to shim the new wood to flat.

It is actually usually much easier and faster to pit small sisters on the side of the joists or studs and make the face of the new wood flat, or for masonry to just build a stud wall just in front of the masonry.

It makes insulation and electrical wiring a lot easier also.