First as chiflipper posts, have it tested for asbestos so you can make an informed decision.

My condo had asbestos popcorn ceiling (verified). I recently remodeled and had the ceiling removed by a certified asbestos removal company. It was expensive and something I wouldn't want to do if I were LIVING in a place because everything has to be moved out.

I had it done because it was ugly and made my whole unit seem dreary. It was not cheap - asbestos removal by a certified remediation firm AND the cost of smoothing the ceiling - but I can't over emphasize how much I like it and what a difference it makes - even if subliminally in my unit.

I have to confess that prior to my being super conscious of it being asbestos I did bang some holes in the ceiling for lighting but the fallout was I think pretty minimal and I probably have as much exposure from just breathing in a major city as I do from the small amount of debris that might have gotten into the air - for the most part it just fell and I wiped it up with a damp paper towel.

There is a company which seals the ceilings. I know nothing about them except that they sometimes post on the asbestos ceiling threads :-).

I do know that if you paint the ceiling it can make removal down the road much more difficult since popcorn ceiling can easily be removed by wetting it down and scraping it but it's not as easy if it has been painted.

Here's a before and after picture of my ceiling with popcorn and with the new smooth surface

Your new ceilings look great. Did you have the entire ceiling removed and replaced or just popcorn scraping?

@Julia Bennett. Not sure how to answer. My ceilings are actually concrete with the popcorn applied over it when it was originally installed. The asbestos was removed by the abatement specialists and then my AG did the ceilings. There isn’t drywall that was attached but I assume the cement was primed so it all looks smooth. My GC hired great tradespeople so I was really lucky in terms of the quality of workmanship.

If it is at all financially feasible, I would recommend having the popcorn removed before you move in.

You cannot have anything at all in areas that are being done so moving everything out of yiur home is a huge undertaking once you are living in a place.

Thank you, yes we are scheduled to move in a month so I'm trying to figure out potential costs.

Keep a spray bottle handy when cutting. If you wet the surface down, it keeps the asbestos particles under control. Wear a dust mask anyway.

I agree best to have it teasted before going crazy.

https://www.asbestos.com/blog/2018/07/24/asbestos-popcorn-ceiling-safe/

Get the ceiling tested first. I had the same concern, and found out it was not asbestos popcorn.

If you don't have to worry about asbestos, then you can try removing the popcorn yourself. It can be hard work but is entirely DIY-able.

Alternately you can install drywall instead of smoothing, but you will lose a bit of ceiling height. The advantage of the drywall is that you can have pot lighting, which you cannot do if you just plaster the cement ceiling.

>>for the most part it just fell and I wiped it up with a damp paper towel.

Cautionary note for anyone disturbing asbestos: it's not the stuff you SEE that is a risk to your lungs, it's the micron-sized particles that stay in the air longer. We're talking 5 microns or even less. You can't see that with the human eye. If you think you are safe without protection because you collected all the visible dust, think again. Not trying to say the sky is falling, but you need a good HEPA filter mask for this kind of work, especially if it's anything more than a 4" hole in the ceiling to mount a light fixture.

I live in a condo built in 1969 so there’s asbestos all over the place. Unless you’re rolling in cash and have nothing else to spend it on, it’s really just easier to drywall over the ceiling. It lowers the ceiling height by 1/4-1/2 inch but that’s going to be almost unnoticeable.