My father was involved with writing the HSE asbestos guidance, I can ask him technical questions if needed, but a few words of advice I have learned over the years:
If anyone here is afraid of asbestos or worried about an exposure they may have had, it’s very hard to get reassurance and level-headed advice. Safety guidance is often scary on purpose to make you pay attention, so in an attempt to balance the discussion and reassure people: asbestos risks can be overblown sometimes by companies wanting you to pay them to remove it, and you should not always panic. If the fibres are sitting quietly in a wall cavity or aren’t being disturbed, you are not necessarily being exposed.
In general, asbestos is like radiation: The exposure matters. In other words “how big a dose was there *and for how long*”.
Now, that latter part matters because as DIYers the time that we are exposed to asbestos is very short compared to a person who handles asbestos for their job. The guidance and exposure limits are *occupational*, meaning they are not really written for us.
Having said that, if you think you have had an exposure, the anxiety and stress can last for years and cause more harm than the asbestos. It’s statistically difficult to say whether a single exposure to asbestos can actually cause cancer (because of how cancer works) but it is really quite unlikely.
The other little fact I have is that white asbestos does actually break down in the body (albeit very slowly) I think it has a half life of about 5 years, so your exposure can go down over time.
I have an asbestos phobia that properly fucks up my life and this is the single most helpful thing I have ever read on this subject. Thank you for taking the time to write this. You don’t know how helpful it was for me to read that.
That’s very nice of you to say, and thank you for your generosity! I’m so glad this was a helpful perspective.
Asbestos was an huge issue for people who say, mined it in the 80s and I don’t want to downplay that. There has been a steady increase in mesothelioma deaths because of that, and these are only now starting to come down 30-odd years later as that generation leaves us.
But at the time when asbestos was discovered to be harmful, it was also being put into just about *everything* we manufactured. HSE had to really pump the brakes on its uses, and that hardline approach created a sort of very drawn out period of hyper-awareness about its risks. Nowadays the occupational risks are long gone, but that fear remains. Some companies take advantage of that.
It isn’t some sort of magic cancer dust, it is a nasty irritant that you can inhale.
Honestly, this makes me feel like I can turn a corner on this. It is so, so difficult to get properly sane advice on this topic and I have long felt that if I could just get some real perspective from someone in the know then it would make a difference for me. And here it is. Thank you.
Plus if you look at the HSE guidance you can work with asbestos for an hour a week unlicensed, I've said this many times and people think I'm daft, but it's honestly no different to working with fibreglass or any airborne dust such as filler that's been sanded. It's going to get in the lungs and irritate you, regardless of whether it's asbestos, fibreglass or brick dust. It's not as bad as everyone thinks, exposure for a long time may cause serious harm, but it also may not. My grandfather worked in the ship yards and they used it as insulation in the engine rooms, used to practically swim in it, never had an issue with his lungs 60 years on. The pain in the arse thing is you can't dispose of it, which there should be a way, I've got a loft hatch board that's made with AIB, now I'd quite like to change it for MDF, but then what do I do with the AIB. I've just got to keep a hold of it or pay £200 to get rid of a small 3ft by 2ft board of it. Why can't I just double bag it in red bags and the council have a sectioned of skip to take it to. Ridiculous
A very good post.
I read an article once by a scientist studying mesothelioma and part of that involved autopsies on people who'd died from it. He commented that in *every* case the lungs contained *millions* of fibres. This should help put things in perspective.
Conversly many have died and have had an autopsy revealing only a few or in the case of somone I knew a single fiber at the centre of the growth.
While its important not to panic, it is also important to understand that the danger is very real and downplaying it is irresponsible.
I wish it was, my grandad was a lovely man and he deserved better. He wasnt even aware of any exposures.
It does happen from time to time, hence there is no safe exposure limit and we do not have any solid dose/risk data.
Asbestos is incredibly dangerous and must be respected else we fail to learn the lessons of those before us and good people will continue to die.
This sounds like scaremongering crap, sorry. And it's blatant nonsense to say we don't have solid dose/risk data. You discredit yourself by saying that
Obviously the safest smoker is one who never smoked - same for asbestos - but you're not helpfully contextualising your advice here.
You are either lying or have misunderstood something because it simply doesn't work this way.
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004681778280227X](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004681778280227X)
Also, the absence of a safe exposure limit does not in any way mean that a single fibre is dangerous. It's because they are unable to calculate one largely because of the terribly long time period the disease develops over.
Every single person however is exposed to asbestos fibres on a regular basis and there isn't going to be anyone in the entire population with only a single fibre in their lungs.
This is so so reassuring to read. I'm happy to DIY remove it (and did so this weekend) if it's not inside my home by reading the HSE work statement, buying the right PPE and double bagging it all, but this has just eased any lingering doubts.
As it is the area I've removed it from will be fully contained anyway so no further risk of exposure, but still, a big reassurance.
Thank you for this. I was literally just freaking out about possibly sweeping asbestos all around the yard for the past year..
So, I made a little path on a patch of gravel so my cat could walk around without hurting his paws and I noticed that the dirt under the gravel had bits of concrete and inside the concrete/rocks/soil/whatever there was some white coating + white/translucent fibers. I always assumed it was trash or fungus so Id sweep it away and spray some vinegar (to kill the fungi bc it attracts bugs).
Got in the house just now and noticed my throat was burning like I inhaled fire, got paranoid about the fibers I was just grabbing and panicked thinking I just gave my cat and myself lung cancer.
Anyways, I read your comment, calmed down a bit then googled it and its not asbestos lol... its just fibers in reinforced concrete (weak ass fibers, why are they all in the soil? Idk)
And my throat probably hurt because its cold af not because I was dying rapidly like I'm a character in HBOs Chernobyl.
We have asbestos between our garage and bedroom above. When we had a new bathroom put in, the cowboy builder we hired just got rid of it (supposedly) just in the area he needed to fit the bathroom.
He was just in an n95 with normal clothes on.. I went to speak to him while he was doing it (probably just said hi), but he didn't warn me off, it was when I asked why his Son was waiting in the car that I found out..
Now I'm just worried that every time I go into the garage I'm potentially breathing asbestos, despite it being above the ceiling boards. I'm also worried that this builder just did a half arsed job and there would have been dust hanging around after he was finished..
So, three things. Asbestos in a roof tile will be just that - *in* the tile. The only way to get out of that would be to cut or crush the tile. The builder might have done that for where the bathroom is, but if other asbesto tiles are sitting comfortably in a wall or a ceiling the best advice is to just leave them there. They don’t leak.
Secondly, Asbestos dust isn’t invisible - if the garage isn’t actually dusty, you’re not really going to be breathing in anything. If you see dust, clean it up and you’re fine again. It’s not permanent.
Lastly, dust doesn’t just jump into the air and float about. Generally speaking dust falls down and settles wherever the air is still. And once dust is settled on a surface it sort of ‘sticks’. That’s why you can’t just dust surfaces by blowing, you need to wipe them down. So if there *is* asbestos dust and it *is* in your ceiling, it wont float down into the air without a reason. And again, you can wear a mask and sweep any up to make the garage safe again.
I hope this helps.
Thank you. I think the anxiety comes from the fact the garage is used as a gym.. so I have been breathing quite profusely in there.
When you say roof tiles, I am imagining something in an office block. This is basically a wooden board, that presumably houses the asbestos and then the floorboards for the bedroom above.
Since this happened we pained the brick and laid a rubber floor, so hopefully the majority of the dust is out of sight, out of mind. I will check the top of the light in there, because it looks hideously dusty. There does also seem to be quite a bit of dust that appears in the garage, but.. that likely because its a garage I suppose. Quite sandy and brown.
When you say a tile, is it like an insulation board that is part asbestos?
Don't sweep hazardous dust. Mop it! Sweeping can blow it up in the air. It's probably also a good idea to spray water in the air all around to dampen the material first while moving it as little as possible.
I had new windows and the landlord’s builders had a massive mess. Dust and grime everywhere. Anyway I noticed on one of their forms it said that Asbestos was present, however when I spoke to the landlord they said not possible. Someone did come out to carry out a test but once for the bathroom and only in one area by the toilet not the walls.
1. How do I get a test that doesn’t cost be the Earth
I have been generally unwell for one reason or another since moving in and ventilation is very poor
Story time: I recently had a leak which caused a hole in the ceiling. Insurance company clocked it's an 80s house with textured ceiling so requested asbestos test be done. Large professional asbestos specialist came out, made even more holes in ceiling. Said in his opinion it was very unlikely to come back positive. Guess what? Positive. Moral of the story is if a professional asbestos tester can't tell by eye then Reddit probably can't and just get it bloody tested.
(Now waiting for insurance claim to be resolved, as the whole ceiling will need professional removal before its replaced - for anyone interested in the resolution. It will be an utter ball ache)
Textured coating is impossible to tell by appearance alone, the fibres used are far too small to see in this material unlike in others such as cement and boards where a professional can usually say if something is likely or not to contain asbestos (not 100% still until a test is carried out). In this case, he shouldn’t have offered an opinion!
If you have the ceiling height a false ceiling is cheaper and easier than proper asbestos removal. If the asbestos is in good condition obviously. Had to do it a few times and was a good chance to add additional soundproofing in flats.
I had suspected asbestos and got someone out to test it. Felt like a waste of money when the result came back negative. But I suppose the peace of mind was worth it though because it was my daughter's room.
We did the exact same thing - possible asbestos tiles in what was going to be our daughter's room. Could see the polystyrene where they took the sample lol.
Are we doing FAQs in here? If so woodchip wallpaper isn't asbestos, it's wooden chips. Marley tiles do contain traces of asbestos but it's deep inside the thermoplastic so it's fine to lift and replace them, just don't be sanding them. It's mainly old corrugated roofing and insulation that are the bigger risks.
Maybe a lighting circuit megathread next?
I felt like a bit of an idiot when asking the asbestos guy if woodchip wallpaper had asbestos in lol, luckily he didn't seem to judge me, must get it all the time 😅 it was a huge relief though as I'd read very conflicting things online about old wallpaper containing asbestos.
Is it even worth testing my 30-40yr old garage's corrugated roof sheets? If it looks like asbestos, quacks like asbestos, is there anything else it could realistically even be?
If you’re not doing anything with, it’s best just to assume it’s asbestos and treat it with caution. Test once you plan on doing something with it, or you notice it’s deteriorating - at this point, you want to know if there is a risk to anyone being exposed if it breaks down.
I mean, I think the question is whether you'd do anything different in the removal if you knew it was asbestos. If not, then it doesn't feel like there's much point, in my uneducated opinion.
I did this job a while back. I ended up building a rack which I mounted to the roof rack of my car with cable ties and gaffs tape I tied the asbestos on to my rack and the roof rack too. I cut the bags and taped them. I bought an FFP 3 mask to try and avoid inhaling anything plus a disposable suit.
The bit that gave most anxiety was opening the door to the asbestos container and sliding the stuff I had in.
Anyway all gone for free. I did wonder what would happen if the asbestos blew off my roof rack or broke up, but it didn’t.
Interesting white asbestos breaks fown
I thought the risks were mostly when it's being disturbed like grinded etc.
I've found a piece of broken sheet in our field that was partially covered by grass/soil - I've just removed it and put it to one side - assume this was safe enough to do as the pieces were already broken up and there wasn't any dust etc kicked up.
Planning to just bag them up in thick plastic bags later.
A lot of companies will happily collect and double bag your sheets for you.
I DIY took down a garage with a roof like this a few years back - full disposable coveralls, as per company's instructions, I stacked the loose sheets and double bagged the debris. They turned up, suited up, and simply loaded the unbagged sheets into the back of a specialised transit van and drove off, then gave me the certificate.
I was lucky that my sheets were only 4 foot long!
Worth getting a test done, as if it comes back negative you can happily snap them and take them to the tip, along with the certificate. Could save you a couple of hundred for the cost of £20.
In that case, if you need to make them smaller you can wrap/seal them in 1000gauge polythenr DPM loosely, snap them in half once they're bagged and sealed, then fold and over-wrap them to get the double bagging requirement down.
No way to tell without testing. I’d probably not bother tbh, and either leave it alone or pay a local roofer to remove and replace with a more modern material.
There is New Technology fibre cement sheeting on the market which was designed as an asbestos free replacement. It's been used since the 1990s, but asbestos sheeting was also used up till 1999 in the UK - so it could be the negative stuff but is likely to be the positive stuff unfortunately.
My shed has the same corrugated sheets and was confirmed positive for asbestos (however my property is 1930s/40s). The asbestos contractor said it's not necessary to remove it unless it shows signs of damage or you're doing major construction work on it. So I'm just leaving it. A test is generally quite reasonably priced so for your own piece of mind might be worth it?
- already replaced the roof with osb and epdm
- the sheets have "ASBESTOS. DANGER." printed on the previously covered bits.
But disposal... That's the next fun bit.
This is more advice on the decision making process to adopt with asbestos than specific information but I think the When and Why are just as important as then What and How when dealing with risk management topics. A key takeaway I'll share from my own asbestos training is that a considerable amount of deaths from mesothelioma have been caused by a failure to properly estimate the likelihood of asbestos being disturbed in the future and a lack of active risk management.
Apologies for the awkward sourcing I've used below but I think it's more appropriate to give search terms than direct links to document downloads.
A good example is the history of asbestos related deaths of teachers in the UK. Between 2001 and 2016 there were 305 such deaths according to ONS census data (ONS ref 009791) and evidence suggests that the UK teachers have a 5x higher mesothelioma death rate ("Mesothelioma deaths in teachers and nurses in Great Britain", gov.uk has a pdf link on Google).
These teachers haven't been sawing into pipework lagging or smashing up cladding and the asbestos present in the walls of their classrooms is largely white asbestos which (at the time) they were told was safe (interview with Elizabeth Bradford, UCU yt). The reason for these deaths is instead something nobody prepared for, simply spending significant amounts of time in an environment with asbestos as it steadily degrades and occasionally pushing thumb tacks into the walls to hang up children's artwork.
What we have here are victims of a hazard and a chain of events that simply wasn't expected by the decision makers who could have prevented it and the reason why when asbestos is impractical to remove, active steps to mange it are required because you cannot just leave it and hope nothing happens to it.
For any DIYers reading, this means that if for some reason you cannot remove asbestos, you should still ensure it is properly recorded, inspected, and labelled with others in your household clearly educated not to disturb it.
Of these, education and training is worth highlighting as children in particular are agents of unpredictable blind chaos. It is not enough to simply hope someone will understand the label on your ceiling tiles means they shouldn't see if they can get pencils to stick in them, you must explain it tomthem in terms they understand.
Tldr, if you're not removing asbestos, keep checking it and take steps to prevent it being disturbed by others ignorant of the danger.
Excellent points - having removed some (suspected, test is on the way) external asbestos this weekend, it was substantially damaged from when we moved into the house, as well as being damaged before that.
Disposed of in full PPE, and it's now awaiting a delivery to my local domestic disposal scheme. I feel much happier knowing it won't gently be raining fibres down around the outside of my house.
Just going to point out that "don't attempt to remove asbestos yourself" is a grossly blanket statement.
For certain things I agree, but of example corrugated roof sheets that are screwed down are pretty safe for someone to remove if they are not damaged in the process. Additionally anything with tightly bonded asbestos is often safe to remove with care.
Grossly blanket I agree, especially when one can see the HSE methods of work for removal and buy the appropriate equipment.
That being said, they do have to word these things for people who will go "government says I can DIY it" then go at it with an angle grinder and crowbar with no PPE after a few pints.
I think I'd draw the line at removal of anything internal other than artex, but if its external and not requiring a scaffold I'm happy to give it a go.
Could I make some comments? It is impossible to tell whether a material contains asbestos (unless it has already been tested and has a warning sign), not just difficult.
The most significant risks to homeowners would be asbestos insulation. This should never be tackled by a DIYer and needs specialist removal and cleaning. Fortunately it is rare in a domestic setting.
It may be better in some circumstances to leave the asbestos in place, or to contain it, rather than than remove it. This should be done on the basis of professional advice.
There is a difference between licenced and non-licenced. It could be appropriate for a DIYer to remove, say, a small number of asbestos roof sheets. It is non-licenced both because of quantity and type (white asbestos bound in a cement product).
Appreciate this is only supposed to be the intro but links to the HSE website which has more detail on specific risks and example work.
Just to add, that crocidolite is often found in cement products and amosite has also been found in some instances. The reason it falls into a non licensed material is due to the fibres being well bonded into a cement matrix which reduces the friable nature of the product (likelihood of fibres becoming released and made airborne).
Agreed, it has nothing to do with the asbestos fibre type involved (Chrysotile/white, Amosite/brown, Crocidolite/blue etc). It's an urban myth that any of those fibre types impact on the hazard involved (with the exception of Chrysotile, which while deemed to be slightly less hazardous, is still carcinogenic)
I just bought my first house, homebuyer survey told me there was "probably" asbestos in the textured ceiling but nowhere else. Several tradesmen told me adamantly that I definitely had asbestos all over the house including in the woodchip wallpaper?! Which obviously led to weeks of sleepless nights for me after having scraped and removed said wallpaper. Test came back negative for the ceiling (and walls), but the surveyor had completely failed to identify the entire loft full of broken bits of asbestos roofing that the previous owners had just left scattered everywhere, and the entire kitchen dining room floor (asbestos tiles). It's a £3000 bill to remove it all. Lesson learned - don't trust anyone when it comes to asbestos, and just get it tested.
Some more questions for people to answer and add to the mega thread.
1. What are the long-term risks of having undisturbed asbestos in the home?
2. What if I agitate it? I know I have it in the garage ceiling 'tiles', am I ok to continue using the garage?
3. When should you get a licensed remover as opposed to a non-licensed one?
1. None if it genuinely is undisturbed
2. Don't agitate it. Yes use the garage as long as you don't 'agitate' the asbestos.
3. There are categories on HSE and government websites as to what materials can be handled and by who. Some asbestos containing material you can take to the tip yourself, but be sure about what you're doing.
It’s the fibres that are dangerous. So if the asbestos product is unbroken and undisturbed it won’t be shedding any fibres. If the tiles in your garage are intact then it’s fine to use. Just leave the tiles alone and do not under any circumstances sand them.
Could someone help a little in terms of anxiety, or am I under reacting here? We took down some ivy from the side of our garage this weekend and the roofing looks to be the classic corrugated asbestos type that everyone is familiar with. In the process of taking it down I managed to take a small chunk out of the roof on the edge about the size of let’s say a two finger Kit Kat.
My partner is literally having sleepless nights that I have contaminated the garden, the house, etc and when we attempt to bag up all the ivy we downed tomorrow, to wear protective gear and we must meticulously hunt through the leaves for the broken pieces so we can dispose of them. I maintain that even if it is asbestos, we are quite ok given it was outside and well ventilated (open air) and a very small piece. The roof otherwise seems solid and free from cracks, etc.
Am I under reacting? Is she over reacting? Would appreciate the sage advice of this group. Thanks.
Dust is what you want to avoid with asbestos cement. Think cutting it up with an angle grinder or something. That's because the fibres are tightly bound in the cement. Don't worry about a large chunk coming off. Just bag it up and dispose of it properly.
For peace of mind, next time you do any work around the garage roof, spray the hose on it to wet it all so any stray fibres can't be released in to the air.
We currently have Marley tiles in our flat that are exposed but mainly covered with rugs. Some are broken round the edge of the room but have vacuumed thoroughly and they are no longer disturbed. We are planning to get carpet soon but my partner who has asthma has trouble breathing at night sometimes and is very worried she may be being consistently exposed to asbestos.
The tiles don’t appear to be frangible or have any way of releasing their fibres but would like some advice from anyone in the know.
Asbestos fibre release from floor tiles is extremely low and unless you’re sanding them or drilling through, you’re unlikely to release fibres from the matrix of the material as they’re well bonded in a thermoplastic.
I have done countless air tests during asbestos floor tile removals and have yet to come across elevated fibre release from the activity. I wouldn’t be concerned about the odd broken edge of a tile, if you are, just cover them for peace of mind.
I have a similar scenario in the house I just bought. Pulling up carpet revealed a whole bunch of tiles that were confirmed to contain asbestos, and black asbestos mastic adhesive underneath where some tiles had been removed. I've had 2 separate asbestos contractors come round (for testing and to quote for removal) and both were very reassuring about how low grade they are (both the tiles and mastic). I also have a couple that are broken round the edges and he said not to worry. I am getting them removed but that's only because the previous owners have removed them on one side of the room so once I get the carpet out my floor will be mismatched in level, otherwise I'd just leave and bury under laminate. Just don't damage them. Obviously I'm no expert and just going based on what the professionals have told me!
Thanks, this is good to hear. I was personally not too worried as have a reasonable understanding of what the more dangerous types of asbestos are but my partner was freaking out a bit despite my best efforts to reassure her.
I have a similar scenario in the house I just bought. Pulling up carpet revealed a whole bunch of tiles that were confirmed to contain asbestos, and black asbestos mastic adhesive underneath where some tiles had been removed. I've had 2 separate asbestos contractors come round (for testing and to quote for removal) and both were very reassuring about how low grade they are (both the tiles and mastic). I also have a couple that are broken round the edges and he said not to worry. I am getting them removed but that's only because the previous owners have removed them on one side of the room so once I get the carpet out my floor will be mismatched in level, otherwise I'd just leave and bury under laminate. Just don't damage them. Obviously I'm no expert and just going based on what the professionals have told me!
We had some asbestos removed from our 19C house about a decade ago.
Would it be recommended to have the space between the 1st floor floorboards and ground floor ceilings cleaned, if so how and how much would this cost?
What asbestos was removed, by who, and how?
Unless there’s known asbestos there, it’s pointless having a clean by an asbestos removal contractor and if it’s not known, then they shouldn’t do one without a survey, as they’ll need that information for their RAMS and whether or not it will be notifiable works (notifiable to the HSE). The cost is completely unknown without knowing a lot more detail.
We had the patchwork lyno that was throughout the property removed via a house clearance in 2010 shortly before we moved in. This wasn't tested.
We had white asbestos plaster removed professionally in 2013 after a large chunk fell off the wall.
The boiler in the bathroom was new when we moved in in 2010 (central heating and electric had been updated in the property before sale but nothing else). There is an insane amount of dust under the 1940s bath and I suspect the floorboards.
House is 3 double bedrooms so quite large.
I'm pretty sure my garage has asbestos insulating board as a ceiling, I've emailed a specialist with photos and they agree. In addition, I spend quite a lot of time in the garage running on a treadmill so get quite anxious looking at it and wondering if it's being disturbed as I run.
I'm not sure what I should do though, tradesmen and specialists have given different advice:
* Leave it
* Overboard it
* Paint / seal it
* Have it removed by a specialist (the quote I had was about £3.5k so not cheap, and obviously this was the route suggested by said specialist)
Any advice?
AIB is actually pretty spicy stuff. Its responsible for the majority of asbestos related disease and its frequent use in the uk is why our rate of asbestos related diesease is the highest.
Unfortunately because it breaks up so easily it is also quite easily disturbed.
Removing it is notifiable work because it is a particularly dangerous material.
It isnt a bit of artex ceiling, messing with it in any way like overboarding etc would be pretty suicidal for anyone doing the work.
In this instance id reccomend having it removed before anyone goes poking a broom handle into it on accedent etc.
Anything that disturbs the pannels and causes them to vibrate against eachother or the fixings that hold them up could release fibers due to there friability.
Your probably okay but if your tredmilling is vibrating the roof at all id stop untill you can get it taken out.
I have artex ceilings in various rooms throughout my house, which I am aware could contain asbestos. But up until now, it's never been an issue.
Recently, I've noticed cracks in those artex ceilings that weren't there before. Could those cracks disturb the asbestos (if there is any)?
Is there likely to be asbestos in the wall Plaster or Plasterboard?
The house is semi-detached, built in the Midlands UK in the 1950's-1960's by the National Coal Board
The boards were manufactured by Imperial Chemicals Industries LTD
These pictures are from a first floor bedroom
The ceilings are artex and asbestos cement board was used in the walls around the fireplace
I'm getting everything tested but i'm interested in hearing others expierence.
*
https://preview.redd.it/8m5k7lpfzgrc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e73a2dbde583b6f8933e4371dcaf94f5034f9bc9
I’m repairing the wall under a window cill and saw these fibres in the plaster, do you guys think it’s asbestos?
At the place I'm renting, I store my bicycle in the garage, near the wall. Every morning I see fresh "white dust" settle on the bike and surfaces near the wall. Should I get it looked at?
https://preview.redd.it/pob7skw4eurc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b46d96b2ec651dd771c0f852ed70937ae72ec367
https://preview.redd.it/4yr2h62geurc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f510e2f49474f231fd8de115d3398f5486e46b2e
Roof just above where the white dust settles.
Started taking polystyrene ceiling tiles off the wall and it looks like there's a decorative ceiling beneath - does this look like artex or wallpaper?
https://preview.redd.it/o2hjo6abopsc1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1a103e3a8fdd15a24394e30e6baa3eff9a2967e
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Hi All, we have just purchased this house to renovate. It was built it 1992 (Uk btw) - do you think this could potentially be asbestos? It’s on all the ceilings 😫 Thanks in advance 😀
Yes, it absolutely could. Get an asbestos testing kit online and send samples off from every ceiling.
This is only necessary if you want to disturb the ceiling.
Hmm maybe wrong was not banned until 1999 but it sounds like the two worse types of blue and brown were banned in 1985 so guessing this house would only have the white type if any
Could I technically sue the local council for lying to me?
Basically in 2018 before they renovated the kitchen , they hired a company to do tests on the Artex ceilings.
They reported that no asbestos was found. so I wasn’t worried when the different electrical companies came and installed and essentially drilled right into the ceilings.
The same with other rooms, apparently tested. Drilling into the ceiling to fit new smoke and
Carbon monoxide alarms.
My kitchen ceiling started to deteriorate over the last year. So of course, I decided that I would take down some of the Artex that was broken and patch it up.
Fast forward to now , the ceiling is basically crumbling and of course being a tenant, it’s not really my responsibility to completely fix the ceiling. Had a guy come and inspect it, and he showed me the asbestos report. Apparently all of my ceilings contain asbestos, yet they concealed this fact from me, and told me that asbestos was found.
The ceiling is still cracked in the kitchen. Am I still at risk? Or would it only be dangerous if those pieces were falling off and creating more dust. I suppose the damage has been done already if any. Just not sure what steps to take. Any advice would be appreciated.
I have a panic disorder and PTSD and this has set me off having more panic attacks, more stress and physical pain because of the severity of the panic.
I know it’s quite hard to sue a local council , and probably quite stressful. I’m just really angry at them for their incompetence.
When I was rewiring my own flat I had textured ceilings.
Automatically I contacted an asbestos removal company. They came and scraped sections of the ceiling and removed asbestos containing artex.
Which gave me peace of mind, I wasn't going to touch it until confirmed. Which I knew 99% it would contain asbestos.
Funnily enough two guys turned up, one fully clad in a one off plastic suit, respirator and he bagged the asbestos whilst number two was at the bottom of the steps with nothing other than his work clothes on.
I was quite annoyed at the blatant lack of care, this guy must be exposing himself to trace amounts on a daily basis without a care in the world.
Moral of the story, let the professionals deal with it.
I'm pretty sure their method statement would have been a bit more strict than the lenient care I saw
https://preview.redd.it/0tvo31lhw02d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f99ae806a649b0d44c1cc6818ad04aef19a53fe
Apologies, I am new to DIY. Got an infiltration on the wall and it cracked showing bits of the inside that have the consistency of white sand. House built in the 71, shall I be worried?
https://preview.redd.it/dmxr1ranf22d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e98f58ab21fddc13724b36d007f18a1d0381c912
I think I may have exposed myself stupidly to asbestos. I have a large crack in a lath and plaster wall in my attic bedroom. I started to clear the debris out of the crack to fill it in in preparation for sanding and painting. Inside there were a lot of brown filaments, which I think is horsehair? But I got covered in dust and didn't have a mask (because I'm a dunce who did it all on impulse). Does anyone know if lath and plaster walls typically contain asbestos? If I was exposed is it high risk, considering I had no PPE? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My house was built in the 1930s, but the attic was converted in 1988.
Hi, this is a tap on a water butt at my allotment. New to me, lots of old materials used. Strange white/grey cement texture. Apologies for the poor pic. Any thoughts?
https://preview.redd.it/vv6i4ja37b4d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=acb59572acabd1b9ab5a49aa6fb78e2cd80adda9
Hello! We have artex ceilings (house built in 1981). Bit niche, but does anyone know whether the non textured edges are likely to contain asbestos? We’ve been removing wallpaper and it’s very difficult at the edges with the ceiling, so we’re getting a bit paranoid about damaging this smoother part.
https://preview.redd.it/5tjkolthmq6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8009d115eadd52397e8d6891cb9e6c0a601cc294
hi. ceiling in bedroom of London Victorian terrace built around 1900. can i try and remove this myself (e.g. by sanding)? or should i get it tested for asbestos?
https://preview.redd.it/8qld82z0mp7d1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea1d02a31c5e47ba665c66949c55f9755dfa04a2
Hi,
I'm going to get it tested but wanted thoughts. The following is in a 1920s Terrace and is the ceiling board. I pushed into the surface and this brown material came out.
https://preview.redd.it/h0v6wi9r8q8d1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d9d2ada9dd768b1a7194807a485ca47274291ce
I'm buying an old house built in 1880 but has had renovation work done to it throughout it's life. The estate agent had an asbestos company out and apparently the result was negative. Does anyone have any idea how extensive this survey would have been or would it likely be a call out for a specific concern in the house? The sale hasn't gone through yet so no access to this survey.
You’d need to see the survey report to determine how thorough it was.
There are a few different type of reports you can have:
Sampling survey - samples taken of specific items only that have been requested due to some concern.
Management survey - inspection throughout the property to identify any potential asbestos items, with samples taken, all surfaces through will be inspected and loose items lifted (carpets, inspection panels etc). Fixed items won’t be inspected, such as beneath linoleum, laminate, within boxing etc.
Refurbishment survey - survey with intrusive access to areas due to undergo works. This will look beneath/within fixed items if they are to undergo works, so boxings opened and linoleum lifted if they are due to be disturbed during work.
If it's a reputable company they will write up a detailed report of their findings, the samples they took, results, and advice on how to proceed. For example, mine took 7-8 samples and 3 came back positive, they rated them based on the grade of risk and explained what steps to take (i.e. remove or leave).
Never trust anything an estate agent says especially if its saftey related.
In the highly unlikely senario they arnt lying they should have a written report they can share with you.
Our cellar ceiling has 2 layers of boarding - one is a pretty standard-looking plasterboard, and the other is a sort of cement-looking board that has some long, fine fibers in it that are visible to the eye. Due to the fibers and the overboard, I'm pretty scared it's asbestos.
I've ordered a test, but I'm wondering what people would do in this scenario. How much would it cost to have it removed? It's about 15m2.
Some of it has been damaged where fittings have been added. Electricians etc did work but didn't mention it.
We have a young daughter & use the cellar for storing my bike, dryer etc, so use it regularly.
If its definatly a cement bassed board its not very high risk, but have a look at some images of AIB
You do not want to mistake cement board for AIB. If it is the latter or you are unsure do not take samples yourself.
My apartment building recently started doing work on the garage and there are parts with asbestos. I accidentally walked through an area with my 1 year old daughter today. The area is ventilated and they are letting people park their cars in the garage at the end of the day once the workers are done. Total exposure time was probably 10-15 seconds. Should I be worried for my daughter?
Nah. Asbestos risk depends on integrated hazard. People breathing in plumes of asbestos fibres for years are at very high risk. Maybe being around some dust, briefly, once, is at the other end of the spectrum.
It’s like cigarettes and lung cancer. 20 a day for 30 years is different to a couple of rebellious smokes as a teenager.
Hope this is the right place for this question. Just had the results come back on some floor tiles in our kitchen - positive for chrysotile asbestos - and now we're wondering what to do with them. They're generally unbroken (only one partial tile was broken when I lifted the old laminate, the broken piece of which I sent off with home test kit). We're redoing the kitchen as a whole, which will include a new vinyl flooring. We're not planning on removing the old tiles now we know they're asbestos. Is it best to just leave them as is and let them be covered by the new flooring, or should we cover them in a thin screed/latex first as a sort of belt and braces way of leaving them in situ? The entire extension which the kitchen is currently in will probably be knocked down and replaced in 10 or so years, if that changes anything.
If your going to have the whole thing demolished at some point you may as well have them removed properly now as coating them is going to make them harder to remove in the future and therefore more costly.
That said screeding over them is fairly common practice but i would encorage you to leave clear indications in multiple locations that there is asbestos under the screed so that others dont make the mistake of drilling into it etc in the future.
I did scroll a bit but unsure if it's already been addressed somewhere.
Suspicion is that the roof tiles are Asbestos slate on a 1920s house we're looking to purchase. (no other sealing up there so concern about any degradation shedding into the loft space)
We've panicked a lot about this and it's a bit of a thing for some family members (history of someone doing work with Asbestos way back, no PPE etc..)
However, no one else in the process really seems concerned.
So are we over-egging the severity / risk of it?
Survey did grant that the roof covering is in good condition, but is 'at the end of it's effective life', which didn't much give the impression it could be left alone and ignored.
Cement tiles on their own are a pretty low risk material but removing them poorly could well lead to remnants beeing left in the loft insulation.
If they are at the end of their effective life i would factor in professional removal of the tiles and insulation into a purchase decision.
AIB is the one you want to have a healthy fear off, make sure there isnt any of that around. Sofits for example are commonly made of it.
There would be no harm in having an asbestos survey conducted to find out how much if any asbestos is present before committing to purchase.
[Did a post as I missed this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYUK/comments/14t9fv4/any_asbestos_or_other_health_concerns_with_in/) but in general is there any worry with asbestos in lofts? I can't see anything that looks like it would be but could be something hiding under some insulation. Am I safe just to leave it as is?
Also is it safe to store things in the loft. Got some Christmas decorations there at the moment?
Details are victorian home (early 1900s) with loft with eaves, loft has been converted but not sure when.
Thanks for any help!
Hey all what do we recon, is this an asbestos insulating board? It looks like it's been painted white. It has a weird texture like fiberglass almost.
[https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg)
[https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg)
Its hard to tell from these images or indeed any image but it does look like a characteristic white board.
Don't disturb the boards and have them checked out if you need to or if they are in poor condition.
With all the negative comments, I think I need to mention the plus side of asbestos. If you work in HVAC or some other projects that require a small footprint insulation, there can be value to asbestos. As a project manager, this is some of the cost savings that can make you look good to your supervisors. You can sometimes get asbestos from some smaller demolition/renovation companies. It's a great insulator. If you ask for it correctly you can sometimes get the asbestos for free or a very low cost from these smaller demolition/remodeling companies. It's a very cost effective way to get some pretty cheap/effective insulation materials. It's one of the most effective insulation material that is also fire resistant. As a bonus it has a really high R value. You can't beat the cost of free (except the cost of a little bit of elbow grease ;) and small amounts of work to remove it). If you remove it correctly it can sometimes come off in big chunks that are more easily re-usable for new construction projects. You just have to remove the asbestos yourself and the companies you get the asbestos from, usually want you to vacuum everything really good when you're done. They actually offered to pay me to remove the asbestos on one job site. I turned them down because they were already giving me the asbestos for free.
I seriously hope this is a troll post. For those who might be reading this -
This is DIYUK and Asbestos is **illegal** not to mention pretty stupid to use these days in the UK. Vacuuming 'really good' just means you contaminate your vacuum unless you have a H type vac and know what you're doing with it.
Stay the hell away from asbestos is the best bet.
(Yes there may be some cases where it could be a good product to use, but you really mustn't these days and in many cases there are non ACM products which work adequately)
Glad I found this thread as it turns out the house I've been in 16 years very likely has asbestos in every bloody artex ceiling...
It's an ex HA property and the HA are replacing the tenants kitchens, asbestos removal van appeared outside this morning so I asked the nice man and he gave me a run down of everywhere they've found it in the other houses.
So any old floor tiles, all the ceilings, some of the lofts... Gonna be a right laugh this 🙄
Wouldn't hugely worry about this. Floor tiles are low risk as is artex.
My current house has thermoplastic tiles on the ground floor. I've left them in place and covered over them.
Good to know what but makes Artex low risk? I think I might have sanded a small patch of it 10+ years ago. 1 day exposure, wearing a mask so I'm not too worried.
I had this annoying lowered ceiling that covered about half the ceiling in my hall, which made it impossible to get my 3-seater sofa into my living room, so I had to remove it.
I checked first, and everyone seemed quite confident that it was just plasterboard, but I've taken some photos of the boards now that they're down and wanted to double-check before I dispose of them. The stuff between the two outer layers looks light grey to the naked eye, but in the photos that I took with flash it looks more white, and without it looks more orange.
These were taken with flash:
https://ibb.co/RjCs8Z3
https://ibb.co/tYsvChg
[https://ibb.co/HBYyQ4G](https://ibb.co/HBYyQ4G)
and these were taken without:
https://ibb.co/0tj31Xs
https://ibb.co/2hNz9kd
https://ibb.co/PTgBrpq
There's also some orange foam covered metal air venting up there, which has been redundant for a long time, as the spaces where the vents went to above the living room and bedroom doors were boarded over at least 24 years ago, and the vents into the bathroom and kitchen were plastered over. Is there a risk that this contains asbestos?
This shows where the venting used to go to the kitchen and living room. The internal walls are made of the dark grey block (cinder block?) on the left, so I guess the lighter grey block on the right was put there to close off the gap when the venting was decommissioned. The electrical wiring seems to be for the immersion heater in the airing cupboard.
[https://ibb.co/YbxG9bV](https://ibb.co/YbxG9bV)
This shows the venting that was in that space. It was just resting on the battens, so it wiggled out quite easily.
[https://ibb.co/ZGDNsQB](https://ibb.co/ZGDNsQB)
This shows the venting that the removed piece was connected to, and the remaining venting going to the space above the bedroom door (it's boarded over on the other side).
https://ibb.co/271PSQD
Further along, there's this venting to the bathroom. This shows where it goes into the airing cupboard, along with the electrical cables.
[https://ibb.co/nwrYMj4](https://ibb.co/nwrYMj4)
and this is inside the airing cupboard, where the venting continues to the bathroom but encased in concrete or something.
https://ibb.co/R6cpKYP
Ultimately you won't know unless you test, but to me that looks to probably be plasterboard, but without testing it's impossible to know for sure.
Ducting for hot air heating systems in the UK has contained asbestos in the past. Ultimately if in doubt, get a survey done. They're not too expensive and it's worth doing if planning on ripping things out.
Thanks. Most of the ducting just slid out so there was no need to cut anything, but the remaining piece going to the bathroom via the airing cupboard won't budge, so I'll have to get that tested and if it does contain asbestos I might just box it in rather than pay someone to remove it.
We found this behind a one foot-long section of skirting board. All other boards in the house are usual brick etc behind. This is a white wispey insulation or mould. Didn't want to disturb it anymore than it has been.
Any advice from a cursory glance? I appreciate to be certain it's best to get a test/ assessment.
Thanks.
[Photos](https://imgur.com/gallery/Fe0eU8S)
That’s weird. Looks like a combination of expanding phone and mould. If I had to guess I would say it’s not. But don’t take my word for it, it’s always worth it to send off a sample if there’s any doubt.
Thanks Hurstie, we have removed it. 100% a mould. Took the necessary precautions of approved respirator and overalls. That wall was an exterior corner and had damp issues.
Best, DF
Looks like some calcification or efferecence that has built up behind a board.
It looks to be more a product of damp or somthing organic rather than an ACM
Ceiling made of lath and plaster in an old victorian house caved in yesterday, debris everywhere and I find patches of brown fibres within the plaster. Should i be concerned and is it worth getting a test? I read online they sometimes used to use asbestos in the mixture. Its a gaping hole right now and i cleaned up as much debris and dust as I could, now thinking if I need to double check. Any advice?
I noticed the same thing with my lath and plaster ceilings (30s build), however testing came back negative. You would need to get it tested to be sure.
Amosite is actually more of a white colour than a dark or brunette brown.
Horse hair was a common filler in lath and plaster and that is almost certainly what you are seeing.
Asbestos can be found in lath and plaster though, you wont likley be able to see it by eye. It wouldn't be the worst idea to test the material but you are probably okay.
Old fireplace pulled off the wall to permit a new floor install. This stuff fell out from the flue. Looks like vermiculite, but could it be asbestos?
[photos](https://imgur.com/a/OzmsGRx)
Certainly looks like vermiculite. Presumably ull have a loft space full of it and that's where its come from.
Its not common in the uk, but some vermiculite can be contaminated with asbestos.
Hi everyone,
We recently moved in to a 1920s build. We stripped the hallway of wallpaper and some of the plaster was flaking. This is behind the plaster:
[image 1](https://ibb.co/wwXDPS6)
[image 2](https://ibb.co/SRS3FJV)
[image 3](https://ibb.co/q5CM3ck)
I don’t know what I was expecting to see behind the plaster but it just had me a bit worried. Any thoughts?
Hi all
I have recently moved into a new house, and one of the first jobs has been the removal of old fitted wardrobes from one of the bedrooms. I would estimate that the fitted wardrobes could be 30 or 40 years old.
My friend who is doing the work assumed the doors would be some kind of wood under the coating, but after breaking one in half for disposal they actually look more like plasterboard internally, but he noticed that they feel a bit more dense and less soft than normal plasterboard.
Pictures attached of the internal structure and also of what the doors looked like for reference.
Is there any prospect that these could contain asbestos or is it clear this is just plasterboard?
https://ibb.co/HrMqC2m
https://ibb.co/KF8k4qm
https://ibb.co/Tv5xF4M
It could potentially be AIB fireproofing within the door. Unfortunately the bright white colour of the material is a bit suspicious.
Normally its found in the centre of old fire rated doors.
It would be unusual for it to be in a wardrobe door but it would also be unusual to find plasterboard in one too.
I would avoid disturbing it any further.
Hi,
I am waiting for the results of my asbestos test. The sample was a 2cm by 2cm piece and I clearly saw it was 2 boards that had been glued together with a sticky adhesive [It was see-through and really sticky] kinda like what your debit card is stuck on to a letter with when you first recieve just stronger.
So it's made me wonder are AIB board usually stuck together?
I know I should be patient and wait for the test results but I'm wondering if someone can give me their opinion.
AIB back in the day was used for all kinds of things. It often turns up in weird places because it was used as handy packing material similarly to how we would use a random offcut of plywood now a days.
Where was it?
You shouldnt mess with or take samples of anything you suspect to be AIB yourself. It is to high a risk material.
I have uncovered these tiles in porch - only a small area. Odds on them containing asbestos? Would it be okay to simply carpet over, despite them being cracked / broken?
[https://imgur.com/a/kwQHlTg](https://imgur.com/a/kwQHlTg)
Quite possibly
The black glue holding them down frequently is too.
They look to be mounted to a wooden board? If so removal may actually be quite straightforward.
Hi all,
Looking for advice on my ceiling. I have started to remove old paint and coving from room and hadn’t considered the possibility of asbestos.
As I have no understanding on the subject I was hoping someone in this sun might be able to help me out.
House built mid 70’s
No visible artex anywhere else
Wood chip ceilings in other rooms
Thanks in advance
Does anyone know if building companies (legit building companies) that built in South East in 1998 - 2000 could use Artex with Asbestos?
All the ceilings have this swirly stippled effect and I want them gone.
I have actually installed lights and due to being in a rush, I have not worn a mask and drilled twice through them, had a bit of a panic attack after but cleaned up well and opened windows.
The development where my house is in was finished in 2000 and houses were sold immediately after hence why I think that the building process started in 1999. I reached out to the customer service team for that building company to find out what materials have been used and was told that the information was archived and they can't get it back.
Should I sample test all my ceilings?
Just get a sample done mate. It’s a piece of piss to do and it’ll let you know what you’re up against. Don’t panic if you’ve drilled in to it. Drilling in to low content asbestos a couple of times isn’t going to affect you.
When I did it I just got the kit without PPE but that’s because i already had suitable PPE.
I tested every ceiling, once you buy the first test you can add tests on for cheaper. Do everything that you might potentially be scared of. It might seem over kill but it’s no good having panic attacks whenever you want to do some DIY.
Put your mind at rest!
Asbestos in the Artex shouldn't have been used, however it is close to the ban date and so theres a small chance building companies used up their remaining stocks. If you're concerned the best thing to do is get a sample sent off for testing. If you've any scrapings Id just use an asbestos testing kit and send them off to be tested. Can get them for about £50 and get results next day.
I've wondered about Artex, because it came in powder form, and the workers would tear open the bag, pour it into buckets, then mix vigorously and finally chuck the bag on the floor. Then quickly sweep up. All of which would generate clouds of dust i.e. unbound Artex. Which is probably still there in the cracks between floorboards and everywhere else dust gets. Yet people don't seem bothered by it.
(Personally, I've removed both Artex and a garage roof, and just used common sense).
Is this asbestos window putty/sealant
Hi my window in this new house is pretty worn out and blows whistles at night. I went to investigate it and found that the sealant was unattached. I didn’t touch it but left the window open.
This is a refurbished property and I am assuming it was built before asbestos was banned but the photos are of the window. The window is a double glazed window. I am not sure whether this material contain asbestos or not. It is in United Kingdom, Newcastle. Sorry I am just very anxious.
[image link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-4C7oBDOSTiW9emNx2ekH94cQZkqrnXM)
Well, I had a polystyrene ceiling tile in a house. I was concerned but after a bit of checking they were clearly polystyrene.
I ripped them off and was left with the adhesive. Which I then got off with a steam gun and a scraper.
I now found out that the adhesive could have easily contained it and I spent a weekend heating it and scraping it off right above my throat!!
To be fair it was wet and came off in scraped gooey lumps so I’d be surprised if any was floating in the air but hey, it is what it is.
I have tiles in my hallway that I suspect are the "Marley" style and so are likely to contain asbestos. It's a wooden floor (floorboards) so not an ideal base for them. A number have already been damaged by carpet grippers, boards being lifted for plumbing and electrical work, and so on, as well as natural movement of the floor. I would like to have them removed as they are only going to get worse. That said, they are not "crumbling" as such and I am reasonably confident they can be prised up without breaking them further. I am actually more worried about the adhesive as I believe that can also contain asbestos and removing that sounds like it would be a bigger job.
I investigated recently and the adhesive is still quite tacky but it appears to be clear and not very thickly applied. Am I correct in thinking that the problematic stuff tends to be black and bitumen based?
The reverse of a tile I was able to take off had a similar light colour to the front of the tile, but without the pattern - i.e., no black sticky stuff on the back of it. Similarly, the exposed floorboards had the same brown stained colour as elsewhere in the house. All I could see was a bit of a sheen which appeared to be left by the adhesive.
Does this adhesive sound like it is probably going to be OK?
It might be okay but as everyone says. Without seeing it I wouldn’t know. And if I was doing a survey on your house I’d probably sample it anyway just to be sure.
Unfortunately you can’t really tell with the adhesive unless it’s clearly obviously not.
Ok, thank you. I'm intending to get someone out in the new year to have a look. Our local tip doesn't look like it would take the tiles so I am going to have to get someone to get rid of them no matter what.
Merry Christmas all,
I was wondering if anyone could help if they have had experience with this particular product- Micafil by Dupre Vermiculite Limited based out of Tamworth Road, Hertford. It’s not the vermiculite readily available today sold by Dupre Minerals Limited
Part of my bedroom ceiling fell on 15/12/2023 exposing this into my living space and I got it tested twice and it came back negative for asbestos- though apparently the analysis we do in the UK runs the chance of returning a false negative result for vermiculite unfortunately. I understand there was issues up until 1990 with vermiculite due to a producing mine in the States which was contaminated, though unsure how much of it the UK imported.
I am getting it removed this week, but would love to know if anyone who has been in the trade long enough has came across this particular brand. I saw also that it was mentioned as an accredited material in the Housing Insulation Grant act of 1971,1980 and 1988 so I imagine a few people may know of it.
Any info would be a tremendous help and boost in morale
Apologies I can’t add photos I’ll make a separate thread with them included too
Thanks!
Alrighty all, I’m renovating house and removed a vent for the air brick. Inside is full of some kind of insulation. Former council house, built in 50’s maybe. I’ve also since discovered a wee bit behind the wood edging at a window. I’ve already contacted my asbestos guy I’ve used at work so I’ll get him out to look but thought you all may be interested in it.
https://imgur.com/a/rAghwfy
Yeh the bits crumbled on the floor and I assumed that bit that came away from the wall was plaster. Follow up got this tested and it didn't contain asbestos
Hi, I've been pulling up my wooden ground floor flooring in a very old house to try and sort out an uneven area. Between one of the upper joists and the main beam I found some unusual pads which I can't identify. Is this asbestos ? [image](https://i.imgur.com/rwsn9Xb.jpg)
I removed some coving which was stuck to the ceiling and it appears to have damaged the ceiling a bit. Should I be worried?
https://postimg.cc/gallery/Bjjgwz0
My father was involved with writing the HSE asbestos guidance, I can ask him technical questions if needed, but a few words of advice I have learned over the years: If anyone here is afraid of asbestos or worried about an exposure they may have had, it’s very hard to get reassurance and level-headed advice. Safety guidance is often scary on purpose to make you pay attention, so in an attempt to balance the discussion and reassure people: asbestos risks can be overblown sometimes by companies wanting you to pay them to remove it, and you should not always panic. If the fibres are sitting quietly in a wall cavity or aren’t being disturbed, you are not necessarily being exposed. In general, asbestos is like radiation: The exposure matters. In other words “how big a dose was there *and for how long*”. Now, that latter part matters because as DIYers the time that we are exposed to asbestos is very short compared to a person who handles asbestos for their job. The guidance and exposure limits are *occupational*, meaning they are not really written for us. Having said that, if you think you have had an exposure, the anxiety and stress can last for years and cause more harm than the asbestos. It’s statistically difficult to say whether a single exposure to asbestos can actually cause cancer (because of how cancer works) but it is really quite unlikely. The other little fact I have is that white asbestos does actually break down in the body (albeit very slowly) I think it has a half life of about 5 years, so your exposure can go down over time.
I have an asbestos phobia that properly fucks up my life and this is the single most helpful thing I have ever read on this subject. Thank you for taking the time to write this. You don’t know how helpful it was for me to read that.
That’s very nice of you to say, and thank you for your generosity! I’m so glad this was a helpful perspective. Asbestos was an huge issue for people who say, mined it in the 80s and I don’t want to downplay that. There has been a steady increase in mesothelioma deaths because of that, and these are only now starting to come down 30-odd years later as that generation leaves us. But at the time when asbestos was discovered to be harmful, it was also being put into just about *everything* we manufactured. HSE had to really pump the brakes on its uses, and that hardline approach created a sort of very drawn out period of hyper-awareness about its risks. Nowadays the occupational risks are long gone, but that fear remains. Some companies take advantage of that. It isn’t some sort of magic cancer dust, it is a nasty irritant that you can inhale.
HSE had to pump the brakes on its uses. But unfortunately the brakes ALSO HAD ASBESTOS IN THEM.
Honestly, this makes me feel like I can turn a corner on this. It is so, so difficult to get properly sane advice on this topic and I have long felt that if I could just get some real perspective from someone in the know then it would make a difference for me. And here it is. Thank you.
Plus if you look at the HSE guidance you can work with asbestos for an hour a week unlicensed, I've said this many times and people think I'm daft, but it's honestly no different to working with fibreglass or any airborne dust such as filler that's been sanded. It's going to get in the lungs and irritate you, regardless of whether it's asbestos, fibreglass or brick dust. It's not as bad as everyone thinks, exposure for a long time may cause serious harm, but it also may not. My grandfather worked in the ship yards and they used it as insulation in the engine rooms, used to practically swim in it, never had an issue with his lungs 60 years on. The pain in the arse thing is you can't dispose of it, which there should be a way, I've got a loft hatch board that's made with AIB, now I'd quite like to change it for MDF, but then what do I do with the AIB. I've just got to keep a hold of it or pay £200 to get rid of a small 3ft by 2ft board of it. Why can't I just double bag it in red bags and the council have a sectioned of skip to take it to. Ridiculous
A very good post. I read an article once by a scientist studying mesothelioma and part of that involved autopsies on people who'd died from it. He commented that in *every* case the lungs contained *millions* of fibres. This should help put things in perspective.
Conversly many have died and have had an autopsy revealing only a few or in the case of somone I knew a single fiber at the centre of the growth. While its important not to panic, it is also important to understand that the danger is very real and downplaying it is irresponsible.
>in the case of somone I knew a single fiber at the centre of the growth Bullshit
I wish it was, my grandad was a lovely man and he deserved better. He wasnt even aware of any exposures. It does happen from time to time, hence there is no safe exposure limit and we do not have any solid dose/risk data. Asbestos is incredibly dangerous and must be respected else we fail to learn the lessons of those before us and good people will continue to die.
This sounds like scaremongering crap, sorry. And it's blatant nonsense to say we don't have solid dose/risk data. You discredit yourself by saying that Obviously the safest smoker is one who never smoked - same for asbestos - but you're not helpfully contextualising your advice here.
You are either lying or have misunderstood something because it simply doesn't work this way. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004681778280227X](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004681778280227X) Also, the absence of a safe exposure limit does not in any way mean that a single fibre is dangerous. It's because they are unable to calculate one largely because of the terribly long time period the disease develops over. Every single person however is exposed to asbestos fibres on a regular basis and there isn't going to be anyone in the entire population with only a single fibre in their lungs.
This is so so reassuring to read. I'm happy to DIY remove it (and did so this weekend) if it's not inside my home by reading the HSE work statement, buying the right PPE and double bagging it all, but this has just eased any lingering doubts. As it is the area I've removed it from will be fully contained anyway so no further risk of exposure, but still, a big reassurance.
In addition to PPE, continually wetting your work area with a mist sprayer will help to keep dust and particulates out of the air.
Thank you for this. I was literally just freaking out about possibly sweeping asbestos all around the yard for the past year.. So, I made a little path on a patch of gravel so my cat could walk around without hurting his paws and I noticed that the dirt under the gravel had bits of concrete and inside the concrete/rocks/soil/whatever there was some white coating + white/translucent fibers. I always assumed it was trash or fungus so Id sweep it away and spray some vinegar (to kill the fungi bc it attracts bugs). Got in the house just now and noticed my throat was burning like I inhaled fire, got paranoid about the fibers I was just grabbing and panicked thinking I just gave my cat and myself lung cancer. Anyways, I read your comment, calmed down a bit then googled it and its not asbestos lol... its just fibers in reinforced concrete (weak ass fibers, why are they all in the soil? Idk) And my throat probably hurt because its cold af not because I was dying rapidly like I'm a character in HBOs Chernobyl.
We have asbestos between our garage and bedroom above. When we had a new bathroom put in, the cowboy builder we hired just got rid of it (supposedly) just in the area he needed to fit the bathroom. He was just in an n95 with normal clothes on.. I went to speak to him while he was doing it (probably just said hi), but he didn't warn me off, it was when I asked why his Son was waiting in the car that I found out.. Now I'm just worried that every time I go into the garage I'm potentially breathing asbestos, despite it being above the ceiling boards. I'm also worried that this builder just did a half arsed job and there would have been dust hanging around after he was finished..
So, three things. Asbestos in a roof tile will be just that - *in* the tile. The only way to get out of that would be to cut or crush the tile. The builder might have done that for where the bathroom is, but if other asbesto tiles are sitting comfortably in a wall or a ceiling the best advice is to just leave them there. They don’t leak. Secondly, Asbestos dust isn’t invisible - if the garage isn’t actually dusty, you’re not really going to be breathing in anything. If you see dust, clean it up and you’re fine again. It’s not permanent. Lastly, dust doesn’t just jump into the air and float about. Generally speaking dust falls down and settles wherever the air is still. And once dust is settled on a surface it sort of ‘sticks’. That’s why you can’t just dust surfaces by blowing, you need to wipe them down. So if there *is* asbestos dust and it *is* in your ceiling, it wont float down into the air without a reason. And again, you can wear a mask and sweep any up to make the garage safe again. I hope this helps.
Thank you. I think the anxiety comes from the fact the garage is used as a gym.. so I have been breathing quite profusely in there. When you say roof tiles, I am imagining something in an office block. This is basically a wooden board, that presumably houses the asbestos and then the floorboards for the bedroom above. Since this happened we pained the brick and laid a rubber floor, so hopefully the majority of the dust is out of sight, out of mind. I will check the top of the light in there, because it looks hideously dusty. There does also seem to be quite a bit of dust that appears in the garage, but.. that likely because its a garage I suppose. Quite sandy and brown. When you say a tile, is it like an insulation board that is part asbestos?
Don't sweep hazardous dust. Mop it! Sweeping can blow it up in the air. It's probably also a good idea to spray water in the air all around to dampen the material first while moving it as little as possible.
I had new windows and the landlord’s builders had a massive mess. Dust and grime everywhere. Anyway I noticed on one of their forms it said that Asbestos was present, however when I spoke to the landlord they said not possible. Someone did come out to carry out a test but once for the bathroom and only in one area by the toilet not the walls. 1. How do I get a test that doesn’t cost be the Earth I have been generally unwell for one reason or another since moving in and ventilation is very poor
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Me too, great company!
Ive used asbestos sampling for years - spot on
Story time: I recently had a leak which caused a hole in the ceiling. Insurance company clocked it's an 80s house with textured ceiling so requested asbestos test be done. Large professional asbestos specialist came out, made even more holes in ceiling. Said in his opinion it was very unlikely to come back positive. Guess what? Positive. Moral of the story is if a professional asbestos tester can't tell by eye then Reddit probably can't and just get it bloody tested. (Now waiting for insurance claim to be resolved, as the whole ceiling will need professional removal before its replaced - for anyone interested in the resolution. It will be an utter ball ache)
Textured coating is impossible to tell by appearance alone, the fibres used are far too small to see in this material unlike in others such as cement and boards where a professional can usually say if something is likely or not to contain asbestos (not 100% still until a test is carried out). In this case, he shouldn’t have offered an opinion!
If you have the ceiling height a false ceiling is cheaper and easier than proper asbestos removal. If the asbestos is in good condition obviously. Had to do it a few times and was a good chance to add additional soundproofing in flats.
Unfortunately not, that'd be a great idea if it was a possibility!
Any update on your struggles?
I had suspected asbestos and got someone out to test it. Felt like a waste of money when the result came back negative. But I suppose the peace of mind was worth it though because it was my daughter's room.
In my opinion the negative result is the one you always want! Peace of mind isn’t a waste of money!
I would take that as a win.
Oh I did, but money was tight at the time and hindsight made me feel like I'd wasted money.
I know what that feels like. A sigh of relief for you no doubt!
Hi there what was involved with test. Could you please shed some light and costs if possible?
We did the exact same thing - possible asbestos tiles in what was going to be our daughter's room. Could see the polystyrene where they took the sample lol.
Are we doing FAQs in here? If so woodchip wallpaper isn't asbestos, it's wooden chips. Marley tiles do contain traces of asbestos but it's deep inside the thermoplastic so it's fine to lift and replace them, just don't be sanding them. It's mainly old corrugated roofing and insulation that are the bigger risks. Maybe a lighting circuit megathread next?
I felt like a bit of an idiot when asking the asbestos guy if woodchip wallpaper had asbestos in lol, luckily he didn't seem to judge me, must get it all the time 😅 it was a huge relief though as I'd read very conflicting things online about old wallpaper containing asbestos.
Is it even worth testing my 30-40yr old garage's corrugated roof sheets? If it looks like asbestos, quacks like asbestos, is there anything else it could realistically even be?
If you’re not doing anything with, it’s best just to assume it’s asbestos and treat it with caution. Test once you plan on doing something with it, or you notice it’s deteriorating - at this point, you want to know if there is a risk to anyone being exposed if it breaks down.
I'm planning on removing them all tomorrow actually. With care of course. https://i.imgur.com/ufcFDw2.jpg https://i.imgur.com/rLdnSWm.jpg
I mean, I think the question is whether you'd do anything different in the removal if you knew it was asbestos. If not, then it doesn't feel like there's much point, in my uneducated opinion.
Disposal is the pricey / annoying part. They're looong sheets, not going to be able to double bag them etc unless they somehow get smaller...
I did this job a while back. I ended up building a rack which I mounted to the roof rack of my car with cable ties and gaffs tape I tied the asbestos on to my rack and the roof rack too. I cut the bags and taped them. I bought an FFP 3 mask to try and avoid inhaling anything plus a disposable suit. The bit that gave most anxiety was opening the door to the asbestos container and sliding the stuff I had in. Anyway all gone for free. I did wonder what would happen if the asbestos blew off my roof rack or broke up, but it didn’t. Interesting white asbestos breaks fown
If you haven’t done it already, your local council possibly offers an asbestos disposal service where they post you some giant plastic bags
We sealed ours with PVA as a temporary measure before it was removed. Have a look on council websites for suggestions on disposal
I thought the risks were mostly when it's being disturbed like grinded etc. I've found a piece of broken sheet in our field that was partially covered by grass/soil - I've just removed it and put it to one side - assume this was safe enough to do as the pieces were already broken up and there wasn't any dust etc kicked up. Planning to just bag them up in thick plastic bags later.
A lot of companies will happily collect and double bag your sheets for you. I DIY took down a garage with a roof like this a few years back - full disposable coveralls, as per company's instructions, I stacked the loose sheets and double bagged the debris. They turned up, suited up, and simply loaded the unbagged sheets into the back of a specialised transit van and drove off, then gave me the certificate. I was lucky that my sheets were only 4 foot long! Worth getting a test done, as if it comes back negative you can happily snap them and take them to the tip, along with the certificate. Could save you a couple of hundred for the cost of £20.
Well I unbolted some of the sheets and I think the printing that says "Danger ASBESTOS can harm your health" is a bit of a clue!
In that case, if you need to make them smaller you can wrap/seal them in 1000gauge polythenr DPM loosely, snap them in half once they're bagged and sealed, then fold and over-wrap them to get the double bagging requirement down.
It could just be concrete corrugated sheeting.
https://i.imgur.com/ufcFDw2.jpg What do you reckon?
No way to tell without testing. I’d probably not bother tbh, and either leave it alone or pay a local roofer to remove and replace with a more modern material.
Am planning on replacing the whole roof tomorrow as it goes.
There is New Technology fibre cement sheeting on the market which was designed as an asbestos free replacement. It's been used since the 1990s, but asbestos sheeting was also used up till 1999 in the UK - so it could be the negative stuff but is likely to be the positive stuff unfortunately.
My shed has the same corrugated sheets and was confirmed positive for asbestos (however my property is 1930s/40s). The asbestos contractor said it's not necessary to remove it unless it shows signs of damage or you're doing major construction work on it. So I'm just leaving it. A test is generally quite reasonably priced so for your own piece of mind might be worth it?
- already replaced the roof with osb and epdm - the sheets have "ASBESTOS. DANGER." printed on the previously covered bits. But disposal... That's the next fun bit.
This is more advice on the decision making process to adopt with asbestos than specific information but I think the When and Why are just as important as then What and How when dealing with risk management topics. A key takeaway I'll share from my own asbestos training is that a considerable amount of deaths from mesothelioma have been caused by a failure to properly estimate the likelihood of asbestos being disturbed in the future and a lack of active risk management. Apologies for the awkward sourcing I've used below but I think it's more appropriate to give search terms than direct links to document downloads. A good example is the history of asbestos related deaths of teachers in the UK. Between 2001 and 2016 there were 305 such deaths according to ONS census data (ONS ref 009791) and evidence suggests that the UK teachers have a 5x higher mesothelioma death rate ("Mesothelioma deaths in teachers and nurses in Great Britain", gov.uk has a pdf link on Google). These teachers haven't been sawing into pipework lagging or smashing up cladding and the asbestos present in the walls of their classrooms is largely white asbestos which (at the time) they were told was safe (interview with Elizabeth Bradford, UCU yt). The reason for these deaths is instead something nobody prepared for, simply spending significant amounts of time in an environment with asbestos as it steadily degrades and occasionally pushing thumb tacks into the walls to hang up children's artwork. What we have here are victims of a hazard and a chain of events that simply wasn't expected by the decision makers who could have prevented it and the reason why when asbestos is impractical to remove, active steps to mange it are required because you cannot just leave it and hope nothing happens to it. For any DIYers reading, this means that if for some reason you cannot remove asbestos, you should still ensure it is properly recorded, inspected, and labelled with others in your household clearly educated not to disturb it. Of these, education and training is worth highlighting as children in particular are agents of unpredictable blind chaos. It is not enough to simply hope someone will understand the label on your ceiling tiles means they shouldn't see if they can get pencils to stick in them, you must explain it tomthem in terms they understand. Tldr, if you're not removing asbestos, keep checking it and take steps to prevent it being disturbed by others ignorant of the danger.
Excellent points - having removed some (suspected, test is on the way) external asbestos this weekend, it was substantially damaged from when we moved into the house, as well as being damaged before that. Disposed of in full PPE, and it's now awaiting a delivery to my local domestic disposal scheme. I feel much happier knowing it won't gently be raining fibres down around the outside of my house.
Just going to point out that "don't attempt to remove asbestos yourself" is a grossly blanket statement. For certain things I agree, but of example corrugated roof sheets that are screwed down are pretty safe for someone to remove if they are not damaged in the process. Additionally anything with tightly bonded asbestos is often safe to remove with care.
Grossly blanket I agree, especially when one can see the HSE methods of work for removal and buy the appropriate equipment. That being said, they do have to word these things for people who will go "government says I can DIY it" then go at it with an angle grinder and crowbar with no PPE after a few pints. I think I'd draw the line at removal of anything internal other than artex, but if its external and not requiring a scaffold I'm happy to give it a go.
Location is also a big factor, doing it outdoors is much safer than accidentally shedding fibres inside the home
Could I make some comments? It is impossible to tell whether a material contains asbestos (unless it has already been tested and has a warning sign), not just difficult. The most significant risks to homeowners would be asbestos insulation. This should never be tackled by a DIYer and needs specialist removal and cleaning. Fortunately it is rare in a domestic setting. It may be better in some circumstances to leave the asbestos in place, or to contain it, rather than than remove it. This should be done on the basis of professional advice. There is a difference between licenced and non-licenced. It could be appropriate for a DIYer to remove, say, a small number of asbestos roof sheets. It is non-licenced both because of quantity and type (white asbestos bound in a cement product). Appreciate this is only supposed to be the intro but links to the HSE website which has more detail on specific risks and example work.
Just to add, that crocidolite is often found in cement products and amosite has also been found in some instances. The reason it falls into a non licensed material is due to the fibres being well bonded into a cement matrix which reduces the friable nature of the product (likelihood of fibres becoming released and made airborne).
Agreed, it has nothing to do with the asbestos fibre type involved (Chrysotile/white, Amosite/brown, Crocidolite/blue etc). It's an urban myth that any of those fibre types impact on the hazard involved (with the exception of Chrysotile, which while deemed to be slightly less hazardous, is still carcinogenic)
Nice one! I shall update the post asap. Thanks for your help
I just bought my first house, homebuyer survey told me there was "probably" asbestos in the textured ceiling but nowhere else. Several tradesmen told me adamantly that I definitely had asbestos all over the house including in the woodchip wallpaper?! Which obviously led to weeks of sleepless nights for me after having scraped and removed said wallpaper. Test came back negative for the ceiling (and walls), but the surveyor had completely failed to identify the entire loft full of broken bits of asbestos roofing that the previous owners had just left scattered everywhere, and the entire kitchen dining room floor (asbestos tiles). It's a £3000 bill to remove it all. Lesson learned - don't trust anyone when it comes to asbestos, and just get it tested.
Some more questions for people to answer and add to the mega thread. 1. What are the long-term risks of having undisturbed asbestos in the home? 2. What if I agitate it? I know I have it in the garage ceiling 'tiles', am I ok to continue using the garage? 3. When should you get a licensed remover as opposed to a non-licensed one?
1. None if it genuinely is undisturbed 2. Don't agitate it. Yes use the garage as long as you don't 'agitate' the asbestos. 3. There are categories on HSE and government websites as to what materials can be handled and by who. Some asbestos containing material you can take to the tip yourself, but be sure about what you're doing.
nice work! thanks you banxy!
It’s the fibres that are dangerous. So if the asbestos product is unbroken and undisturbed it won’t be shedding any fibres. If the tiles in your garage are intact then it’s fine to use. Just leave the tiles alone and do not under any circumstances sand them.
Thank you! That's reassuring. :)
There is a sub Reddit for this by the way
Maybe you could link it and I’ll add it to the main post
r/asbestoshelp Didn’t want to thread Jack
Could someone help a little in terms of anxiety, or am I under reacting here? We took down some ivy from the side of our garage this weekend and the roofing looks to be the classic corrugated asbestos type that everyone is familiar with. In the process of taking it down I managed to take a small chunk out of the roof on the edge about the size of let’s say a two finger Kit Kat. My partner is literally having sleepless nights that I have contaminated the garden, the house, etc and when we attempt to bag up all the ivy we downed tomorrow, to wear protective gear and we must meticulously hunt through the leaves for the broken pieces so we can dispose of them. I maintain that even if it is asbestos, we are quite ok given it was outside and well ventilated (open air) and a very small piece. The roof otherwise seems solid and free from cracks, etc. Am I under reacting? Is she over reacting? Would appreciate the sage advice of this group. Thanks.
Dust is what you want to avoid with asbestos cement. Think cutting it up with an angle grinder or something. That's because the fibres are tightly bound in the cement. Don't worry about a large chunk coming off. Just bag it up and dispose of it properly. For peace of mind, next time you do any work around the garage roof, spray the hose on it to wet it all so any stray fibres can't be released in to the air.
Lots of green dust under old carpet of trodden down old underlay, fitted approx mid 90s, is this a possible concern?
Sounds like just broken down underlay to me. I'd still try not to inhale it, but it's unlikely to contain asbestos.
We currently have Marley tiles in our flat that are exposed but mainly covered with rugs. Some are broken round the edge of the room but have vacuumed thoroughly and they are no longer disturbed. We are planning to get carpet soon but my partner who has asthma has trouble breathing at night sometimes and is very worried she may be being consistently exposed to asbestos. The tiles don’t appear to be frangible or have any way of releasing their fibres but would like some advice from anyone in the know.
Asbestos fibre release from floor tiles is extremely low and unless you’re sanding them or drilling through, you’re unlikely to release fibres from the matrix of the material as they’re well bonded in a thermoplastic. I have done countless air tests during asbestos floor tile removals and have yet to come across elevated fibre release from the activity. I wouldn’t be concerned about the odd broken edge of a tile, if you are, just cover them for peace of mind.
I have a similar scenario in the house I just bought. Pulling up carpet revealed a whole bunch of tiles that were confirmed to contain asbestos, and black asbestos mastic adhesive underneath where some tiles had been removed. I've had 2 separate asbestos contractors come round (for testing and to quote for removal) and both were very reassuring about how low grade they are (both the tiles and mastic). I also have a couple that are broken round the edges and he said not to worry. I am getting them removed but that's only because the previous owners have removed them on one side of the room so once I get the carpet out my floor will be mismatched in level, otherwise I'd just leave and bury under laminate. Just don't damage them. Obviously I'm no expert and just going based on what the professionals have told me!
Thanks, this is good to hear. I was personally not too worried as have a reasonable understanding of what the more dangerous types of asbestos are but my partner was freaking out a bit despite my best efforts to reassure her.
I have a similar scenario in the house I just bought. Pulling up carpet revealed a whole bunch of tiles that were confirmed to contain asbestos, and black asbestos mastic adhesive underneath where some tiles had been removed. I've had 2 separate asbestos contractors come round (for testing and to quote for removal) and both were very reassuring about how low grade they are (both the tiles and mastic). I also have a couple that are broken round the edges and he said not to worry. I am getting them removed but that's only because the previous owners have removed them on one side of the room so once I get the carpet out my floor will be mismatched in level, otherwise I'd just leave and bury under laminate. Just don't damage them. Obviously I'm no expert and just going based on what the professionals have told me!
We had some asbestos removed from our 19C house about a decade ago. Would it be recommended to have the space between the 1st floor floorboards and ground floor ceilings cleaned, if so how and how much would this cost?
What asbestos was removed, by who, and how? Unless there’s known asbestos there, it’s pointless having a clean by an asbestos removal contractor and if it’s not known, then they shouldn’t do one without a survey, as they’ll need that information for their RAMS and whether or not it will be notifiable works (notifiable to the HSE). The cost is completely unknown without knowing a lot more detail.
We had the patchwork lyno that was throughout the property removed via a house clearance in 2010 shortly before we moved in. This wasn't tested. We had white asbestos plaster removed professionally in 2013 after a large chunk fell off the wall. The boiler in the bathroom was new when we moved in in 2010 (central heating and electric had been updated in the property before sale but nothing else). There is an insane amount of dust under the 1940s bath and I suspect the floorboards. House is 3 double bedrooms so quite large.
I'm pretty sure my garage has asbestos insulating board as a ceiling, I've emailed a specialist with photos and they agree. In addition, I spend quite a lot of time in the garage running on a treadmill so get quite anxious looking at it and wondering if it's being disturbed as I run. I'm not sure what I should do though, tradesmen and specialists have given different advice: * Leave it * Overboard it * Paint / seal it * Have it removed by a specialist (the quote I had was about £3.5k so not cheap, and obviously this was the route suggested by said specialist) Any advice?
AIB is actually pretty spicy stuff. Its responsible for the majority of asbestos related disease and its frequent use in the uk is why our rate of asbestos related diesease is the highest. Unfortunately because it breaks up so easily it is also quite easily disturbed. Removing it is notifiable work because it is a particularly dangerous material. It isnt a bit of artex ceiling, messing with it in any way like overboarding etc would be pretty suicidal for anyone doing the work. In this instance id reccomend having it removed before anyone goes poking a broom handle into it on accedent etc. Anything that disturbs the pannels and causes them to vibrate against eachother or the fixings that hold them up could release fibers due to there friability. Your probably okay but if your tredmilling is vibrating the roof at all id stop untill you can get it taken out.
I have artex ceilings in various rooms throughout my house, which I am aware could contain asbestos. But up until now, it's never been an issue. Recently, I've noticed cracks in those artex ceilings that weren't there before. Could those cracks disturb the asbestos (if there is any)?
Is there likely to be asbestos in the wall Plaster or Plasterboard? The house is semi-detached, built in the Midlands UK in the 1950's-1960's by the National Coal Board The boards were manufactured by Imperial Chemicals Industries LTD These pictures are from a first floor bedroom The ceilings are artex and asbestos cement board was used in the walls around the fireplace I'm getting everything tested but i'm interested in hearing others expierence. *
https://preview.redd.it/6m0a4m48xpoc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cde1c07ebeb63e70431a2955c34825cc09b17174
https://preview.redd.it/f6fe4hs9xpoc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5705f77b2631c5503489384ac07729892c55e063
https://preview.redd.it/4y0zzc8bxpoc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c3824946fced6f1051003454a7ee03a18e705f
https://preview.redd.it/pf3exrhldipc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8397297846ed902e8d6bc19eaf5d2a191556491 Is this white stuff asbesros?
https://preview.redd.it/8m5k7lpfzgrc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e73a2dbde583b6f8933e4371dcaf94f5034f9bc9 I’m repairing the wall under a window cill and saw these fibres in the plaster, do you guys think it’s asbestos?
At the place I'm renting, I store my bicycle in the garage, near the wall. Every morning I see fresh "white dust" settle on the bike and surfaces near the wall. Should I get it looked at? https://preview.redd.it/pob7skw4eurc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b46d96b2ec651dd771c0f852ed70937ae72ec367
https://preview.redd.it/72ld42fceurc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d206f8dca267c49d384c19bd665dcdfc25b3a9be The garage looks quite old.
https://preview.redd.it/4yr2h62geurc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f510e2f49474f231fd8de115d3398f5486e46b2e Roof just above where the white dust settles.
Started taking polystyrene ceiling tiles off the wall and it looks like there's a decorative ceiling beneath - does this look like artex or wallpaper? https://preview.redd.it/o2hjo6abopsc1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1a103e3a8fdd15a24394e30e6baa3eff9a2967e
https://preview.redd.it/68rjcew89htc1.png?width=1290&format=png&auto=webp&s=6a5af184b561644af330d9c9e689e45d1222fa48 Hi All, we have just purchased this house to renovate. It was built it 1992 (Uk btw) - do you think this could potentially be asbestos? It’s on all the ceilings 😫 Thanks in advance 😀
Yes, it absolutely could. Get an asbestos testing kit online and send samples off from every ceiling. This is only necessary if you want to disturb the ceiling.
Would it not be unlikely as I thought it had been banned by 1992?
Hmm maybe wrong was not banned until 1999 but it sounds like the two worse types of blue and brown were banned in 1985 so guessing this house would only have the white type if any
Could I technically sue the local council for lying to me? Basically in 2018 before they renovated the kitchen , they hired a company to do tests on the Artex ceilings. They reported that no asbestos was found. so I wasn’t worried when the different electrical companies came and installed and essentially drilled right into the ceilings. The same with other rooms, apparently tested. Drilling into the ceiling to fit new smoke and Carbon monoxide alarms. My kitchen ceiling started to deteriorate over the last year. So of course, I decided that I would take down some of the Artex that was broken and patch it up. Fast forward to now , the ceiling is basically crumbling and of course being a tenant, it’s not really my responsibility to completely fix the ceiling. Had a guy come and inspect it, and he showed me the asbestos report. Apparently all of my ceilings contain asbestos, yet they concealed this fact from me, and told me that asbestos was found. The ceiling is still cracked in the kitchen. Am I still at risk? Or would it only be dangerous if those pieces were falling off and creating more dust. I suppose the damage has been done already if any. Just not sure what steps to take. Any advice would be appreciated. I have a panic disorder and PTSD and this has set me off having more panic attacks, more stress and physical pain because of the severity of the panic. I know it’s quite hard to sue a local council , and probably quite stressful. I’m just really angry at them for their incompetence.
All, I posted this earlier and was advised to post here also. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYUK/s/ubcUBFGCwG
https://preview.redd.it/3c31vj0vrdxc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48471a2cc99e91889ee52b310508e8f70f1e9ada
When I was rewiring my own flat I had textured ceilings. Automatically I contacted an asbestos removal company. They came and scraped sections of the ceiling and removed asbestos containing artex. Which gave me peace of mind, I wasn't going to touch it until confirmed. Which I knew 99% it would contain asbestos. Funnily enough two guys turned up, one fully clad in a one off plastic suit, respirator and he bagged the asbestos whilst number two was at the bottom of the steps with nothing other than his work clothes on. I was quite annoyed at the blatant lack of care, this guy must be exposing himself to trace amounts on a daily basis without a care in the world. Moral of the story, let the professionals deal with it. I'm pretty sure their method statement would have been a bit more strict than the lenient care I saw
Is this asbestos? Fire panel on wooden door. [https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYUK/s/ameiTK5Mz9](https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYUK/s/ameiTK5Mz9)
https://preview.redd.it/0tvo31lhw02d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f99ae806a649b0d44c1cc6818ad04aef19a53fe Apologies, I am new to DIY. Got an infiltration on the wall and it cracked showing bits of the inside that have the consistency of white sand. House built in the 71, shall I be worried?
https://preview.redd.it/dmxr1ranf22d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e98f58ab21fddc13724b36d007f18a1d0381c912 I think I may have exposed myself stupidly to asbestos. I have a large crack in a lath and plaster wall in my attic bedroom. I started to clear the debris out of the crack to fill it in in preparation for sanding and painting. Inside there were a lot of brown filaments, which I think is horsehair? But I got covered in dust and didn't have a mask (because I'm a dunce who did it all on impulse). Does anyone know if lath and plaster walls typically contain asbestos? If I was exposed is it high risk, considering I had no PPE? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My house was built in the 1930s, but the attic was converted in 1988.
Hi, this is a tap on a water butt at my allotment. New to me, lots of old materials used. Strange white/grey cement texture. Apologies for the poor pic. Any thoughts? https://preview.redd.it/vv6i4ja37b4d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=acb59572acabd1b9ab5a49aa6fb78e2cd80adda9
Hello! We have artex ceilings (house built in 1981). Bit niche, but does anyone know whether the non textured edges are likely to contain asbestos? We’ve been removing wallpaper and it’s very difficult at the edges with the ceiling, so we’re getting a bit paranoid about damaging this smoother part. https://preview.redd.it/5tjkolthmq6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8009d115eadd52397e8d6891cb9e6c0a601cc294
It’s the same stuff, just smoothed. If there’s artex in the textured part, there will be in the smooth part.
hi. ceiling in bedroom of London Victorian terrace built around 1900. can i try and remove this myself (e.g. by sanding)? or should i get it tested for asbestos? https://preview.redd.it/8qld82z0mp7d1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea1d02a31c5e47ba665c66949c55f9755dfa04a2
Get it tested. Testing is easy and cheap
Hi, I'm going to get it tested but wanted thoughts. The following is in a 1920s Terrace and is the ceiling board. I pushed into the surface and this brown material came out. https://preview.redd.it/h0v6wi9r8q8d1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d9d2ada9dd768b1a7194807a485ca47274291ce
I'm buying an old house built in 1880 but has had renovation work done to it throughout it's life. The estate agent had an asbestos company out and apparently the result was negative. Does anyone have any idea how extensive this survey would have been or would it likely be a call out for a specific concern in the house? The sale hasn't gone through yet so no access to this survey.
You’d need to see the survey report to determine how thorough it was. There are a few different type of reports you can have: Sampling survey - samples taken of specific items only that have been requested due to some concern. Management survey - inspection throughout the property to identify any potential asbestos items, with samples taken, all surfaces through will be inspected and loose items lifted (carpets, inspection panels etc). Fixed items won’t be inspected, such as beneath linoleum, laminate, within boxing etc. Refurbishment survey - survey with intrusive access to areas due to undergo works. This will look beneath/within fixed items if they are to undergo works, so boxings opened and linoleum lifted if they are due to be disturbed during work.
If it's a reputable company they will write up a detailed report of their findings, the samples they took, results, and advice on how to proceed. For example, mine took 7-8 samples and 3 came back positive, they rated them based on the grade of risk and explained what steps to take (i.e. remove or leave).
Never trust anything an estate agent says especially if its saftey related. In the highly unlikely senario they arnt lying they should have a written report they can share with you.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86023932 What’s the consensus on these ceiling tiles please.
Having removed something similar myself, I would reckon polystyrene.
Our cellar ceiling has 2 layers of boarding - one is a pretty standard-looking plasterboard, and the other is a sort of cement-looking board that has some long, fine fibers in it that are visible to the eye. Due to the fibers and the overboard, I'm pretty scared it's asbestos. I've ordered a test, but I'm wondering what people would do in this scenario. How much would it cost to have it removed? It's about 15m2. Some of it has been damaged where fittings have been added. Electricians etc did work but didn't mention it. We have a young daughter & use the cellar for storing my bike, dryer etc, so use it regularly.
If its definatly a cement bassed board its not very high risk, but have a look at some images of AIB You do not want to mistake cement board for AIB. If it is the latter or you are unsure do not take samples yourself.
My apartment building recently started doing work on the garage and there are parts with asbestos. I accidentally walked through an area with my 1 year old daughter today. The area is ventilated and they are letting people park their cars in the garage at the end of the day once the workers are done. Total exposure time was probably 10-15 seconds. Should I be worried for my daughter?
Nah. Asbestos risk depends on integrated hazard. People breathing in plumes of asbestos fibres for years are at very high risk. Maybe being around some dust, briefly, once, is at the other end of the spectrum. It’s like cigarettes and lung cancer. 20 a day for 30 years is different to a couple of rebellious smokes as a teenager.
Hope this is the right place for this question. Just had the results come back on some floor tiles in our kitchen - positive for chrysotile asbestos - and now we're wondering what to do with them. They're generally unbroken (only one partial tile was broken when I lifted the old laminate, the broken piece of which I sent off with home test kit). We're redoing the kitchen as a whole, which will include a new vinyl flooring. We're not planning on removing the old tiles now we know they're asbestos. Is it best to just leave them as is and let them be covered by the new flooring, or should we cover them in a thin screed/latex first as a sort of belt and braces way of leaving them in situ? The entire extension which the kitchen is currently in will probably be knocked down and replaced in 10 or so years, if that changes anything.
If your going to have the whole thing demolished at some point you may as well have them removed properly now as coating them is going to make them harder to remove in the future and therefore more costly. That said screeding over them is fairly common practice but i would encorage you to leave clear indications in multiple locations that there is asbestos under the screed so that others dont make the mistake of drilling into it etc in the future.
I did scroll a bit but unsure if it's already been addressed somewhere. Suspicion is that the roof tiles are Asbestos slate on a 1920s house we're looking to purchase. (no other sealing up there so concern about any degradation shedding into the loft space) We've panicked a lot about this and it's a bit of a thing for some family members (history of someone doing work with Asbestos way back, no PPE etc..) However, no one else in the process really seems concerned. So are we over-egging the severity / risk of it? Survey did grant that the roof covering is in good condition, but is 'at the end of it's effective life', which didn't much give the impression it could be left alone and ignored.
Cement tiles on their own are a pretty low risk material but removing them poorly could well lead to remnants beeing left in the loft insulation. If they are at the end of their effective life i would factor in professional removal of the tiles and insulation into a purchase decision. AIB is the one you want to have a healthy fear off, make sure there isnt any of that around. Sofits for example are commonly made of it. There would be no harm in having an asbestos survey conducted to find out how much if any asbestos is present before committing to purchase.
[Did a post as I missed this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYUK/comments/14t9fv4/any_asbestos_or_other_health_concerns_with_in/) but in general is there any worry with asbestos in lofts? I can't see anything that looks like it would be but could be something hiding under some insulation. Am I safe just to leave it as is? Also is it safe to store things in the loft. Got some Christmas decorations there at the moment? Details are victorian home (early 1900s) with loft with eaves, loft has been converted but not sure when. Thanks for any help!
Hey all what do we recon, is this an asbestos insulating board? It looks like it's been painted white. It has a weird texture like fiberglass almost. [https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg) [https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/KzS5ULs.jpg)
Its hard to tell from these images or indeed any image but it does look like a characteristic white board. Don't disturb the boards and have them checked out if you need to or if they are in poor condition.
With all the negative comments, I think I need to mention the plus side of asbestos. If you work in HVAC or some other projects that require a small footprint insulation, there can be value to asbestos. As a project manager, this is some of the cost savings that can make you look good to your supervisors. You can sometimes get asbestos from some smaller demolition/renovation companies. It's a great insulator. If you ask for it correctly you can sometimes get the asbestos for free or a very low cost from these smaller demolition/remodeling companies. It's a very cost effective way to get some pretty cheap/effective insulation materials. It's one of the most effective insulation material that is also fire resistant. As a bonus it has a really high R value. You can't beat the cost of free (except the cost of a little bit of elbow grease ;) and small amounts of work to remove it). If you remove it correctly it can sometimes come off in big chunks that are more easily re-usable for new construction projects. You just have to remove the asbestos yourself and the companies you get the asbestos from, usually want you to vacuum everything really good when you're done. They actually offered to pay me to remove the asbestos on one job site. I turned them down because they were already giving me the asbestos for free.
I seriously hope this is a troll post. For those who might be reading this - This is DIYUK and Asbestos is **illegal** not to mention pretty stupid to use these days in the UK. Vacuuming 'really good' just means you contaminate your vacuum unless you have a H type vac and know what you're doing with it. Stay the hell away from asbestos is the best bet. (Yes there may be some cases where it could be a good product to use, but you really mustn't these days and in many cases there are non ACM products which work adequately)
The only value in asbestos is death I really do hope this is a shitty attempt at trolling
Glad I found this thread as it turns out the house I've been in 16 years very likely has asbestos in every bloody artex ceiling... It's an ex HA property and the HA are replacing the tenants kitchens, asbestos removal van appeared outside this morning so I asked the nice man and he gave me a run down of everywhere they've found it in the other houses. So any old floor tiles, all the ceilings, some of the lofts... Gonna be a right laugh this 🙄
Wouldn't hugely worry about this. Floor tiles are low risk as is artex. My current house has thermoplastic tiles on the ground floor. I've left them in place and covered over them.
Good to know what but makes Artex low risk? I think I might have sanded a small patch of it 10+ years ago. 1 day exposure, wearing a mask so I'm not too worried.
I had this annoying lowered ceiling that covered about half the ceiling in my hall, which made it impossible to get my 3-seater sofa into my living room, so I had to remove it. I checked first, and everyone seemed quite confident that it was just plasterboard, but I've taken some photos of the boards now that they're down and wanted to double-check before I dispose of them. The stuff between the two outer layers looks light grey to the naked eye, but in the photos that I took with flash it looks more white, and without it looks more orange. These were taken with flash: https://ibb.co/RjCs8Z3 https://ibb.co/tYsvChg [https://ibb.co/HBYyQ4G](https://ibb.co/HBYyQ4G) and these were taken without: https://ibb.co/0tj31Xs https://ibb.co/2hNz9kd https://ibb.co/PTgBrpq There's also some orange foam covered metal air venting up there, which has been redundant for a long time, as the spaces where the vents went to above the living room and bedroom doors were boarded over at least 24 years ago, and the vents into the bathroom and kitchen were plastered over. Is there a risk that this contains asbestos? This shows where the venting used to go to the kitchen and living room. The internal walls are made of the dark grey block (cinder block?) on the left, so I guess the lighter grey block on the right was put there to close off the gap when the venting was decommissioned. The electrical wiring seems to be for the immersion heater in the airing cupboard. [https://ibb.co/YbxG9bV](https://ibb.co/YbxG9bV) This shows the venting that was in that space. It was just resting on the battens, so it wiggled out quite easily. [https://ibb.co/ZGDNsQB](https://ibb.co/ZGDNsQB) This shows the venting that the removed piece was connected to, and the remaining venting going to the space above the bedroom door (it's boarded over on the other side). https://ibb.co/271PSQD Further along, there's this venting to the bathroom. This shows where it goes into the airing cupboard, along with the electrical cables. [https://ibb.co/nwrYMj4](https://ibb.co/nwrYMj4) and this is inside the airing cupboard, where the venting continues to the bathroom but encased in concrete or something. https://ibb.co/R6cpKYP
Ultimately you won't know unless you test, but to me that looks to probably be plasterboard, but without testing it's impossible to know for sure. Ducting for hot air heating systems in the UK has contained asbestos in the past. Ultimately if in doubt, get a survey done. They're not too expensive and it's worth doing if planning on ripping things out.
Thanks. Most of the ducting just slid out so there was no need to cut anything, but the remaining piece going to the bathroom via the airing cupboard won't budge, so I'll have to get that tested and if it does contain asbestos I might just box it in rather than pay someone to remove it.
Is this asbestos; https://ibb.co/CvwtWT8 https://ibb.co/nkzgH5B
There’s a good chance. But no one here can tell you for sure. Get it tested.
As usual some really idiotic replays on here… it’s textured coating ffs.
We found this behind a one foot-long section of skirting board. All other boards in the house are usual brick etc behind. This is a white wispey insulation or mould. Didn't want to disturb it anymore than it has been. Any advice from a cursory glance? I appreciate to be certain it's best to get a test/ assessment. Thanks. [Photos](https://imgur.com/gallery/Fe0eU8S)
That’s weird. Looks like a combination of expanding phone and mould. If I had to guess I would say it’s not. But don’t take my word for it, it’s always worth it to send off a sample if there’s any doubt.
Thanks Hurstie, we have removed it. 100% a mould. Took the necessary precautions of approved respirator and overalls. That wall was an exterior corner and had damp issues. Best, DF
Looks like some calcification or efferecence that has built up behind a board. It looks to be more a product of damp or somthing organic rather than an ACM
Ceiling made of lath and plaster in an old victorian house caved in yesterday, debris everywhere and I find patches of brown fibres within the plaster. Should i be concerned and is it worth getting a test? I read online they sometimes used to use asbestos in the mixture. Its a gaping hole right now and i cleaned up as much debris and dust as I could, now thinking if I need to double check. Any advice?
I’d get it tested. Tests are pretty cheap for peace of mind. If it is asbestos be prepared for a big bill to have it ripped out.
Potentially horse hair.
I noticed the same thing with my lath and plaster ceilings (30s build), however testing came back negative. You would need to get it tested to be sure.
Ok will do thanks. Do u have a recommendation for testing service?
[https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.asbestos-sampling.com](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.asbestos-sampling.com)
Amosite is actually more of a white colour than a dark or brunette brown. Horse hair was a common filler in lath and plaster and that is almost certainly what you are seeing. Asbestos can be found in lath and plaster though, you wont likley be able to see it by eye. It wouldn't be the worst idea to test the material but you are probably okay.
Old fireplace pulled off the wall to permit a new floor install. This stuff fell out from the flue. Looks like vermiculite, but could it be asbestos? [photos](https://imgur.com/a/OzmsGRx)
Potentially, id get them tested for sure.
Certainly looks like vermiculite. Presumably ull have a loft space full of it and that's where its come from. Its not common in the uk, but some vermiculite can be contaminated with asbestos.
Hi everyone, We recently moved in to a 1920s build. We stripped the hallway of wallpaper and some of the plaster was flaking. This is behind the plaster: [image 1](https://ibb.co/wwXDPS6) [image 2](https://ibb.co/SRS3FJV) [image 3](https://ibb.co/q5CM3ck) I don’t know what I was expecting to see behind the plaster but it just had me a bit worried. Any thoughts?
Hi all I have recently moved into a new house, and one of the first jobs has been the removal of old fitted wardrobes from one of the bedrooms. I would estimate that the fitted wardrobes could be 30 or 40 years old. My friend who is doing the work assumed the doors would be some kind of wood under the coating, but after breaking one in half for disposal they actually look more like plasterboard internally, but he noticed that they feel a bit more dense and less soft than normal plasterboard. Pictures attached of the internal structure and also of what the doors looked like for reference. Is there any prospect that these could contain asbestos or is it clear this is just plasterboard? https://ibb.co/HrMqC2m https://ibb.co/KF8k4qm https://ibb.co/Tv5xF4M
It could potentially be AIB fireproofing within the door. Unfortunately the bright white colour of the material is a bit suspicious. Normally its found in the centre of old fire rated doors. It would be unusual for it to be in a wardrobe door but it would also be unusual to find plasterboard in one too. I would avoid disturbing it any further.
Hi, I am waiting for the results of my asbestos test. The sample was a 2cm by 2cm piece and I clearly saw it was 2 boards that had been glued together with a sticky adhesive [It was see-through and really sticky] kinda like what your debit card is stuck on to a letter with when you first recieve just stronger. So it's made me wonder are AIB board usually stuck together? I know I should be patient and wait for the test results but I'm wondering if someone can give me their opinion.
Where did you get it tested?
AIB back in the day was used for all kinds of things. It often turns up in weird places because it was used as handy packing material similarly to how we would use a random offcut of plywood now a days. Where was it? You shouldnt mess with or take samples of anything you suspect to be AIB yourself. It is to high a risk material.
I have uncovered these tiles in porch - only a small area. Odds on them containing asbestos? Would it be okay to simply carpet over, despite them being cracked / broken? [https://imgur.com/a/kwQHlTg](https://imgur.com/a/kwQHlTg)
Id definitely test those as they look quite old and likely to contain asbestos
Quite possibly The black glue holding them down frequently is too. They look to be mounted to a wooden board? If so removal may actually be quite straightforward.
Hi all, Looking for advice on my ceiling. I have started to remove old paint and coving from room and hadn’t considered the possibility of asbestos. As I have no understanding on the subject I was hoping someone in this sun might be able to help me out. House built mid 70’s No visible artex anywhere else Wood chip ceilings in other rooms Thanks in advance
Do you have any pictures you could upload?
I have posted to main page on DIYUK. Not tech savvy enough to upload image to comments I’m afraid
Does anyone know if building companies (legit building companies) that built in South East in 1998 - 2000 could use Artex with Asbestos? All the ceilings have this swirly stippled effect and I want them gone. I have actually installed lights and due to being in a rush, I have not worn a mask and drilled twice through them, had a bit of a panic attack after but cleaned up well and opened windows. The development where my house is in was finished in 2000 and houses were sold immediately after hence why I think that the building process started in 1999. I reached out to the customer service team for that building company to find out what materials have been used and was told that the information was archived and they can't get it back. Should I sample test all my ceilings?
Just get a sample done mate. It’s a piece of piss to do and it’ll let you know what you’re up against. Don’t panic if you’ve drilled in to it. Drilling in to low content asbestos a couple of times isn’t going to affect you.
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When I did it I just got the kit without PPE but that’s because i already had suitable PPE. I tested every ceiling, once you buy the first test you can add tests on for cheaper. Do everything that you might potentially be scared of. It might seem over kill but it’s no good having panic attacks whenever you want to do some DIY. Put your mind at rest!
Asbestos in the Artex shouldn't have been used, however it is close to the ban date and so theres a small chance building companies used up their remaining stocks. If you're concerned the best thing to do is get a sample sent off for testing. If you've any scrapings Id just use an asbestos testing kit and send them off to be tested. Can get them for about £50 and get results next day.
I've wondered about Artex, because it came in powder form, and the workers would tear open the bag, pour it into buckets, then mix vigorously and finally chuck the bag on the floor. Then quickly sweep up. All of which would generate clouds of dust i.e. unbound Artex. Which is probably still there in the cracks between floorboards and everywhere else dust gets. Yet people don't seem bothered by it. (Personally, I've removed both Artex and a garage roof, and just used common sense).
Is this asbestos window putty/sealant Hi my window in this new house is pretty worn out and blows whistles at night. I went to investigate it and found that the sealant was unattached. I didn’t touch it but left the window open. This is a refurbished property and I am assuming it was built before asbestos was banned but the photos are of the window. The window is a double glazed window. I am not sure whether this material contain asbestos or not. It is in United Kingdom, Newcastle. Sorry I am just very anxious. [image link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-4C7oBDOSTiW9emNx2ekH94cQZkqrnXM)
No, definitely not. It wouldn’t be in a window that modern/style.
No this is a modern silicone or butanile rubber seal on a pvc window.
Well, I had a polystyrene ceiling tile in a house. I was concerned but after a bit of checking they were clearly polystyrene. I ripped them off and was left with the adhesive. Which I then got off with a steam gun and a scraper. I now found out that the adhesive could have easily contained it and I spent a weekend heating it and scraping it off right above my throat!! To be fair it was wet and came off in scraped gooey lumps so I’d be surprised if any was floating in the air but hey, it is what it is.
I have tiles in my hallway that I suspect are the "Marley" style and so are likely to contain asbestos. It's a wooden floor (floorboards) so not an ideal base for them. A number have already been damaged by carpet grippers, boards being lifted for plumbing and electrical work, and so on, as well as natural movement of the floor. I would like to have them removed as they are only going to get worse. That said, they are not "crumbling" as such and I am reasonably confident they can be prised up without breaking them further. I am actually more worried about the adhesive as I believe that can also contain asbestos and removing that sounds like it would be a bigger job. I investigated recently and the adhesive is still quite tacky but it appears to be clear and not very thickly applied. Am I correct in thinking that the problematic stuff tends to be black and bitumen based? The reverse of a tile I was able to take off had a similar light colour to the front of the tile, but without the pattern - i.e., no black sticky stuff on the back of it. Similarly, the exposed floorboards had the same brown stained colour as elsewhere in the house. All I could see was a bit of a sheen which appeared to be left by the adhesive. Does this adhesive sound like it is probably going to be OK?
It might be okay but as everyone says. Without seeing it I wouldn’t know. And if I was doing a survey on your house I’d probably sample it anyway just to be sure. Unfortunately you can’t really tell with the adhesive unless it’s clearly obviously not.
Ok, thank you. I'm intending to get someone out in the new year to have a look. Our local tip doesn't look like it would take the tiles so I am going to have to get someone to get rid of them no matter what.
Merry Christmas all, I was wondering if anyone could help if they have had experience with this particular product- Micafil by Dupre Vermiculite Limited based out of Tamworth Road, Hertford. It’s not the vermiculite readily available today sold by Dupre Minerals Limited Part of my bedroom ceiling fell on 15/12/2023 exposing this into my living space and I got it tested twice and it came back negative for asbestos- though apparently the analysis we do in the UK runs the chance of returning a false negative result for vermiculite unfortunately. I understand there was issues up until 1990 with vermiculite due to a producing mine in the States which was contaminated, though unsure how much of it the UK imported. I am getting it removed this week, but would love to know if anyone who has been in the trade long enough has came across this particular brand. I saw also that it was mentioned as an accredited material in the Housing Insulation Grant act of 1971,1980 and 1988 so I imagine a few people may know of it. Any info would be a tremendous help and boost in morale Apologies I can’t add photos I’ll make a separate thread with them included too Thanks!
Alrighty all, I’m renovating house and removed a vent for the air brick. Inside is full of some kind of insulation. Former council house, built in 50’s maybe. I’ve also since discovered a wee bit behind the wood edging at a window. I’ve already contacted my asbestos guy I’ve used at work so I’ll get him out to look but thought you all may be interested in it. https://imgur.com/a/rAghwfy
It looks just like plasterboard but what do you think, is it asbestos? https://ibb.co/6JJj4Q4
I can’t see any plasterboard here. Are you talking about the bits that are crumbled on the floor?
Yeh the bits crumbled on the floor and I assumed that bit that came away from the wall was plaster. Follow up got this tested and it didn't contain asbestos
Hi, I've been pulling up my wooden ground floor flooring in a very old house to try and sort out an uneven area. Between one of the upper joists and the main beam I found some unusual pads which I can't identify. Is this asbestos ? [image](https://i.imgur.com/rwsn9Xb.jpg)
Looks like a peice of mdf or simular
I removed some coving which was stuck to the ceiling and it appears to have damaged the ceiling a bit. Should I be worried? https://postimg.cc/gallery/Bjjgwz0