Screwed up Asbestos....

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Jonnyboyo24, Oct 5, 2021.

  1. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    Hi,

    Recently bought our first house. 1930 built and when we were stripping the bathroom. The kitchen ceiling fell down... Well, one of many ceilings... Found a lovely rotten joist under the bath and it was flexing causing the plasterboard to come down.....
    There is traditional lath plaster then 1 layer of plasterboard with what looks like wood chip then one layer of plasterboard with skim.
    So I started removing the remaining plasterboard thinking oh it's plasterboard and it was really mouldy but now I'm worried that middle layer isn't wood chip. As I progressed across the room the surface looked more textured. I was wearing a mask but not the quality would use if it was asbestos... Infact I wouldn't be touching it.
    I have already filled a skip with rubble and bricks from another area and the offensive woodchip plasterboard was placed on top. As soon as my alarm bells started ringing I stopped, sealed the skip with polythene and stopped for the day to reflect on my potential blunder. Any advice welcome....
    IMG_20211005_204231.jpg
     
  2. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    IMG_20211005_204925.jpg
    The offending joist
     
    spannerw likes this.
  3. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    Hard to tell in the second pic with the grey edge, you can get online asbestos testing kits for a few quid as @Wayners has mentioned on here, get one, break a bit off (sensibly) then send it off.
     
  4. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    Looks like chipboard to me, it's got wet and started to crumble. Woodworm have had a field day.
     
  5. Wayners

    Wayners Screwfix Select

    Put a match to it as chipboard will burn. Asbestos won't

    Looks like plasterboard over chipboard like stuff. Fibre board or other. 1940-50s building materials shortages you find stuff like that.

    Asbestos is mineral and often hard and won't bend. Also thin sheets.

    Any doubt get tested but be sure it's not wood / fibre board or plasterboard first
     
  6. Jimbo

    Jimbo Screwfix Select

    Might be an idea to patch up that joist a bit as well
     
  7. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    Im maybe over reacting, I seem to be like that these days... Kids, lack of sleep and post covid lol....

    So I've worked in construction for years but on in new buildings so never dealt with asbestos. I didn't even know artex could potentially have asbestos. I've even done supervisor and managers safety courses and nobody has ever said "watch out for artex". Maybe I'm just out of that generation when asbestos was in the news a lot.

    So I've repaired the joists. The bath will stay in the first floor and not fall through the floor.
    Regarding the potential offending material. I drove first thing to a lab. Hopefully get the results tomorrow. I got back to our lovely home lol.... I damped down and removed all suspect material from the skip. I've resealed the skip with polythene. I then suited up and p3 mask, gloves and damped down all remaining suspect material.....(in the house with a knapsack sprayer). I have then carefully placed all of the suspect material in thick polythene bags. I continued damping down the. Placed all of my ppe and outer clothes in bags and im going to wait to hear the results.....

    As a general member of the public I hope this would be considered acceptable effort in minimising the risk if it is confirmed at the nasty stuff.
     
  8. rogerk101

    rogerk101 Screwfix Select

    The more responsible thing to do would be to wait for the results from the testing lab BEFORE going to your lengths.

    If the results come back saying not asbestos then you've gone to a huge amount of trouble and expense for nothing ... not to mention all the additional products that are now simply going to waste.
     
  9. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    Fair point
     
  10. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    **** it is asbestos
     
  11. Jonnyboyo24

    Jonnyboyo24 New Member

    IMG_20211008_112303.jpg
    That very thin coating is asbestos.
     

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