Own a house from the late 1800s. Surely renovated in stages over the years.
Need help locating where there might be asbestos.
Already aware of flooring, tile adhesive and grout, eternit in the form of panels and ventilation channels. Pipe insulation, primarily in pipe bends.
But, what do you think about the following, and how to act?
1. Plaster and mortar in the boiler room? Behind the plaster/mortar there's a type of "reed mat." Both on the ceiling and walls. There are also some thin metal plates on one of the walls. I don't know why. Maybe as fire protection or to cover up a plaster wall that's started to crumble. Some of the plates have some kind of paint on them. I'm aware of sprayed asbestos, used among other things for fire protection. I've also heard that asbestos was sometimes mixed in as reinforcement in plaster and mortar. How likely is it that there's asbestos in plaster/mortar in the boiler room? Sprayed asbestos? What does sprayed asbestos look like, and could it have been used in a boiler room in a private residence? Could the plates have been treated with sprayed asbestos?
2. Old attic. Could there be asbestos paper as insulation, for example under sawdust and/or around chimneys?
If so, should this be removed or can it stay there? It doesn't seem very appealing to tear out all the old paper under sawdust, etc...
3. Insulation around an old open expansion tank in the attic and insulation around the tank's pipes going down from the attic, through the ceiling on the upper floor and down to the boiler room. Is it likely that the insulation contains asbestos? We have now installed geothermal heating and disconnected this expansion tank, i.e., the pipes are also cut in the slot on the upper floor. Unsure whether I can keep the expansion tank and pipes in the attic. And whether it's okay if there's asbestos insulation around the tank and pipes. Should the insulation be removed if it's asbestos? Was asbestos insulation used on straight sections around pipes as well, or mainly around pipe bends? I'm worried because my daughter sleeps in a room directly under this expansion tank, and her ceiling is not fully sealed, with large gaps in the tongue and groove. Furthermore, the slot with the pipes from the expansion tank is now open and sawdust etc. comes down from the attic. I'm therefore worried that asbestos from the pipes' insulation might come down into the house. I will of course ensure to seal this slot, but first want to know if the pipes and/or insulation should be removed first.
4. Insulation around pipes from old water radiators going down through the floor on the upper floor and coming down through the ceiling below? Asbestos insulation around the pipes in the floor passage? Open today. Is there a reason to, for example, seal with floor sealant, etc.?
5. Panels behind water radiators? There are panels there, but they are thicker than thin eternit boards.
Could eternit be thicker than the typical board of about 4 mm? Must they be removed if so?
Plug at radiator mounts in the wall? Can they remain? Thread containing asbestos in old radiator knobs? The valves leak and a company has been here to wrap them with some kind of thread. Didn't think about asbestos then, but since their work was unsuccessful and the valves still leak, they're coming back to wrap these again. I've heard that old thread (spindle thread) in radiators can contain asbestos. How to act?
6. Wallboards. See in the inner wall where there’s a through hole between two rooms (for ventilation) that the wall consists of several different materials/layers. Including wood, but also a thinner hard wood-like board and a board that looks like some kind of plaster. Wondering about the walls in general. Considering that you drill, screw, etc. through these. Among other things, I'm going to have air intake vents installed above the bedroom windows. Wouldn't be great if any layer in the wall contained asbestos and then was drawn in via the air intake. And then you occasionally put things up on the walls, thereby working on the material. How is it with insulation in interior walls and exterior walls? Where is it most common for insulation containing asbestos to be, and in what form is it then? In boards or in some kind of loose-fill?
7. Stretched ceilings, tension paper in the ceiling? Just tear down or can the paper contain asbestos?
8. Insulation in old beam pockets? What might be there? Under the old spruce wooden floor. In some places, I can push the whole ruler down into the insulation/beam pocket. Have fished up something gray/brown that looks like long "straws." Could this be asbestos? Was, for example, asbestos insulation used as insulation in beam pockets or insulation over wooden floors? Considering both under the upper floor and insulation under the floor on the ground floor directly against crawlspace/wooden floor foundation. It seems quite impossible to start tearing up floorboards to analyze everything that might be there as insulation in an old beam pocket, but it feels unsettling not to know, considering the gaps that exist in the floor, directly down towards the insulation. Especially since you vacuum directly above and can thus suck up material through the gaps.
Could the gray/brown fibers I found be, for example, linen?
9. Due to sheer ignorance, I was involved in tearing up old flooring with an asbestos paper backing and black adhesive... Very stupid. But, well, what's done is done. Since we didn't think about asbestos then, the floor wasn't cleaned before new click flooring was laid on top. Left under the new floor can be released asbestos fibers, and there are also remnants of the old paper and adhesive partly left underneath. Where the floor meets the baseboard, due to a sloppy floor layer, in some places there are gaps of about a centimeter. Should put a quarter-round moulding, but it hasn't happened yet. Should I remove the floor, remove the remnants of the asbestos paper and released asbestos fibers from when the flooring was torn up, or how should I act? Worried that asbestos fibers will gradually come up through the gaps to the baseboard or in some other way where the floor, for example, flexes.
I also intend to install a dehumidifier in the crawlspace that extracts moist air and sprays in dry air. If there are asbestos fibers under the floor, it may not sound very smart to have a dehumidifier mechanically blowing air that could bring fibers up into the indoor air. What do you think? How to act?
10. I know asbestos can be found in paint. For example, old textured paint. I don’t even know what textured paint is and what it was used for. What type of paint and for what was it used? I have, for example, indoor iron thresholds that are very worn and which we constantly wear the paint on as we close/open the doors. Could this paint contain asbestos? Was paint with asbestos used for painting furniture? I'm wondering since I often sand the paint off old furniture to repaint them.
If anyone has knowledge in this field and can give good advice, I would be extremely grateful! Yes, I know my concern is probably exaggerated, but since I have children, I think a lot about this and am in need of good advice. I don't want to feel like I might be exposing the child to something harmful. So, practical advice is appreciated, I'm already fully aware of my concern and am trying to handle it as best as I can. Sure, I could send in samples of everything I'm wondering about, but that would cost a fortune... Maybe it will end up like that, but hopefully, there's someone here on the forum who can guide me further in making as wise decisions as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Need help locating where there might be asbestos.
Already aware of flooring, tile adhesive and grout, eternit in the form of panels and ventilation channels. Pipe insulation, primarily in pipe bends.
But, what do you think about the following, and how to act?
1. Plaster and mortar in the boiler room? Behind the plaster/mortar there's a type of "reed mat." Both on the ceiling and walls. There are also some thin metal plates on one of the walls. I don't know why. Maybe as fire protection or to cover up a plaster wall that's started to crumble. Some of the plates have some kind of paint on them. I'm aware of sprayed asbestos, used among other things for fire protection. I've also heard that asbestos was sometimes mixed in as reinforcement in plaster and mortar. How likely is it that there's asbestos in plaster/mortar in the boiler room? Sprayed asbestos? What does sprayed asbestos look like, and could it have been used in a boiler room in a private residence? Could the plates have been treated with sprayed asbestos?
2. Old attic. Could there be asbestos paper as insulation, for example under sawdust and/or around chimneys?
If so, should this be removed or can it stay there? It doesn't seem very appealing to tear out all the old paper under sawdust, etc...
3. Insulation around an old open expansion tank in the attic and insulation around the tank's pipes going down from the attic, through the ceiling on the upper floor and down to the boiler room. Is it likely that the insulation contains asbestos? We have now installed geothermal heating and disconnected this expansion tank, i.e., the pipes are also cut in the slot on the upper floor. Unsure whether I can keep the expansion tank and pipes in the attic. And whether it's okay if there's asbestos insulation around the tank and pipes. Should the insulation be removed if it's asbestos? Was asbestos insulation used on straight sections around pipes as well, or mainly around pipe bends? I'm worried because my daughter sleeps in a room directly under this expansion tank, and her ceiling is not fully sealed, with large gaps in the tongue and groove. Furthermore, the slot with the pipes from the expansion tank is now open and sawdust etc. comes down from the attic. I'm therefore worried that asbestos from the pipes' insulation might come down into the house. I will of course ensure to seal this slot, but first want to know if the pipes and/or insulation should be removed first.
4. Insulation around pipes from old water radiators going down through the floor on the upper floor and coming down through the ceiling below? Asbestos insulation around the pipes in the floor passage? Open today. Is there a reason to, for example, seal with floor sealant, etc.?
5. Panels behind water radiators? There are panels there, but they are thicker than thin eternit boards.
Could eternit be thicker than the typical board of about 4 mm? Must they be removed if so?
Plug at radiator mounts in the wall? Can they remain? Thread containing asbestos in old radiator knobs? The valves leak and a company has been here to wrap them with some kind of thread. Didn't think about asbestos then, but since their work was unsuccessful and the valves still leak, they're coming back to wrap these again. I've heard that old thread (spindle thread) in radiators can contain asbestos. How to act?
6. Wallboards. See in the inner wall where there’s a through hole between two rooms (for ventilation) that the wall consists of several different materials/layers. Including wood, but also a thinner hard wood-like board and a board that looks like some kind of plaster. Wondering about the walls in general. Considering that you drill, screw, etc. through these. Among other things, I'm going to have air intake vents installed above the bedroom windows. Wouldn't be great if any layer in the wall contained asbestos and then was drawn in via the air intake. And then you occasionally put things up on the walls, thereby working on the material. How is it with insulation in interior walls and exterior walls? Where is it most common for insulation containing asbestos to be, and in what form is it then? In boards or in some kind of loose-fill?
7. Stretched ceilings, tension paper in the ceiling? Just tear down or can the paper contain asbestos?
8. Insulation in old beam pockets? What might be there? Under the old spruce wooden floor. In some places, I can push the whole ruler down into the insulation/beam pocket. Have fished up something gray/brown that looks like long "straws." Could this be asbestos? Was, for example, asbestos insulation used as insulation in beam pockets or insulation over wooden floors? Considering both under the upper floor and insulation under the floor on the ground floor directly against crawlspace/wooden floor foundation. It seems quite impossible to start tearing up floorboards to analyze everything that might be there as insulation in an old beam pocket, but it feels unsettling not to know, considering the gaps that exist in the floor, directly down towards the insulation. Especially since you vacuum directly above and can thus suck up material through the gaps.
Could the gray/brown fibers I found be, for example, linen?
9. Due to sheer ignorance, I was involved in tearing up old flooring with an asbestos paper backing and black adhesive... Very stupid. But, well, what's done is done. Since we didn't think about asbestos then, the floor wasn't cleaned before new click flooring was laid on top. Left under the new floor can be released asbestos fibers, and there are also remnants of the old paper and adhesive partly left underneath. Where the floor meets the baseboard, due to a sloppy floor layer, in some places there are gaps of about a centimeter. Should put a quarter-round moulding, but it hasn't happened yet. Should I remove the floor, remove the remnants of the asbestos paper and released asbestos fibers from when the flooring was torn up, or how should I act? Worried that asbestos fibers will gradually come up through the gaps to the baseboard or in some other way where the floor, for example, flexes.
I also intend to install a dehumidifier in the crawlspace that extracts moist air and sprays in dry air. If there are asbestos fibers under the floor, it may not sound very smart to have a dehumidifier mechanically blowing air that could bring fibers up into the indoor air. What do you think? How to act?
10. I know asbestos can be found in paint. For example, old textured paint. I don’t even know what textured paint is and what it was used for. What type of paint and for what was it used? I have, for example, indoor iron thresholds that are very worn and which we constantly wear the paint on as we close/open the doors. Could this paint contain asbestos? Was paint with asbestos used for painting furniture? I'm wondering since I often sand the paint off old furniture to repaint them.
If anyone has knowledge in this field and can give good advice, I would be extremely grateful! Yes, I know my concern is probably exaggerated, but since I have children, I think a lot about this and am in need of good advice. I don't want to feel like I might be exposing the child to something harmful. So, practical advice is appreciated, I'm already fully aware of my concern and am trying to handle it as best as I can. Sure, I could send in samples of everything I'm wondering about, but that would cost a fortune... Maybe it will end up like that, but hopefully, there's someone here on the forum who can guide me further in making as wise decisions as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Hello
I have a house from the 60s that I am renovating and have looked into the subject of asbestos.
1, I have also heard that there might be asbestos in mortar, but as I have interpreted it, it seems to be in refractory mortar, e.g., in old boilers and stoves.
As a fire protection, there might be eternit sheets in the ceiling to reduce any fire spread (I have them in my boiler room, quite large sheets that are divided with metal strips).
2, In the attic, there is probably paper that might contain asbestos. If you're unlucky, there could be eternit sheets as fire protection in the wood chips. Take a sample of the paper and send it for analysis, so you don't bring in a remediation company unnecessarily.
We had ventilation ducts in eternit in the attic; I put on a mask and protective clothing, wrapped everything in cling film, and carried it out.
The most annoying part about renovating an attic is that there is usually a lot of slaked lime in the wood chips, which creates a lot of dust.
3+4, Hard to answer, best with analysis, if the equipment is older than the 50s, it should be risk-free.
I think it's better to remove it if you're worried.
5, I am not familiar with panels behind radiators. When it comes to radiator knobs, it is not the knob itself but the packing inside that might contain asbestos.
6, The wall panels are likely tretex or some kind of fiberboard, no asbestos. I doubt the wall insulation contains asbestos; if it were insulation around a heat source (stove or similar), then maybe.
7, see point 2
8, It sounds like lin (completely harmless).
9, Asbestos fibers can linger in the air for a long time. Buy an air purifier and put it in your child's room; that's what we did! If nothing else, it removes a lot of dust, etc. We bought a Coway at webhallen.se.
Install a dehumidifier in the crawl space foundation!
10, I don't think you need to worry about asbestos in the paint, but lead was common in metal paint before.
It sounds like you're quite worried about the asbestos risk; bring in a remediator and let them look through your house; they are actually professionals in this area, and it's not healthy to worry all the time!
Good luck
I have a house from the 60s that I am renovating and have looked into the subject of asbestos.
1, I have also heard that there might be asbestos in mortar, but as I have interpreted it, it seems to be in refractory mortar, e.g., in old boilers and stoves.
As a fire protection, there might be eternit sheets in the ceiling to reduce any fire spread (I have them in my boiler room, quite large sheets that are divided with metal strips).
2, In the attic, there is probably paper that might contain asbestos. If you're unlucky, there could be eternit sheets as fire protection in the wood chips. Take a sample of the paper and send it for analysis, so you don't bring in a remediation company unnecessarily.
We had ventilation ducts in eternit in the attic; I put on a mask and protective clothing, wrapped everything in cling film, and carried it out.
The most annoying part about renovating an attic is that there is usually a lot of slaked lime in the wood chips, which creates a lot of dust.
3+4, Hard to answer, best with analysis, if the equipment is older than the 50s, it should be risk-free.
I think it's better to remove it if you're worried.
5, I am not familiar with panels behind radiators. When it comes to radiator knobs, it is not the knob itself but the packing inside that might contain asbestos.
6, The wall panels are likely tretex or some kind of fiberboard, no asbestos. I doubt the wall insulation contains asbestos; if it were insulation around a heat source (stove or similar), then maybe.
7, see point 2
8, It sounds like lin (completely harmless).
9, Asbestos fibers can linger in the air for a long time. Buy an air purifier and put it in your child's room; that's what we did! If nothing else, it removes a lot of dust, etc. We bought a Coway at webhallen.se.
Install a dehumidifier in the crawl space foundation!
10, I don't think you need to worry about asbestos in the paint, but lead was common in metal paint before.
It sounds like you're quite worried about the asbestos risk; bring in a remediator and let them look through your house; they are actually professionals in this area, and it's not healthy to worry all the time!
Good luck
I know it is harmless where it sits, but I also know that people talk about conscious and unconscious processing.
The latter is described as, for example, involuntary movement of the material in the form of, for example, ventilation air, vibrations in the building due to traffic outside, etc. When you hear about this, it seems quite impossible that asbestos fibers are not released.
Even if you are not consciously processing it.
I am also interested in opinions on the materials I describe above since in some cases I end up in a situation where the material is actively processed, such as when mounting things on walls, opening up a wall to install, for example, inflow ventilation, tearing down old plaster in the boiler room, vacuuming directly above open gaps in the floor towards the joist insulation, etc.
The latter is described as, for example, involuntary movement of the material in the form of, for example, ventilation air, vibrations in the building due to traffic outside, etc. When you hear about this, it seems quite impossible that asbestos fibers are not released.
Even if you are not consciously processing it.
I am also interested in opinions on the materials I describe above since in some cases I end up in a situation where the material is actively processed, such as when mounting things on walls, opening up a wall to install, for example, inflow ventilation, tearing down old plaster in the boiler room, vacuuming directly above open gaps in the floor towards the joist insulation, etc.
The installer, thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions!
Do you believe that tension ceilings/fabric can contain asbestos? Has anyone heard of this?
A tension ceiling is damaged, has long cracks and hangs freely with a torn edge.
I imagine that fibers could be released there...
If there's asbestos paper lying in the attic, does it need to be removed?
Sounds like an extreme task...
Similarly with eternit. I have it both in ventilation channels, the panel behind the electrical panel in my daughter's room,
the panel on the ceiling by the chimney in my own bedroom...
Can they stay in place? I had a painter paint over the panel behind the electrical panel when they were here anyway, but they only painted a thin layer with some water-based paint. Should I cover the board further with some special paint?
Or do I risk releasing fibers if I paint? Any tips?
Does anyone know if there tends to be asbestos insulation in old floor joists, directly under the wooden planks lying on the beams?
The installer, you are absolutely right! It's not at all enjoyable to constantly worry about this..
By the way, what did the air purifier cost and does it also collect the extremely small asbestos fibers?
Do you believe that tension ceilings/fabric can contain asbestos? Has anyone heard of this?
A tension ceiling is damaged, has long cracks and hangs freely with a torn edge.
I imagine that fibers could be released there...
If there's asbestos paper lying in the attic, does it need to be removed?
Sounds like an extreme task...
Similarly with eternit. I have it both in ventilation channels, the panel behind the electrical panel in my daughter's room,
the panel on the ceiling by the chimney in my own bedroom...
Can they stay in place? I had a painter paint over the panel behind the electrical panel when they were here anyway, but they only painted a thin layer with some water-based paint. Should I cover the board further with some special paint?
Or do I risk releasing fibers if I paint? Any tips?
Does anyone know if there tends to be asbestos insulation in old floor joists, directly under the wooden planks lying on the beams?
The installer, you are absolutely right! It's not at all enjoyable to constantly worry about this..
By the way, what did the air purifier cost and does it also collect the extremely small asbestos fibers?
Try to find some history about the house, contact previous owners. That way you might get information about which year the house was renovated or what materials were used. Building materials with asbestos had their heyday around the 1950s-60s.
Unfortunately, this is a house that was previously associated with a certain profession. That is, many different people have lived here over the years. Only the last owners were private. And I bought it through an estate... That means there are no old descriptions or people to ask...
http://www.webhallen.com/se-sv/hushall/133408-coway_luftrenare_ap-1005ah&atcl=search:result
I bought that air purifier, paid 2000kr
It removes all types of dust, odors etc. a test winner used in kindergartens
A tension ceiling is not my specialty, but as I recall, it is a ceiling made of planks that were nailed up with jute fabric and then painted, so if you are going to find asbestos, it is probably in the form of (vapor barrier paper) above the boards.
If not restoring in an old style, I would have plastered the ceiling to make it look nicer.
If you were planning to renovate the attic, you remove the paper, otherwise it can stay.
I removed my ventilation ducts to install new spiral pipes when I was renovating the attic anyway.
Painting on a slab that contains asbestos is not dangerous, the idea is good even if my goal is to remove everything hazardous.
I bought that air purifier, paid 2000kr
It removes all types of dust, odors etc. a test winner used in kindergartens
A tension ceiling is not my specialty, but as I recall, it is a ceiling made of planks that were nailed up with jute fabric and then painted, so if you are going to find asbestos, it is probably in the form of (vapor barrier paper) above the boards.
If not restoring in an old style, I would have plastered the ceiling to make it look nicer.
If you were planning to renovate the attic, you remove the paper, otherwise it can stay.
I removed my ventilation ducts to install new spiral pipes when I was renovating the attic anyway.
Painting on a slab that contains asbestos is not dangerous, the idea is good even if my goal is to remove everything hazardous.
Stake, there might be something in what you write... However, it feels sad because I love my house.
Montören, so you mean that you don't believe the tensioned paper/fabric itself contains asbestos, but possibly the paper above the beadboard?
Montören, so you mean that you don't believe the tensioned paper/fabric itself contains asbestos, but possibly the paper above the beadboard?
Exactly! It is certainly possible to make a tension ceiling in different ways, but I have only found that it is done with jute fabric. I don't think you need to worry about the cardboard at all if you don't intend to tear it apart, screw in a screw, or the like, there's no danger/risk. But as I said, take some samples from different places and send them for analysis, so you'll know for the future, it costs around 800 SEK/sample.
