Contents of tar paper

[Mumin1]

Does anyone know if tar paper has contained asbestos?

 

[Leif i Skåne]

Does anyone know if tjärpapp has contained asbestos?

No, there is no asbestos tjärpapp!
Asbestos was banned in the 1970s but remained in brake pads for quite some time.
It is mainly in the subway where there are elevated asbestos levels today.

 

[Mumin1]

No, there is no asbestos tar paper!
Asbestos was banned in the 1970s but remained in brake pads for quite a while.
It is mainly in the subway that elevated asbestos levels are found today.

Thanks for the answer. It concerns tar paper on the roof from 1975 that remains under the dormers, but the rest of the roof has been replaced.
The strange thing is that you get different answers.
Yes from some analysis companies, no from experienced carpenters, and no from experienced decontaminators. Possibly the glue, says the decontaminator.
If you search online, it's foreign sites and analysis companies that say this.
The tricky part is that the tar paper is inside the attic because there is a gap of about 30 cm between the new and old sheathing under the dormers (previously zandaboard that covered the gap).
Close with plywood? A bit troublesome that there has been a leak in the old sheathing over the paper, which makes it important to know if it could contain asbestos.
So, no asbestos was ever used in roof tar paper?

 

[Dowser4711]

It's only a problem the day you decide to start tearing it down. As long as it stays in place, it doesn't "release" any asbestos. It's just like cement panels on roofs and walls, completely harmless even according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority as long as they remain in place.

So, if you want to furnish the attic and for aesthetic reasons want to cover the paper, just go ahead, but if it's just an unfurnished attic, it's completely wasted work.

(Then you might try to guess why the analysis companies want to say that it's best to test with them first...
But when not even experienced asbestos removers, who earn reasonably well when it actually *is* asbestos, say that there's any risk, you have your answer there.)

 

[Mumin1]

It's only a problem the day you decide to start tampering with it.
As long as it stays in place, it doesn't "release" any asbestos.
It's just like asbestos cement shingles on roofs and walls, completely harmless according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority as long as they remain in place.

So, if you're planning to furnish the attic and want to cover the paper for aesthetic reasons, go ahead, but if it's just in an unfinished attic, it's completely wasted effort.

(And then one might wonder why analysis companies would say it's best to test with them first...
But when not even experienced decontaminators, who earn quite well when it actually *is* asbestos, say it's a risk, you have your answer there.)

It's crumbly and a little damaged here and there. Unfortunately, I've been at it and removed some hanging pieces...
Do you mean the decontaminator is the trustworthy one?
In all honesty, he seems genuine and has been working with this since 1982.
I'm just so tired of all this different information. Scare tactics, etc.
Personally, I think this needs to be discussed at a proper level with health risks as outlined by Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Such a loaded topic.

 

[Dowser4711]

Trust the sanerare. He isn't trying to avoid jobs he could take, but he doesn't gain anything from taking a lot of unnecessary samples.

Asbets is not "toxic" or dangerous to touch, but it's when it starts becoming airborne that it becomes a risk.

When it is bound in glue or tar paper, it is harmless. It’s if you start tearing it loose, etc., that you can create dust. Dust is always unhealthy, but even more so if it contains asbestos.

Arbetsmiljöverket *has* produced a lot of material on the subject, and the summary is that it is hazardous to regularly work with the demolition of asbestos. So if you do this, you should take rather strict measures.
That is, if you work with it professionally.

However, the risk is significantly lower for private individuals who do it a few times in their lifetime. Make sure to have *good* filters in your mask when working with materials containing asbestos (and other dust-producing substances) and try to minimize dust dispersal as much as possible. For example, fold the paper instead of tearing it into pieces, pull out the nails if possible to detach it, otherwise it might be a good idea to cut it off instead of tearing and pulling. Place it directly into plastic bags, tape, and seal them to prevent more dust. Take them to the dump. Done.

But as mentioned, as long as it just sits on the wall, it causes no harm.

 

[Mumin1]

Trust the remediation expert.
He's not trying to avoid jobs that he could take, but he gains nothing from taking a bunch of unnecessary samples.

Asbestos is not "toxic" or dangerous to touch, but it becomes a problem when it gets airborne.

When it's bound in adhesive or tar paper, it's harmless. It's when you start tearing it off, etc., that you can create dust. Dust is always hazardous, but even more so if it contains asbestos.

The Swedish Work Environment Authority *has* developed a lot of material on the subject, and the summary is that it's hazardous to regularly work with asbestos removal. So if you do, you should take quite strict precautions.
That is if you work with it professionally.

However, the risk is significantly lower for private individuals who do it a few times in a lifetime.
Make sure to use a *good* filter in your mask when working with materials that contain asbestos (and other dust-producing activities) and try to minimize dust spread as much as possible. That is, fold up the paper instead of tearing it into pieces, pull out the nails if possible to loosen it, otherwise it might be a good idea to cut it loose instead of tearing and pulling. Put them in plastic bags immediately, tape and seal them so no more dust escapes. Take them to the junkyard. Done.

But as mentioned, as long as it just sits on the wall, it does no harm.

Thank you for your response