Hello.
I have become a happy owner of a 1960s villa, currently in the planning stage to renovate the downstairs bathroom. It's likely as old as the house, except the walls have been painted and the porcelain was replaced in the early 2000s. I thought the walls were covered with masonite, which the upper half of the wall seems to be, but a few weeks ago I was making an inspection hole in the pipe chase up to the upper floor and was surprised by how hard the board was on the lower part of the wall. Once I made the hole, I found that it was a thin brittle board about 2-3mm thick against the sheathing. After a while, anxiety set in - was there asbestos in the board I just sawed through? I sent a sample which came back negative. Now to the question, as I'm curious, does anyone know what this material is? It seems to have been some kind of "system" with ready-made corner strips and finishes. I believe it was originally colored red and not painted.
