What is this material?

[Karl-Bertil Jonsson]

We have gray thin sheets covering the sides of the plinth foundation. Holiday home from the 70s. What are they made of and can I demolish/dispose of them myself?

 

[zarkov]

It spontaneously looks like some kind of fiber cement. Is there eternit anywhere else on the house? If so, these could also contain asbestos.

Why do you want to remove them?

 

[Karl-Bertil Jonsson]

How do I know if there is eternit, what does it look like and where can it be found?

I’m planning to expand the cabin, so some walls will have to be demolished.

 

[@ndreas]

How do I know if there is asbestos, what does it look like, and where can it be found?

Going to expand the cabin, so some walls need to be demolished.

Then you'll have to demolish the aspets yourself too. Assume the panels may contain it if you're unsure. Consider how you demolish and handle/deposit the material, and you won't need to worry...

 

[Jonatan79]

looks like fiber cement, so not asbestos-containing eternit. Remove the boards without damaging them and use a face mask to be safe. If it is asbestos, they are not dangerous to handle, they are not radioactive!

 

[Satsuki]

looks like fiber cement, i.e., not eternit with asbestos. Remove the boards without damaging them and use a face mask, and you'll be safe. If it's asbestos, they're not dangerous to handle, it's not radioactive!

And besides, this is outdoors!

 

[Karl-Bertil Jonsson]

Thank you! Is there any way to "see" if it is asbestos once you have removed them? And where do you then dispose of them?

 

[zarkov]

How do I know if there is eternit, what does it look like and where can it be found?

I'm planning to extend the cabin, so some walls need to be dismantled.

Eternit was used until the second half of the seventies primarily as facade material, for roofing, in ventilation ducts, and pipe insulation, and sometimes as sheet material, for example, in the trossbotten. You cannot tell by looking at a fiber cement board whether it contains asbestos; to find out, you need to send it for analysis.

If you're unsure, you should check how your municipality wants you to handle asbestos, whether you can dispose of it at the recycling center, and if there are additional costs. Where I live, the municipality requires that you wrap all suspected waste in construction plastic and leave it in a designated container at the recycling center. As long as you don't break, saw, or drill into the boards, handling them is not dangerous. If you're working outdoors, you barely even need a respiratory mask.

 

[Karl-Bertil Jonsson]

Thank you very much. I don't think there is any eternit in the house, but I will be careful.