Not another Asbestos panic post? Sadly so!

[tommff]

Hey all,

I have a September 1994 David Wilson house and we have just gone through some insulation board (that we didnt realise was there) when looking to move the boiler. The board in question is located garage-side of the kitchen/garage divide is thin, grey and has glittery specs. It was there to house the extractor piping to the outside.

Obviously a google has me spooked. But I wanted to post here to hear your thoughts; this incident comes at time of being SUPER poor - getting the boiler moved and having a kitchen installed. So really hoping that this is me freaking out and it is not asbestos.

What's your immediate thoughts?

 

[denso13]

What's your immediate thoughts?

Highly unlikely, but the only way to be sure is to have it tested.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

As above, getting tested only definite way of knowing, as it was only banned circa 1999/2000 HSE - Asbestos

 

[berty3000]

They'd stopped using it in homes long before it was banned. As others have said, only certainty comes from test.

 

[RandomGrinch]

As above, test to be sure, but don't panic. The likelihood of it being asbestos are low.
As the board is

thin, grey and has glittery specs

It is very likely to be a supalux board - the glittery specs are due to a high Mica content.
There are cases where supalux boards have had a small amount of asbestos contamination, but the risk of harm is low.

 

[tommff]

I just wanted to thank you guys for choosing to respond, and so quickly too. It’s really appreciated; hope you are having great weekends and breaking a few less things than I am!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The board in question is located garage-side of the kitchen/garage divide is thin, grey and has glittery specs. It was there to house the extractor piping to the outside.

Probably Supalux or an equivalent - AFAIK the glittery bits are bronze or brass dust added to give a visual indication that the board is NOT asbestos. Asbestos boards do not have this

 

[footprints]

As a rule the glittery bits tend to be the asbestos replacement board. I had them in a soffitt I had it tested to be sure though.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

An interesting thing about asbestos is that some can work with it for ages (years) and come away unscathed, other folk can be affected by a short period of exposure to the fibres. It is airborne fibres that are the hazard. For that reason there has been a standing instruction for years in the construction industry to document where it is, and if it is in good condition (not breaking down) to leave it alone and encapsulate it (without drilling or sawing) wherever possible, because it is considered that there is generally a greater risk posed by removing it than there is from encapsulation.

That said, its' installation was outlawed in buildings, except for a few special short term exemptions (AFAIK specialised products such as high pressure steam line glands and packings which were allowed a short period of grace) at the end of 1999 - but the reality is that its' use diminished at a pace from the late 1970s onwards. Some of us here are old enough to have installed Asbestolux fire board in the 1970s and seen the changes

 

[berty3000]

It is an amazing mineral. Strong, stable, fireproof, a great insulator, abundant and cheap. Just a shame about the unfortunate health flaw. Also unfortunate that it was used so extensively before people realised. My house was built in 1961 and I've had to get shut of quite a bit. Some aspects I viewed as low risk and left intact, such as thermoplastic floor tiles I've covered over with screed and flooring. Other aspects, like AIB roof soffits I wanted gone ASAP and my roofers kindly obliged. Plus garage roof, and random boards above heaters, etc.

The shopping centre in the town I grew up in was built in the early 70s and they had to spend a fortune removing asbestos in the early 90s. It had scaffolding all over the place which we used to climb on as kids, not realising. The world trade centre was full of it, which caused problems after the buildings collapsed. It is a fascinating but very unfortunate subject. Look up Armley in Leeds if you fancy a really grim asbestos story. Although might help people put it all in context when they think they'll die just looking at it.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Look up Armley in Leeds if you fancy a really grim asbestos story.

Or watch this video about Cape Asbestos at Acre Mill

 

[berty3000]

Or watch this video about Cape Asbestos at Acre Mill

Didn't know about this one, will have a watch. Good god, World in Action, that's a blast from the past!

So did they extract asbestos in Yorkshire or just process it there imported from elsewhere?

 

[denso13]

It is an amazing mineral

It was actually a fantastic construction material with lots of good properties. One major flaw unfortunately...

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Also unfortunate that it was used so extensively before people realised.

Not strictly true,they knew about the dangers as early as the 1900’s Asbestos timeline yet failed like many other things to do anything about it until late on. Maybe like global warming?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

So did they extract asbestos in Yorkshire or just process it there imported from elsewhere?

It was only processed. A lot of asbestos processed in the UK came from Canada, South Africa and Cyprus. I recall when at school being shown an OS map of part of Cornwall with a rock outcrop marked which was accompanied with the text "Asbestos", so it can occur naturally in the UK, although TBH it isn't that common