Possible Asbestos - I'm Petrified :(

[GreenSaints]

Hi all

So I live in a 1920s house which has me and my boyfriend are currently attacking room by room, the room we're working on is the kitchen.

Being bank holiday seemed a good idea to start ripping everything out, until on day two I thought to myself 'I wonder if that's asbestos?' and have been freaking out since

The areas of concern are this weird board that was found under the vinyl and ply and the paint to the walls, which is coming off in big pieces when it was on the chipboard, but is white/powdery on the external wall which is just plastered.

Obviously the only way to be 100% sure is to get a test, but until that happens, your opinions would be greatly appreciated. Obviously, there's little we can do if it is it as we've been disturbing it for 2 days and it would be everywhere in the house.

Thank you in advance

 

[Burnerman]

It looks like a fibreboard to me.....commonly used years ago to provide a warmer feel to walls prior to decorating. Its otherwise been called particle board or pin board at various times - particle board being more related to MDF of late.
John

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Yep, it's just fibreboard.

 

[GreenSaints]

Hi

Thanks for your quick reply, I'm a lot happier now

Any ideas on the weird paint finish? The only rooms it's in are my bathroom and kitchen

Thanks again

 

[Gerrydelasel]

I don't see anything weird about it. What were you expecting?

 

[GreenSaints]

Hi

It's a textured paint finish and I'm worried as it might have asbestos in it. Also, it has a white powdery finish in places.

I guess it could be sandtex or something

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Probably just emulsion or distemper.

 

[Burnerman]

Very difficult to determine what it is.....possibly sized with PVA glue or more than likely just emulsion (this stuff is nicely porous.) The second last pic looks like those thick coverall paints that were available some years ago, and used to hide ceiling cracks or whatever.
John

 

[GreenSaints]

Hi

Thank you very much.

I'm just so worried and considering it's in my kitchen, there's dust on everything and everywhere!

 

[Nige F]

Very difficult to determine what it is.....possibly sized with PVA glue or more than likely just emulsion (this stuff is nicely porous.) The second last pic looks like those thick coverall paints that were available some years ago, and used to hide ceiling cracks or whatever.
John

Porta fleck - found some in a late 50's house I had.

 

[Tigercubrider]

You may find it easier to steam that weird paint off?
Screwfix were doing a steamer for £20 last week

I removed a non artex ceiling paint that way and it was far easier

 

[GreenSaints]

Thank you very much for your opinions.

I feel better now

 

[GreenSaints]

Hello, Me again.

So I can't sleep and my brain has been thinking "remember those old tiles you removed from the old house? Bet they were asbestos"

They were brown tiles, quite hard to chip off. There were solid in their construction (so not fibrous, they felt like solid tiles from what I remember) but they were definitely in the kitchen, cloakroom (which were the rooms we chipped off) and lounge.

I've attached a very poor picture of when the laminate was being laid in my lounge, you can just see the brown tiles in the corner.

I don't know exactly when my old house was built (I've spent a lot of time this evening trying to work it out) but it was registered on the Land Registry in 1991. It was on an estate so assume it could have been post 1985, could have been before.

There is very little I can do as this 10 years ago, but I'm just worried again

Sorry for my constant messages

 

[Gerrydelasel]

 

[Burnerman]

No one in their right mind would say that floor tiles have never contained asbestos - of course they did.
However if those tiles you mention were hard and brittle with no backing maybe then I would think that the chance of an asbestos content was very slim. Indeed, floor tiles would have to be ground to dust to release the asbestos particles (friable asbestos I believe is the phrase) - at least that's what I was told - due to the adhesive content.
John