• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

asbestos?

H8PVMT

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
Central Maine
Today I channeled my inner Kastein and started demo on my house, it's from 1882 and already had asbestos removed from pipes, pulled some wall panels down and found this.....

EDDC3312-ED0B-462C-81C6-8D48C0B073CF-1003-000001323B5896D9.jpg


pretty sure it's cellulose as the panels I took down are the only ones not plaster but got kinda freaked out, it's greyish and fiberous other side of it is boards and cedar siding

anyone know for sure.....I left three cold PBR's up there :dunce:

TIA
 
Looks like plain fiberglass panels to me.
 
it's loose and falling out once the wall was torn back, i figured the paper backing would still be there if that was the case?
 
I'm worried about the same thing too. Our home was built in the 50s; that means there's a chance the vermiculite insulation had asbestos in it. It won't kill you if it's undisturbed, but that changes when you start tearing things apart, and it starts floating around.

I need to ask around how I can test for asbestos without tearing my bathroom (ceiling) apart.
 
I used them for my radon test, the walls behind the insulation were almost brand new so must have been added somewhat recently, the attic is all blown cotton insulation too so must have done it at the same time
 
When My grandad redid the shingles on his house the dump wouldn't take them because they were asbestos, so he just too them to the back of his property and burned them. He's dead now, but not from cancer.
 
Burning asbestos shingles is about the worst thing you can do with them unless it's in extremely controlled, contained conditions exceeding 1500degC, which can actually melt the asbestos down into a non-carcinogenic form of the same mineral. I don't recommend trying this yourself. http://www.wmsym.org/archives/2008/pdfs/8261.pdf has some info on this.

As for the insulation you're looking at, it's probably cellulose. Simple test you can perform (since you've already given yourself a high dose of whatever it is by pulling the wall down next to it) is see if you can burn a small pinch with a propane torch. If it burns and blackens (doesn't have to burn fully, it's probably treated with borates to keep it from supporting combustion) then it's not asbestos, if it comes out looking unburnt you're looking at either fiberglass or asbestos or possibly rockwool. I had rockwool in the entire attic and roof structure on my house, had a horrible scare when I started tearing into it and thought it was asbestos.

Again, I am not a lawyer and not a professional and if you do this and it kills you, don't sue me. :gee:
 
pretty sure it's cellulose as the panels I took down are the only ones not plaster but got kinda freaked out, it's greyish and fiberous other side of it is boards and cedar siding

anyone know for sure.....I left three cold PBR's up there :dunce:

TIA

Lick it and post your results....
 
Burning asbestos shingles is about the worst thing you can do with them unless it's in extremely controlled, contained conditions exceeding 1500degC, which can actually melt the asbestos down into a non-carcinogenic form of the same mineral. I don't recommend trying this yourself. http://www.wmsym.org/archives/2008/pdfs/8261.pdf has some info on this.

I know its terrible. I couldn't believe he actually did it and thought I was ridiculous and yall might like the story for laughs.
 
Back
Top