hazards

[charlie-ia]

on many threads people warn about asbestos etc.
what would be the most common places to find it, and what would it look like?

what other things should we beginners be aware of(besides the usual just be careful)?

 

[Me!]

I've got sheets of the stuff lining my timber outbuildings. It seems that every time another bit of timber boarding fell off or rotted away they just nailed another sheet of asbestos-cement over it. In this form, it just looks like a slightly dimpled / fibrous sheet of 3/8" thick grey cement. As far as I'm aware (but this could just be blissful ignorance), the fibres can't escape from the cement and as long as it remains unbroken and undisturbed, then it isn't a danger. If anyone knows otherwise, then please do say.

 

[NT]

Most asbestos cement is 6mm sheet, very hard, hell to drill, & grey. But this stuff is as harmless as it gets. The bad news asbestos is loose asbestos fibres of the blue & brown types. These are very rarely found in domestic premises, but if they are its a serious matter. Asbestos in loose fluffy form was used to insulate boilers & industrial processes.

Unless you discover a decades old boiler covered in brown fur you can relax and not worry about it.

There are 3 types of asbestos: white, blue, brown. The latter 2 are nasty if in loose fibre form. While firmly bound up in cement they arent going anywhere.


NT

 

[Nemesis]

Well, they might not be going anywhere until you need to remove them. We have some to remove. That will mean some breaking up. We also have some walls made with them instead of plasterboard (a bthroom partitioned off) and it makes drilling or any other form of putting in holes to do stuff a bit of a problem.

 

[Aidan]

what other things should we beginners be aware of(besides the usual just be careful)?

Insulation. Pipe insulation used to be supplied as a powder, to be mixed with water and plastered on the pipes. It was quite a skilled job.

Fire-proofing (garage roofs and walls used to be lined with it). Asbestolux and asbestos insulation board used for the above and boiler enclosures is nastier stuff than asbestos cement. Fire-door linings.
Woven asbestos cloth used in old fuse boards and electrical fittings.
Fire blankets, oven gloves.
Asbestos cement flue pipes, soil pipes, water storage tanks.

Old WW2 gas masks; the filters have asbestos fibres in them. Don't let anyone put them on. Best to bury the things, kids love wearing them & go running around in them and doing a bit of deep breathing through the filter.

Artex textured wall and ceiling coatings.

Fibres used on gland packings on valves or pumps. Gasket material on old boilers. If there's asbestos insulation material, there's quite likely asbestos debris from fitting and damage scattered about, so just sweeping would be hazardous.

Imitation asbestos cement slates. PVC floor tiles and the adhesive. Some WC and urinal cisterns.

 

[Craig]

Worth noting the different types (blue, brown, white) all come in all colours in practice!

 

[inwood]

I would always have it tested to make sure which type it is (it's very cheap and worth the piece of mind). They'll also provide you with a certificate - useful to prove to disposal contractors what type it is (and avoid them sucking large amounts of air through their teeth and telling you it's the worst type there is!)

Assuming it is a white cement bonded board then you can remove it yourself relatively easily and safely. Most local domestic waste sites will take limited quantities of asbestos if it's bagged properly (see below), give yours a call to check before turning up.

If you do need to remove it make sure you take reasonable precautions:
1. Buy top to toe disposable boiler suits - they look great! and do not eat, smoke or drink until finished.
2. Wear goggles, a respirator/face mask and gloves.
3. Spray the asbestos surfaces thoroughly so that it if there are any breaks then dust won't be thrown into the air.
4. Dismantle the boards by undoing all screws - don't break boards with a hammer, if necessary (e.g. if fixings cannot be removed) dispose of boards with the timber they are attached to.
5. Use large polythene sheeting to wrap the boards - seal the polythene and then do it again - i.e. double bag them.
6. Double bag boiler suits and respirators and wash goggles.
7. Shower and wash
8. Take everything to your chosen disposal site.

Job done.

 

[Nemesis]

Re spraying (ours is of course nailed...) we were advised that a thin solution of PVA glue should be sprayed onto broken surfaces.