Renovation Realities - Asbestos

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  • Rand
    Established Member
    • May 2005
    • 492
    • Vancouver, WA, USA.

    #1

    Renovation Realities - Asbestos

    Has anyone watched the show on DIY network called "Renovation Realities"?

    I just watched an episode called "The Simmons Job" where these homeowners were remodeling their attic. They pulled off the existing wood paneling and found some kind of fiberboard behind it. They had a friend come over and he said that because of the age of the house it probably had asbestos in it.

    They decided to cover it back up with drywall.

    It's my understanding that asbestos is safe if left undisturbed. They were definitely disturbing it. There was no mention of any testing on the show. This seems very irresponsible to me.

    Wouldn't the film crew be at risk as well?
    Rand
    "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like your thumb."
  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9453
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    #2
    Pretty much ANY wall with paneling on it, be suspect of asbestos. Actually any structure prior to about 1980...

    I would be concerned about their lack of testing to verify the presence of asbestos or not...
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    • phrog
      Veteran Member
      • Jul 2005
      • 1796
      • Chattanooga, TN, USA.

      #3
      Originally posted by dbhost
      Pretty much ANY wall with paneling on it, be suspect of asbestos. Actually any structure prior to about 1980...

      I would be concerned about their lack of testing to verify the presence of asbestos or not...
      Why asbestos behind wood paneling?
      Richard

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      • SilentSam
        Forum Newbie
        • Oct 2010
        • 22
        • Richmond, VA, USA

        #4
        Originally posted by phrog
        Why asbestos behind wood paneling?
        fire retardant would be my guess.

        SS

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        • dbhost
          Slow and steady
          • Apr 2008
          • 9453
          • League City, Texas
          • Ryobi BT3100

          #5
          Age. Most homes built before 1980 should be eyed with suspicion toward asbestos, and for safety sake, assumed they have it. Paneling more or less fell out of fashion by 1980, about the same time Asbestos got the heave ho...
          Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

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          • cwsmith
            Veteran Member
            • Dec 2005
            • 2788
            • NY Southern Tier, USA.
            • BT3100-1

            #6
            Well IIRC, the panelling "problem" is more in tune with formadahyde concerns, which was a key component in it's processing at the time (and prior). Asbestos is more in tune with fiberboard, insulation board, and fire-resistant backing boards too-often used in house construction. Of particular concern was the use of "Vermiculite" poured insulation in attics, but even then, that is very much exaggerated as "Vermiculite" was a very popular insulation material, but it's "asbestos" concerns were only in a single mining region and the majority of Vermiculite is asbestos free.

            "Backing" or "Insulation" board came in a variety of types and very much of it was asbestos free. For example "Homasote" is primarily a paper product and AFAIK was NOT a product with any asbestos content. Many other products of the time were also asbestos free.

            However, "asbestos" floor tile and some ceiling tiles were asbestos; AND, asbestos cement, tape, and paper were very commonly used in any heating and even AC ducting installations of the time. I worked in the late 50's and early 60's with my Dad and "asbestos" furnace tape, paper, and cement was in common use.

            I had a furnace replaced at my earlier home, a few years ago in which the furnace (forced-air) installer had papered the entire plenum with asbestos and covered both hot and cold air duct seams with asbestos tape (total overkill). The company doing the replacement simply wetted the floor, the tape and then cut it (the "wet" minimized any dusting) removed and bagged the removed components and then vac'd the floor with HEPA filtering.

            One could of course get the state EPA involved and "certified" asbestos removal firms and thus drive the cost of such renovation into the tens-of-thousands of $$. Here in my present home, I simply painted the asbestos duct tape (house was built in 1887) and then used foil tape over it.

            Asbestos has been a known problem since the early 50's (if not before), yet its use continued well into the 80's. We have two "modern" office buildings which were built in downtown Binghamton in the 70's and are now closed due to asbestos contamination.... asbestos was used everywhere, including cement, insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, ducting board, etc. Amazing how this product was so widespread in its use when known even then as a carcinogen. The office building where I used to work in Painted Post had both asbestos floor and ceiling tile as well as in the hivac system. While we occupied that building they constantly denied its existance, but when it was finally vacated they did a major "hazardous materials" removal, before putting it on the market.

            CWS
            Last edited by cwsmith; 11-17-2011, 06:39 PM.
            Think it Through Before You Do!

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