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Does this sound like Asbestos?

  • 29-05-2011 7:30am
    #1
    sbs2010
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 560 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I've got a 1930s council house (Dublin) and in the attic there's a substance that I guess has been sprayed/fixed to the inside of the roof slates. Its like really crumbly concrete and its mostly fallen off - all over the attic floor. So there's crumbly dust everywhere.

    Its light grey and crumbles down to a powder/dust with some small pebbles in it too. Does this sound like anything I should be concerned about?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Sounds like "pug", a weak sand/cement mixture used for sound proofing and holding slates in place, my SIL's house had the same in the attic.


  • #3
    No6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,489 ✭✭✭No6


    Its also called parging, it was used before roofing felt was invented, you shouldn't have anything to worry about in terms of asbestos with it.


  • #4
    Solair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    It's unlikely to be, but anything's possible. If you are really concerned about it, I would suggest that you perhaps get an expert to check it out before poking around at it. It should be easy enough for an expert to confirm what it is.

    The most common types you'll come across in houses in Ireland are slabs of the stuff that look a bit like plaster board. Often, you'll find it fitted to the back of garage doors and various things like that.

    Asbestos-cement roof slates were also commonly used. Again, this is not a huge problem unless you do something silly like power-wash them or somehow grind or drill them. However, they should never be removed without professional assistance as they can produce dust.

    In general, Irish insulation standards were very low in the past, so most houses weren't insulated at all, never mind having asbestos :D

    It becomes more of an issue in 1960s - 80s construction, more so in commercial buildings / institutions than homes.

    Watch out for it though in chimney breast linings, behind fire places, parts of heating systems, old boilers/electrical heating systems etc etc should never be smashed open / damaged if they're being removed.

    It tended to be used more for fire-proofing than for insulation in older domestic construction in Ireland.

    It's most likely to turn up in kinda 1960-70s "modern" pre-fab type construction.

    If in doubt, get someone to check it properly though it's not worth getting lung disease over!


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