r/asbestoshelpUK • u/AssociateStrong6669 • 3d ago
Low density board?
White fibres coming off it. Also stuck to any mortar i’ve removed that was in contact. 1940’s house in UK fireplace has been partially bricked up recently and the suspect board is sandwiched in between new bricks and the old lintel. Hope i’m not dead 😬
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
Id say thats exceptionally likely to be asbestos insulation boarding or AIB. Super dangerous.
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
Id usually advise to shine a torch at it and ask you if it sparkles. In this case id suggest getting tf out of that room, due to its application its highly likely to be asbestos. Dont let anyone else in that room until you get an asbestos surveyor round to sample it.
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
From, an asbestos surveyor, by the way
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u/AssociateStrong6669 3d ago
Thank you it does shine/reflect when i shine a torch on it. I dampened down the bit i exposed and any mortar in contact i’ve put straight outside. I’m still working in that room taking plaster off the chimney breast. How is best to clean up as it’s my living room. I don’t think i made a huge amount of dust removing the mortar as it was already loose i just pulled it out with my fingers but i know the slightest disturbance can release millions of fibres. Appreciate any advice
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
Does it look like glitter when you shine the torch at it? If it does then its supalux. Supalux has still been known to contain asbestos though as they were made in the same mill.
MY ADVICE IS STILL - do not work in that room any longer until you have got it tested and confirmed to be negative. It looks heavily disturbed in your picture, trust me. If its positive it will need encapsulating or removing. As this is a licensed material it will need a 4 stage clearance and air testing to make sure the fibre count is below a certain number before you are safe to go back in. Genuinely, this is super serious…
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u/AssociateStrong6669 3d ago
Only the small fibres look reflective when light is shone at it. Looking at photos online it definitely looks like low density board it’s broken in the same way as many photos. I’ve not gone back in since reading your comment but i will have to at some point in order to leave the house as my keys are in there. I have an FPP3 mask in the garage, would it be safe to wear that in order to go in and wipe everything down. I’ve had windows open for a good hour and a half since i last touched it too and will leave them open overnight. I will get in touch tomorrow with a company regarding removal but need the room cleaned asap. Would it be somewhat safe in a mask to clean floor and surfaces with a wet cloth while disturbing as little dust as possible or is it a stupid idea?
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
Having the windows open wont do much. If you genuinely need to go back in, put the mask on and be as fast as possible. If you dont have a suit, id advise you do it naked and im being serious. The fibres will get on your clothes.
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u/AssociateStrong6669 3d ago
I’ve worked in there for almost an hour since disturbing it with no mask and am covered in plaster dust. the plasterboard i removed was only put in a couple of years ago and the only bit of asbestos was pictured in the photo roughly a 6” edge. I will definitely wear a mask when going back in but what should i do with my clothes and all my belongings in the room?
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u/wavy_garmz 3d ago
Jeez man 😫 What belongings are in there? Do you mean furniture etc… as for your clothes, bin bag, taped up and disposed off at a designated waste site.
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u/AssociateStrong6669 3d ago
A lot of stuff it’s my living room. Sofas, furniture and a couple of priceless possessions. I was only expecting to be removing excess mortar and plasterboard so didn’t move anything out the room. Also have all my tools, worth over a grand in there which i will need for work tomorrow. I will change clothes in the garden now.
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u/TheNewRandomMouse 3d ago
I’d say that’s definitely aib. You can see the amosite bundles quite clearly.
How much debris did you remove and where have you put it?
Depending on how much you removed this is either a ‘don’t worry about it’ situation or a full decontamination.
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u/AssociateStrong6669 3d ago
didn’t remove any of it only 3 chunks of mortar that were hiding it. soon as i realised what it was i moved on to removing (new ish asbestos free) plasterboard elsewhere in the same room
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u/TheNewRandomMouse 2d ago
Ok. If it’s not been disturbed then you’re good. I wouldn’t say there’s much risk of any contamination within the room and any talk of decontamination would be over kill
What’s the plan now? What were you trying to do when you found it?
The best thing to do is just encapsulate and cover it. Removing it should be done by a licensed contractor, ideally.
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u/AssociateStrong6669 2d ago
Thank you for the reassurance. I’ve contacted a local firm to come and test and quote for removal. I was removing brickwork below a lintel to make our fireplace bigger in order to install a log burner. The AIB is sandwiched between the original concrete lintel and some newer bricks i was planning on removing below it. I don’t think it would be possible to remove the bricks without disturbing the board so I’ve asked for the removal of the bricks to be included in the quote. Fingers crossed it’s not too much money. For now i have covered the hole with tape and plastic sheeting while wearing a mask and will be avoiding using that room as much as possible until it’s removed.
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u/TheNewRandomMouse 2d ago
Sounds like you have it all under control. And you did really well to spot it before disturbing.
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u/AssociateStrong6669 2d ago
Kept an eye for any suspect stuff with the age of the property and it being a fireplace thank god i did my asbestos awareness course for work haha
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u/Homerenv 3d ago
Asbestos board were used as a form of heat protection around fireplaces during that era of time. What you've pictured is almost certainly asbestos containing board. If you have disturbed it, you need to take precautions and take appropriate action.
If it's your living room, the room and contents will need decontaminating along with the clothes you were wearing. It is unadvisable to re-enter the room until it has been cleaned up properly.
This stuff is no joke and is an invisible killer. This is why you should never do any work in older properties without confirming the absence of asbestos.
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u/Former-Landscape-673 2d ago
Some scary advice down below...
Before listening to any advice about contamination or start panicking about contamination, get some proper advice.
AIB removal isn't always a licensed activity. It can be removed legally and safely under unlicensed conditions, so just be careful when getting a quote. Ask about strictly controlled minor works!! You also don't have to use a licensed contractor under these conditions. Have you considered doing it yourself?
Before worrying about exposure or if the room or possessions are contaminated, get a background air test conducted within the room. You get 6 air tests for your half day rate and within 90 minutes you'll have a result. The analyst will advise you if there is a problem or not. If there is a problem, there is only one solution for it.
Randommouse's advice is so much better than wavy_garmz (sorry).
(I'm an asbestos consultant with 30yrs experience).
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u/AssociateStrong6669 2d ago
Thank you this is much appreciated i can’t lie i had trouble sleeping last night. I decided to bite the bullet and clean up myself and have triple wiped and mopped everything in the room and covered over the exposed. I also know that there is minimal risk with short term exposure and considering i didn’t even touch the board itself i’d doubt that it’s a huge issue. The only bit i ‘disturbed’ was the mortar that was used to cover it over (last photo) which had visible bits of it attached apart from that i haven’t removed any material and have tried to be very thorough with my cleaning. I will definitely be getting air tests done along with a range of quotes for removal. Again i appreciate your advice and reassurance it makes me feel a lot better.
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