Kitchen cupboard, asbestos lined?

[diy_fun_uk]

I'm pretty sure the home report said this cupboard is asbestos lined, it housed hot water cylinders. They've now been removed. Difficult if not virtually impossible to tell from pics, however is a cupboard of this sort likely to have been lined with asbestos sheeting? Ex council property built in mid-late 60's.

I'm going to line it and put shelving in and I'd like to know if I can screw back/side/upper/lower panels or if 'hard as nails' is the order of the day to be safe!

Pics:

 

[Nige F]

Home report It's plasterboard. But use glue as you suggested anyway - easier than trying to find the few studs in the wall. Now the back of the door (unseen ) might have a 'bestos sheet on it.

 

[footprints]

OK so no one can absolutely guarantee the plasterboard (that's what it looks like) does not contain asbestos, but it would be pretty unusual.
Normally they would use asbestos sheet panels screwed or nailed in place.
If it only contained the hot cylinder there is no reason to fireproof it anyway. Any compartment housing a heating boiler, circulator or warm air unit would be very likely to have asbestos in particular on the door or integrated within the door (can look like plasterboard) the report may well refer to the old heater cupboard sited elsewhere in the kitchen or hallway.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

thanks for replies guys and yeah that's kind of what I thought i.e. if asbestos sheets would they not be applied on top as oppose to being integrated into the wall but wanted to double check. the door is a standard louvre thing. I'll do as suggested and stick with my hard as nails though

 

[^woody^]

OK so no one can absolutely guarantee the plasterboard (that's what it looks like) does not contain asbestos

I suspect that it can be guaranteed because asbestos was never used in plasterboard.

 

[^woody^]

Ex council property built in mid-late 60's.

Invariably, any cupboard that once housed a gas heater or appliance could have an AIB or cement sheet lining to the walls, ceiling, shelf or the door. You would see these fixed to the face of the wall or door, but sometimes the door may have the asbestos panel within it. They would not be hidden, unless retrospectively boarded over or otherwise covered up - but this would be noticeable.

A cupboard with just a hot water cylinder would not tend to have any asbestos lining, but again if there was, you would see it.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

thanks for further advice/reassurance

 

[footprints]

I suspect that it can be guaranteed because asbestos was never used in plasterboard.

Fair comment woody but, quite a lot of US sites claim asbestos was used in drywall, their equivalent to plasterboard and an import is always possible.
To be fair though most of the sites suggesting asbestos is in almost all building materials, are related to companies that specialise in asbestos compensation claims so maybe a just tad biased!
Still I reckon it's best to "never say never" if advising someone on dealing with a product you identified from a picture you never know where some builder picked up a job lot of material cheap.

 

[^woody^]

Fair comment woody but, quite a lot of US sites claim asbestos was used in drywall, their equivalent to plasterboard and an import is always possible.
To be fair though most of the sites suggesting asbestos is in almost all building materials, are related to companies that specialise in asbestos compensation claims so maybe a just tad biased!
Still I reckon it's best to "never say never" if advising someone on dealing with a product you identified from a picture you never know where some builder picked up a job lot of material cheap.

It's recognised by the HSE that asbestos was not used in plaster or plasterboard in the UK, and its not required to be tested in any survey prior to building work commencing.

There may well be a situation with an old or non-standard build where information suggests that things might be different, but for any standard property it can be assumed that the plaster/board is OK.