Asbestos Insulation Board - Our story including costs

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Hi All, sorry for the essay

I am a long time lurker on these forums but thought I would sign up and post our story to help others when it comes to asbestos insulation board (AIB) questions and costs etc.

We bought our 1960s house just under a year ago and noted that the large internal garage and utility room had huge scope for expansion. We went through the usual full survey route and had no mention of asbestos in the report - infact all ceilings were listed as plasterboard. The upstairs bedrooms had artex so we got this skimmed over and then turned our attention to the utility/garage. The more I looked at the ceiling boards the more suspicious I got and decided to send a sample off for analysis - this came back as positive for amosite and chrysotile or white and brown which confirmed my fears of AIB. We now want to get things moving on converting this space into a kitchen with a dividing wall separating the garage so I have had several quotes and lots of different often conflicting information.

Size wise the ceiling area is approx 22sqm, the AIB is in ok nick with some partially painted by the previous owners.

Full removal as confirmed by three reputable companies, would require a full polythene and wood frame built into the existing structure with negative pressure and a shower based out front. The air would need to be fully tested by an independent tester which would cost on top of the original quote and then we would need to replace the boards with fireproof plasterboard, costs have been:
Company A: £3000 + VAT
Company B: £3200 incl VAT and tester
Company C: £2540 + VAT
Separate tester approx £400

The other option is encapsulation. This involves a thick paint based substance being applied to the boards which effectively seals in the asbestos. Costs have varied between:
Company A: £1500 +VAT
Company B: £800 + VAT

The benefit of this is fireproofing remains intact so no need to add fireproof plasterboard.

The other option of course is to leave it all alone and just batten to the walls with wood and fix plasterboard to this. As I said above the AIB is in ok nick meaning some is starting to sag so we would rather have it sealed or removed.

Other people have said just mask up and rip it out - this is not happening.

Next week I have another company coming out to give us an estimate and I will update this thread with costs and pictures. Any advice from those who have done this is appreciated, just hope this helps someone else out. Couple of pics below to give an idea
 

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Presuming they're fixed into joists above I'd board over the top and skim. Obviously this means fixing through the AIB board into the joists which will release a small amount of dust but wear a good filtered max and sheet the room out if you feel necessary.

I certainly wouldn't be paying 3k to have it removed when it'll be boarded again afterwards.
 
I am uncertain what building regs will say regarding insulation. With the boards removed I could insulate between the joists, but if I boarded over the AIB and skimmed then would I fall foul of not insulating the ceiling space? If I batten out the ceiling I could add insulation before boarding. I would lose ceiling space but that does not bother me.
 
Are there any habitable rooms above the garage and utility room? If so insulating the ceiling void wouldn't make much difference anyway. If you did want to insulate the ceiling fixing insulated plasterboard with long plasterboard screws may be an easier option.

Definitely insulate the external walls if they're not insulated.
 
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@ OP - Informative post - thanks.
It goes to show how far - and how expensive - H&S has become. No-one doubts the hazard of AIB, but the remediation measures always seem over the top and are always expensive. The problem is if a year or so down the line you had a plumber or electrician in to do some drilling work on the ceiling and they breathed in the dust unaware that it was asbestos, you might be liable if they later became ill.
Maybe your surveyor was negligent in not at least pointing out the risk of the presence of AIB; it's quite common in houses of that time.
 
Are there any habitable rooms above the garage and utility room? If so insulating the ceiling void wouldn't make much difference anyway. If you did want to insulate the ceiling fixing insulated plasterboard with long plasterboard screws may be an easier option.

Definitely insulate the external walls if they're not insulated.

There are bedrooms above each. We taped over the floorboard gaps with aluminium tape, and laid a foil insulation and vapour barrier in each room which was taped and sealed before getting 14mm underlay and new carpet so those rooms are fairly toasty now. Good shout on the plasterboard, I think that is the way I will go.

@ OP - Informative post - thanks.
It goes to show how far - and how expensive - H&S has become. No-one doubts the hazard of AIB, but the remediation measures always seem over the top and are always expensive. The problem is if a year or so down the line you had a plumber or electrician in to do some drilling work on the ceiling and they breathed in the dust unaware that it was asbestos, you might be liable if they later became ill.
Maybe your surveyor was negligent in not at least pointing out the risk of the presence of AIB; it's quite common in houses of that time.

The surveyor may be at fault and we have been told we could have reason to complain. It does seem a bit negligent especially considering the survey was done in an unoccupied house and we have pictures which prove they entered the utility/garage yet failed to spot the ceiling. I imagine they have a disclaimer somewhere which protects against this sort of thing.

The plan is to run the pipes and necessary cables before we add the final plasterboard, we had a builder who wanted to start work on the wall demo but I want to make sure it as safe as possible for not just my family but all tradesmen. One of the companies has advised that once it is encapsulated you can screw into the AIB but cannot remove the screw afterwards. I will see what I am told next week. The real worry regarding all of this is the lack of information and it seems regulation.
 
Depending on headroom I would have thought that leaving the board where it is and insulating under it is the cheaper and easier option. Fix the boards, run any services on the ceiling then insultate and board again.
The stuff isn't radioactive- so long as the builder is made aware he should undertake precautions to ensure safetry - ripping it all out would make more mess
 
Thanks for starting the thread, so many people throw prices around they have grabbed out of thin (clean!) air. It will be interesting to see how you get on.
Myself I would be dubious of fixing a suspended ceiling through the board that will be a lot of screws.
I can also see the argument that disturbing it is a worry, I would read up as much as possible from reliable sources like HSE and https://www.arca.org.uk/ then would be very upfront with the companies quoting so they know if they try to cut corners you will be on their case.
Be wary of sites designed to panic almost all will be sponsored by an "ambulance chaser" law firm based in the US
 
Thanks for starting the thread, so many people throw prices around they have grabbed out of thin (clean!) air. It will be interesting to see how you get on.
Myself I would be dubious of fixing a suspended ceiling through the board that will be a lot of screws.
I can also see the argument that disturbing it is a worry, I would read up as much as possible from reliable sources like HSE and https://www.arca.org.uk/ then would be very upfront with the companies quoting so they know if they try to cut corners you will be on their case.
Be wary of sites designed to panic almost all will be sponsored by an "ambulance chaser" law firm based in the US

I must admit the thought of multiple drill holes does worry me as well. I have thought about fixing battens to the brick wall just underneath the AIB then fixing further battens across to create a frame work, I would then use this to attach plasterboard to which would theoretically leave the AIB alone. I worry about the weight of the plasterboard and the ceiling sagging.
 
All sorts of methods could be used.
You could use self drilling screws into a timber surround and into the ceiling, using a sealant that captured any residue. While covering the area with a vacuum

You'd still take precautions but decent masks and paper suits more than the full on spaceman outfits.
 
Update time, we have just had a visit from another asbestos removal company. In line with the quotations above it would cost approx £3500 for full removal. We discussed the options in detail and think we may go with the encapsulation route. It will likely cost £600 not sure if that includes VAT or not as we are waiting for the official quote. We can either get a layer of paint rollered over the AIB which is neater or a spray on paint which will be messier but a smoother finish. We will then drop the ceiling by approx 2 inches and create a void for cables, pipes and downlights. This company seems very legit they spent over an hour with us discussing the pros and cons, safety aspects for tradespeople moving forward with any work. Essentially as long as it is not disturbed (which we all know) it is safe, you can drill/screw into it but then it cannot be removed. I will update with pictures and official costs.

Quick question is there a minimum ceiling height according to building regs?
 
is it confirmed AIB? While the boards stay intact, the hazard is very low.

Keep the door closed, wear a proper dust mask, get afew Tyvek suits, some latex gloves
Do not walk into the rest of the house wearing your Tyvek suits. Bag and Bin.
Somehow support an individual boards, perhaps a pair of acrow props with some timber.
Dye wallpaper paste, splurge some on the fixings (to control the dust). Remove the head of the fitting. I drilled the nail heads out.
Prise the board away from the stub of the fitting.
Store it to one side, move on.

Call the council, pay them a nominal fee, who will come along with a skip (which is far far far from air tight).
Note how few precuations the council guy takes, help him load. Avoid breathing the dust as he chucks it in.

Job done. Get an air test done if you really really want to - but know that there are particles floating about everywhere anyway so don't expect the answer to be 0 ppm.

Nozzle
 
is it confirmed AIB? While the boards stay intact, the hazard is very low.

Keep the door closed, wear a proper dust mask, get afew Tyvek suits, some latex gloves
Do not walk into the rest of the house wearing your Tyvek suits. Bag and Bin.
Somehow support an individual boards, perhaps a pair of acrow props with some timber.
Dye wallpaper paste, splurge some on the fixings (to control the dust). Remove the head of the fitting. I drilled the nail heads out.
Prise the board away from the stub of the fitting.
Store it to one side, move on.

Call the council, pay them a nominal fee, who will come along with a skip (which is far far far from air tight).
Note how few precuations the council guy takes, help him load. Avoid breathing the dust as he chucks it in.

Job done. Get an air test done if you really really want to - but know that there are particles floating about everywhere anyway so don't expect the answer to be 0 ppm.

Nozzle


It is confirmed AIB, unfortunately. If it was cement board I would have it down but I am not taking the risk. Too many ifs, whys, when and whats involved with DIY removal and not going to risk exposure for my children. Final quote has come in at £620 + VAT for encapsulation. This also includes some extra work around a window which we are having removed - the top of the frame possibly abuts the AIB so this will be stripped and sealed. Its not cheap but cheaper than full removal and re boarding.
 
Surely so long as it's sound, not crumbling and falling to bits the asbestos is already encapsulated within the board anyway?

It seems like a measure your taking so to put your mind at ease you've done the right thing yet probably doesn't need doing especially if your putting up another false ceiling and the board is already in good condition.
 
Surely so long as it's sound, not crumbling and falling to bits the asbestos is already encapsulated within the board anyway?

It is in ok condition, one part is starting to sag a few other areas have crumbling parts, there is a small hole where old cables have been cut, it is a small area but the fibres are exposed. As it will be used as the top part of a cavity I want to make sure anything knocking it will not disturb the boards so encapsulating it is the way forward.

First picture below shows the window and the area which has started to sag. This part of the ceiling was painted by the previous owners, the company today reckons they knew what they were dealing with. Legally you do not have to declare asbestos unless specifically asked about it.

Second picture shows the wall through to the kitchen which we are planning on knocking through to extend this area.
 

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