Do you think there could be asbestos in this plaster?

[LB.Antony]

Hello, I'm new to DIY and yesterday I was removing wallpaper in a bedroom which I plan to paint but some of the plaster has come off when I was removing the wallpaper. The property was built in the early 70's and has been redecorated a few times since then but I believe the plaster itself is quite old which is what is worrying me after researching asbestos in older building materials. I have no idea about what type of plaster it is but maybe you guys can enlighten me.

I am now very worried and have gotten myself quite worked up

Do you think I am overreacting or should I have an asbestos test done?


Thanks,

Antony

 

[footprints]

It is true that asbestos was common in buildings up until as late as the 80's technically it was finally banned in 1999 but phased out from the 80's.
Having said that it was normally only used for fireproofing, lining boiler cupboards, flue pipe, outside soffits, over integral garages and of course corrugated garage roofs.
There was really no reason to use it in normal plasterwork, as a rule the only time you need to watch out is textured ceilings Artex contained asbestos.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...7pLUAhXHB8AKHUkEAZAQ_AUICygC&biw=1760&bih=840

It was needed to bulk up the coating to enable often quite decorative patterns.

Apart from a few idiots that used it on walls, resulting in you scraping the skin off your elbows when passing particularly on stairs and passageways, walls are usually OK, plaster falling off 1970's houses is not uncommon, particularly where rads are fitted I had a problem just like yours with a property I refurbished a few years back, took the radiator brackets off the wall and found they were the only thing holding the plaster on!

I would beware of textured ceilings but wouldn't normally worry about original smooth plaster walls, unless they looked like textured Artex that had been obviously skimmed over.
Hard to say just from photos, but as far as I can see your walls look normal to me.