fibre showing through sanded lump

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We've just moved and have been preparing walls for painting, including filling holes and sanding down lumps.
One of these lumps revealed some fluffy fibre when sanded, which appears to be midway into the lump.
So all work has been haulted until we can identify what it is.

We have artex on our ceilings, which we haven't had tested but have assumed to contain asbestos as it is an 80s house, and we have kept well alone and will not be touching the ceiling.

Could this lump on the wall be artex that has dripped down on to the walls when it was first applied?

Lump is about 4 cm in diameter on the wall, from memory, and is towards the bottom half of the wall. It doesn't sand easily like our own filler does.

am worried.
 
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The lump could be anything really. A 4cm lump of dried Artex isn't really a major health risk but obviously you want to avoid any asbestos where possible.

Is there any chance of you posting a picture so we can try to identify it, and have a better chance of giving advice?

Welcome to the madhouse! ;)
 
Here are the pics - now I've had another look, it is white/transluscent fibres, which seem to be embedded in the surface as well as loosened into a big lump by the sanding, which looks a little like cotton wool.
This is on an internal wall.


any help and thoughts greatly appreciated.
 
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Hmmm, at first glance I thought it was just some fibreglass insulation poking through a repair but, looking at it close up, I don't think it is.

The surface texture does look pretty rough and not like a modern plaster finish. Do you know what type of construction it is, i.e. stud or solid wall? It could be some kind of fibreboard but I can't say I've seen anything like that 'cotton wool' in walls I have dealt with, other than regular insulation. :confused:

Asbestos fibres are usually much finer, but that doesn't mean there isn't asbestos present. If none of the other guys/girls here can identify it, then it may be safer to get it tested.
 
Thanks so much for your reply.

It is a stud wall.

It is a stud wall between a bedroom and the staircase, which goes up the middle of the house.
we've done quite a bit of sanding elsewhere in the room on other walls and haven't found these fibres to our knowledge.
They seem to be quite embedded in the plaster (until I inadvertently sanded them into a clump) from my novice observation.
 
I was editing my previous post as you replied.

They seem to be quite embedded in the plaster (until I inadvertently sanded them into a clump) from my novice observation.

So the 'cotton wool effect' only appears when you sand it and wasn't like that when the layer of paint was removed?

I sanded quite vigorously and I think it only appeared after the paint layer came off.
 
It does look as if some kind of fibre has been added to the plaster but I can't tell you what it is. (It is definitely plaster, you say?)

This is the frustrating thing about the internet...you can't just go up to the wall and have a good look with your own eyes. I hope someone here can identify it because I want to know what it is now!! :LOL:
 
thanks for trying, i hope so too!

we are trying various avenues to find out more
 
Most likely a hole that has been covered with scrim tape and then plastered over

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As Above or someone wedged a piece of rag in the hole for grip, and filled over the top.

(Makes a change from always using a page from the "Sun" Newspaper)
 

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