Fibrous type material in ceiling plaster - what is it?

[Beginerz]

Hi all.

We are doing up our first home which was built in the 1960s. After removing the gyproc coving from the living room ceiling I have found a few holes in the plaster where there seems to be some sort of brown fibrous material behind, which looks to be part of or weaved within the plaster.

Any ideas what it is, and could this be some sort of asbestos?

No sign of it in any other room other than living room.

Thank you .

 

[DAZB]

It is what they used to use for skrim tape before the modern type was invented and it's a sort of hessian mesh.

 

[Beginerz]

It is what they used to use for skrim tape before the modern type was invented and it's a sort of hessian mesh.

Thanks for that. Is it at all possible it could contain asbestos or is this highly unlikely and we can proceed without worry?

 

[DAZB]

I would say highly unlikely as they were joining plasterboards and not the old lath and plaster ceiling. The asbestos years were long gone by then.

 

[Beginerz]

I would say highly unlikely as they were joining plasterboards and not the old lath and plaster ceiling. The asbestos years were long gone by then.

Thanks. Out of interest what years were the asbestos years?

I'm not sure whether the ceilings have been replaced since the 60s but apart from a few light cracks where different boards are joined underneath the ceilings look pretty good so may well have been re-done in the 90s when I suspect they put the gyproc coving up (still had it's circa 90s branding on the backing paper).

Although if they were using jointing tape by the 90s perhaps they are earlier.

 

[DAZB]

It was commonplace throughout the industry up until around the 80's but wasn't actually made illegal until 1999 in the UK so theoretically it could be a risk but i am sure the hessian skrim tape contained none as it is just woven Jute which is a natural fibre and it is still available to buy in certain merchants.