Is this Asbestos

[beatts]

Hi,

We've recently moved into a semi that was built around 1910. The understairs cupboard smells damp and mouldy and the plaster close to the floor is crumbling off quite badly. It seems to be ok in the adjoining toilet.

This is an external wall and I can't see any major issue other than the Mortar around some bricks is very worn away.

Anyway my question is, what could this white stuff be hidden amongst the plaster. Could it be asbestos or is it some kind of damp related salts? I don't really want to get too close to it in case it is asbestos.

 

[noseall]

Hi,

We've recently moved into a semi that was built around 1910. The understairs cupboard smells damp and mouldy and the plaster close to the floor is crumbling off quite badly. It seems to be ok in the adjoining toilet.

This is an external wall and I can't see any major issue other than the Mortar around some bricks is very worn away.

Anyway my question is, what could this white stuff be hidden amongst the plaster. Could it be asbestos or is it some kind of damp related salts? I don't really want to get too close to it in case it is asbestos.




View attachment 367922

It's sand/cement/lime render with (possibly) horse hair in it.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Anyway my question is, what could this white stuff be hidden amongst the plaster.

If it's white and fluffy, it could be white mould, or salts.
Definitely not asbestos.

 

[richw]

The words 'adjoining toilet' make me wonder if the pipework in there is leaking...

 

[beatts]

Thanks for the reply. The pipework from the toilet doesn't go into the under stairs cupboard as far as I am aware l, but I will definitely investigate further.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I don't think that anyone used loose asbestos on building sites in its raw form. It was almost always within something manufactured, e.g. corrugated roofs, wall panels, floor tiles etc.

It usually looks hairy, if you snap a board containing it then you'll normally see fine strands. This was the whole reason it was used, it naturally formed itself into strands so was used to reinforce other materials, e.g. cement, lino etc.

The only exception is artex, which was widely used and contained some until the 1980s. But that's very well bound and not worth worrying about as long as you don't attack it with a power sander.