Painting a peeling (possibly asbestos) soil pipe

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Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice on painting my soil vent pipe which is in a bit of a sorry state as the multiple layers of paint are peeling off.

I think the soil pipe may be asbestos. The house was built 1960s. When I bought the house, the surveyor said 'The soil vent pipe appears to be of cast iron; given the age of the property and that the surface of the soil vent pipe was heavily painted, it may well be of asbestos.' When I queried the surveyor on this, he said heavily painted cast iron and asbestos sound very similar when you strike them! I don't have a really powerful magnet to see if it's cast iron, but I can't see any rust patches. The surface under all the paint has a slight imprint on it which reminds me of either plaster of paris or the asbestos heat stand on my parent's old ironing board ... probably not promising.

I've tried to take some pictures to show the amount of peeling paint as well as the exposed surfaces.
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So, given it may be asbestos, and that the multiple layers of paint are a right mess, what's the best way for me to go about smartening it up? Do I pull off the very loose paint and just paint over the rest with some sort of exterior paint?

Comments on a postcard please!
Many thanks
 
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I am no expert but looks like asbestos cement to me
There is a thread recently on asbestos in artex and near the bottom is some advice.

All my gutters and down pipes were asbestos cement and now only my soil pipe is

I painted mine with black hammerite. As the paint was flaking, and I didn't fancy the risky process of sanding it, I used nitro moors to strip off the loose stuff and scraped it while wet. I was up a domestic scaff tower and it took ages.

Apparently no matter what you paint asbestos with, it eventually flakes off as the material forms a fluffy exterior that makes the paint crack. I even wondered if somebody did a clip over plastic version where you could clad the thing !

My council allowed me to take the old bath water down pipe to the dump but I had to double wrap it in HD polythene and gaffer tape like a scene from the sopranos and make an appointment . The guy dressed like a spaceman to watch me unload it and fit it into his skip. No charge, but I had to take I'D with me
 
Wet it down with a pump sprayer, and while wet scrape off all the loose paint.

Get some chunks of cardboard (as a splash / over spray guard) and place them behind the stack, prime exposed surface with plasterers primer and then paint with hammerite (or spray).

Screwfix do a mapei primer for £5 odd
 
Its Asbestolux, You could scrape the loose flakey paint off and give it a couple of coats of Black Bitumastic Paint , if it aint broke why replace it.
However if you intend to sell, with the panic about Asbestos/Asbestolux, PVC replacement might be an answer.
 
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Thanks for the replies. That's really interesting that the paint will always crack due to the fluffy asbestos, it certainly looks that way with all the layers of paint visible! Chri5, do you expect the plasterers primer to reduce this?

Ok, so I might try and strip the loose stuff in the pouring rain sometime as well as all the PPE! Does the top paint have to be hammerite? I had a feeling I saw a review of hammerite recently that said it didn't last well.

Bosswhite, is asbestolux not meant to be asbestos? And does it look different to asbestos cement that you think that's what I've got?

Thanks
 
Properties built around the 50`s had either Cast Iron Soil/Guttering or Asbestolux.

With Asbestolux moisture gets behind the paint and thats what makes it peel off, I have painted many exteriors of properties and always used Bitumastic Paint ( couple of coats) however as a previous poster mentions even that will eventually flake off in time,
Replacement with PVC is a relatively simple job for a DIYer or handy person. but as I said if its not leaking or broke then painting it would be cheaper. Your choice.
 
You might find Rustoleum is better than Hammerite it's more flexible. Bitumonastic will dull over time and AFAIK you have to stay with bitu. as other paints won't take to it.
 
Hi I've been researching the exact same problem. This thread came up in my search I just wondered what the outcome was Hazy Daisy? Did you manage to paint it.
 
Hi all,
.
the surveyor said 'The soil vent pipe appears to be of cast iron; given the age of the property and that the surface of the soil vent pipe was heavily painted, it may well be of asbestos.' When I queried the surveyor on this, he said heavily painted cast iron and asbestos sound very similar when you strike them! I don't have a really powerful magnet to see if it's cast iron,
Is that a magnet in your pocket .........or are you pleased to see me ?
 

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