Whats this in my plaster...

[m0t]

Renovating my 1930s semi and am slightly concerned about what I have found in some ceiling boards that are in the bathroom.

It seems to be full of a wiry fibre which I am hoping is just a binding product and not some kind of asbestos. Any ideas?

Untitled

• m0t
• 31 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• m0t
• 31 Dec 2013
• 1

 

[gregers]

horse hair,or a dead body

 

[m0t]

Thats a relief - theres no smaller fibres in it just those.

I was slightly concerned as half the kitchen ceiling fell on my head a couple of weeks back but I only just noticed those bits sticking out.

 

[roy c]

LIke gregers said or could be ox hair....

 

[roughcaster]

I agree with the lads, a clump of animal hair used to bind the mortar/plaster together.

 

[roughcaster]

Thats a relief - theres no smaller fibres in it just those.

I was slightly concerned as half the kitchen ceiling fell on my head a couple of weeks back but I only just noticed those bits sticking out.

You said that half the kitchen ceiling fell on your head a couple of weeks ago, and that there were NO smaller fibres in the plaster that fell, only the ones you pointed out. I can tell you now that the LACK of fibres in that ceiling plaster could have been a major factor as to why it fell,, nothing to bind it together.
I'm also confused when you described it as "ceiling boards"???

 

[m0t]

Thats a relief - theres no smaller fibres in it just those.

I was slightly concerned as half the kitchen ceiling fell on my head a couple of weeks back but I only just noticed those bits sticking out.

You said that half the kitchen ceiling fell on your head a couple of weeks ago, and that there were NO smaller fibres in the plaster that fell, only the ones you pointed out. I can tell you now that the LACK of fibres in that ceiling plaster could have been a major factor as to why it fell,, nothing to bind it together.

I meant no smaller fibres that could be asbestos, only the larger ones shown in the photo.

It collapsed because it wasn't supported on one edge and had got damp.

I'm also confused when you described it as "ceiling boards"???

They are small square boards that have been nailed to the ceiling and joints taped, like thick plasterboard.

 

[roughcaster]

Cheers for explaining m0t. I do remember using plasterboard "lath" years ago, which were 48"x16" but i've not come across the small square board type you mention. Have you got a photo of a larger piece of this board.

 

[Micilin]

Cheers for explaining m0t. I do remember using plasterboard "lath" years ago, which were 48"x16" but i've not come across the small square board type you mention. Have you got a photo of a larger piece of this board.

They had a bull nose edge , put up with an eighth gap between them, so you did not have to scrim them?

 

[roy c]

We used to use them a lot in Guernsey in the early 80's ....

 

[roughcaster]

Cheers for explaining m0t. I do remember using plasterboard "lath" years ago, which were 48"x16" but i've not come across the small square board type you mention. Have you got a photo of a larger piece of this board.

They had a bull nose edge , put up with an eighth gap between them, so you did not have to scrim them?

That's the ones Micilin, small narrow sheets. They were fixed across the the ceiling joists/wall studs. Each row of boards had staggered joints.. The only joints that were scrimmed (hessian scrim), were the ceiling/wall junction and the vertical internal wall corners. No other joints were scrimmed. We used a temporary spacer to keep the sheets between an 1/8" to 1/4" apart to allow the plaster to go up between the sheets.

 

[Micilin]

. We used a temporary spacer .

I've worked with a few of those too !