What kind of asbestos exposure have I had.

T

T667

New Member
My house was built in 1974. I moved in about five years ago. In the last 3-4 years I've done several projects. Ceiling fan, new door into closet, and several other smaller wall cuts. My walls also have a textured appearance which I've just learned might be artex and have asbestos in it. During the projects I would occasionally wear a ventilator, and I'd vacuum the dust afterward, but I never thought about asbestos so I was probably not properly paranoid. The door project was probably the biggest in my closet - which was empty at the time, but yesterday I went to look and there was still a little dust around the borders on the floor(not the best clean job). I did clean with a wet cloth though after this. I also just bought a couple HEPA filters. For any project, I only used a drywall saw and never sanded, but I suppose that doesn't matter really.

But what are my risks from this? Do I have to throw everything of mine out - clothes, bed, carpets? Did the dust get everywhere and now my family is endangered. I'm semi losing my mind over this because it's been so long and I'm angry about being dumb. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I've also included a picture of our walls and ceilings.
 

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Think this might be your last post :risas: in all honesty I've probably been exposed to it without even knowing on jobs and after 18 years and another 30 to go I probably be exposed to it again as at times your never know ur be fine I wouldn't worry
 
If it looks sugary.. Like a bag of sugar in it then that's the asbestos. It's also harder than the none asbestos artex. I go along with the fact it's not pure asbestos as mixed with other materials and if you dampen then scrape your ok but I don't anymore. Have scraped 100s with no mask and mixed the powdered artex with asbestos back in 1980s. I'm doomed! It's also in floor tiles. Wallpaper. Insulation. Old car brake pads ect. Think we all have been exposed to it at some point, all be it tiny amounts. It's also the white asbestos in artex which is the least dangerous although that's disputed. I think you should take full protection from now on and leave alone. Just cover up with plaster. From picture I would say that has asbestos in it but that's a guess. Was around 5%. Read Christopher booker from the independent news paper. Old article but will tell you what you need to know.
 
i can remember when carpenters cut sheets of cement asbestos with circular saws and a cloud of dust when straight down the road.

a national firm of insulators would mould wet asbestos with their hands on pipes in boiler rooms, then sit down and eat their lunch in the boiler room.

when asbestos got banned from use they abandoned the open mines in South Africa and left the locals to get on with it.
i guess there is not many of them still running around.
 
On the grand scale of it you are in the 1% to 5% chance of any come backs from your exposure. They say it takes anywhere from 20 years to never so don't worry to much and just take more care from now. I ripped down loads of ceilings 20 odd years ago with a basic mask and my lungs are in good order. Smoking 20 tabs a day puts you in more risk:wtf:
 
smedhead said:
On the grand scale of it you are in the 1% to 5% chance of any come backs from your exposure. They say it takes anywhere from 20 years to never so don't worry to much and just take more care from now. I ripped down loads of ceilings 20 odd years ago with a basic mask and my lungs are in good order. Smoking 20 tabs a day puts you in more risk:wtf:
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Same, I was pulling down ceilings in the council houses, they knew it was dangerous, of course subbed out and the trades didn't know, I was only 14! Helping out when off school and that.

DId loads of work on the stuff later in life, delivering health and safety on it, scary stuff and I hope I get away with it, a painful and slow death . but what can you do.

They say the mdf could be the next scare
 
I'm still alive and I've lost count of the number of artwork ceilings I've scraped off with no mask.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Retired chippie I know said they had snowball fights with it in the 60s. Scraped many many ceilings without mask too, don't anymore but can't worry about it.
 
I did some work for solicitor who dealt with asbestosis cases.
Basically said the more you got the worse it was.
Also mentioned that most of the boys that worked with it every day are now gone.

For sure, I will have scraped a few ceilings containing asbestos. Just like my old man must have blown the asbestos dust out of a thousand brake drums in his time.

I recall guys mixing Artex with hot water in the 80s ... I have always assumed this was the hard stuff to scrape with asbestos?

Who knows ... Cellotex, MDF or magnetic plaster could be the next thing?
 
Used to break the old asbestos roofs years ago, no mask :(. Always in the back of my mind now and even cutting stone without water for years. When young, one doesnt give a flying fcuk but now my breathing isnt so great at times and can be worrying. That silica dust is supposed to be just as bad as the asbestos too. Worrying times ahead.

As for the OP, you can wet it all down for less exposure to it.
 
When your resting mate, if your having a little dream and there's a bright light involved.........don't go towards the light....


Seriously though, get it tested. Make a decision based on fact. Good luck.
 
On an asbestos course about a 6 months ago was told you can use shaving foam if u got to drill a small hole
 
I was told on a course that silica is the next big thing. Sits in your lungs cutting tiny strips until in the end it's like cotton wool and you can't breathe .
 
duke163 said:
I was told on a course that silica is the next big thing. Sits in your lungs cutting tiny strips until in the end it's like cotton wool and you can't breathe .
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This is what's worrying me now that I'm older. Years ago we never give a flying like I mentioned above. T-shirt over the face or not at all. The air filled with it when cutting stone or paving brick. Going home covered in it. Its supposed to be the next big killer out there like you say. Have heard when it finally gets you, its like trying to breath through a straw. In fact I think someone posted here about it recently if I remember correctly.
 
hail hail said:
This is what's worrying me now that I'm older. Years ago we never give a flying like I mentioned above. T-shirt over the face or not at all. The air filled with it when cutting stone or paving brick. Going home covered in it. Its supposed to be the next big killer out there like you say. Have heard when it finally gets you, its like trying to breath through a straw. In fact I think someone posted here about it recently if I remember correctly.
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Yeah, your right. I only started using a decent mask and goggles combi as my son has started with me and also the site supervisor clocked me cutting with no goggles and said for f**k sake loomo, you only get one set of peepers!!
He's F*****g right, thinking back, the abuse I've gave my body since I started in the building game is nothing short of horrendous so im going to make an effort to educate the uneducated when i work along with them. I'll try and upload a picture of what I use now and what a difference it makes, maybe a little to late but heyho
What kind of asbestos exposure have I had.
 
dieselpower said:
Yeah, your right. I only started using a decent mask and goggles combi as my son has started with me and also the site supervisor clocked me cutting with no goggles and said for f**k sake loomo, you only get one set of peepers!!
He's F*****g right, thinking back, the abuse I've gave my body since I started in the building game is nothing short of horrendous so im going to make an effort to educate the uneducated when i work along with them. I'll try and upload a picture of what I use now and what a difference it makes, maybe a little to late but heyhoView attachment 18458
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better late than never
 
dieselpower said:
Yeah, your right. I only started using a decent mask and goggles combi as my son has started with me and also the site supervisor clocked me cutting with no goggles and said for f**k sake loomo, you only get one set of peepers!!
He's F*****g right, thinking back, the abuse I've gave my body since I started in the building game is nothing short of horrendous so im going to make an effort to educate the uneducated when i work along with them. I'll try and upload a picture of what I use now and what a difference it makes, maybe a little to late but heyhoView attachment 18458
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BEst about it, ive about 4 or 5 pairs of goggles and 2 decent masks. The masks, keep meaning to get some new filters for them but just always put it off :(
 
PlanB said:
I did some work for solicitor who dealt with asbestosis cases.
Basically said the more you got the worse it was.
Also mentioned that most of the boys that worked with it every day are now gone.

For sure, I will have scraped a few ceilings containing asbestos. Just like my old man must have blown the asbestos dust out of a thousand brake drums in his time.

I recall guys mixing Artex with hot water in the 80s ... I have always assumed this was the hard stuff to scrape with asbestos?

Who knows ... Cellotex, MDF or magnetic plaster could be the next thing?
Click to expand...
yes. You Cound get warm water and all temperature artex. The all temperature artex mixed better with warm water but was not as hard as the warm water mixed artex. It was around the same time the artex brands went fibre free taking out the asbestos. Last time I seen asbestos in artex was 1986. That was suretex. I was told bone glue was used in old artex which is why it was harder than the later synthetic glues and needed warm water?
 
Wayners said:
yes. You Cound get warm water and all temperature artex. The all temperature artex mixed better with warm water but was not as hard as the warm water mixed artex. It was around the same time the artex brands went fibre free taking out the asbestos. Last time I seen asbestos in artex was 1986. That was suretex. I was told bone glue was used in old artex which is why it was harder than the later synthetic glues and needed warm water?
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Interesting ... thanks for that!

It would have been 85 when I first started that I saw guys using hot water to mix artex.

The Carlite Bonding of the day used rendered down cow hooves to produce the glue.
That stuff was evil compared to the rubbish of today. Stick to anything and would foul up the tin bath and shovel within 10 minutes as you probably remember.
We used to stick boards on with it ... not that we did much of that back then.
 
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