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Asbestos material

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  • 08-09-2010 7:31pm
    #1
    Goldenegg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 352 ✭✭


    Sorry if this is the wrong forum!

    Just put booking deposit down on a house. Got the surveyors report and he said we have asbestos material in the ceiling.he says it's minute and doesn't propose danger to us unless we drill holes in the ceiling. Was just wondering if anybody has any advice

    Thanks in advance


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    #2
    Jo King
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,139 ✭✭✭Jo King


    Goldenegg wrote: »
    Sorry if this is the wrong forum!

    Just put booking deposit down on a house. Got the surveyors report and he said we have asbestos material in the ceiling.he says it's minute and doesn't propose danger to us unless we drill holes in the ceiling. Was just wondering if anybody has any advice

    Thanks in advance

    Don't drill holes in the ceiling!


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    #3
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    run a mile. your health is your wealth.


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    #4
    Pete M.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,084 ✭✭✭Pete M.


    Like your engineer said, if you don't disturb it, you'll be grand.

    It's only dangerous when it's airborne, so if it is up in the ceiling, either as cement or maybe lagging above the ceiling, then there's no way for it to get into the air.

    It's like when you may have an asbestos roof on a shed or that. Best advice is that it can remain in place unless it starts to degradate and give rise to particulate matter in the air.

    So like you have already been told, twice, don't drill into it and you'll be fine.

    People get very excited when asbestos is mentioned, but it doesn't have to be a major problem.


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    #5
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    Pete M. wrote: »
    Like your engineer said, if you don't disturb it, you'll be grand.

    It's only dangerous when it's airborne, so if it is up in the ceiling, either as cement or maybe lagging above the ceiling, then there's no way for it to get into the air.

    It's like when you may have an asbestos roof on a shed or that. Best advice is that it can remain in place unless it starts to degradate and give rise to particulate matter in the air.

    So like you have already been told, twice, don't drill into it and you'll be fine.

    People get very excited when asbestos is mentioned, but it doesn't have to be a major problem.

    but why take the risk ? You would swear there are hardly any houses on the market or something.

    I could run across a busy road if I see a gap in the traffic and should be fine unless something unexpected happens like I trip, but why woudl I do it if I had an alternative like using the traffic lights just down the road ?

    Same thing. Taking risks when you dont have to isnt what Id consider clever


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    #6
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,499 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    If in ceiling I assume it'll affect floor of attic too. What if you are up there frequently (for whatever reason).

    I'd ask the seller to have it removed before you buy or reduce your offer by the amount it will cost to remove


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    #7
    Goldenegg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 352 ✭✭Goldenegg


    Thanks for the replies!

    You see, I got extremely worried when I heard that the house had asbestos. The surveyor explained to me yesterday that there are two types of asbestos; asbestos and asbestos in material.

    Asbestos in material would be mixed in with housing material and therfore it would be a solid in which is non breathable.

    Asbestos in which is flaking is where you have to worry.

    He also explained that up until the early 1980's, all houses where built with some form of asbestos and that if I wanted a completely asbestos free house,that I should by a brand new house!

    Looks like I have some serious thinking to do, some people are for, some are against! :(


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    #8
    Uriel.
    Registered Users Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭Uriel.


    OP, having seen the affects of asbestos on people (albeit to a much bigger scale than your proposed house) I would steer well clear of it.

    It probably wouldnt pose a huge risk to you or your family's health, but you never know what could happen down the road, burst pipe dislodging some of the fibers, wear and tear exposing the material over time.

    For me it just wouldnt be worth the risk especially when there are plenty of options out there.

    Just my 2c though.


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    #9
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,387 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    I'd ask the seller to have it removed before you buy or reduce your offer by the amount it will cost to remove
    I'd go with this.


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    #10
    johndaman66
    Registered Users Posts: 4,097 ✭✭✭johndaman66


    Pete M. wrote: »
    Like your engineer said, if you don't disturb it, you'll be grand.

    It's only dangerous when it's airborne, so if it is up in the ceiling, either as cement or maybe lagging above the ceiling, then there's no way for it to get into the air.

    It's like when you may have an asbestos roof on a shed or that. Best advice is that it can remain in place unless it starts to degradate and give rise to particulate matter in the air.

    So like you have already been told, twice, don't drill into it and you'll be fine.

    People get very excited when asbestos is mentioned, but it doesn't have to be a major problem.


    Thats all fair enough until the OP would have to replace it though which they may invaribly need to do at some stage. I can sort of see why people get excited about it. My aunt is in a bad situation with an asbestos roof at the moment. She owns a farm on which there is the old family home behind the newer one. This old family home is used to store straw, lawnmower, bikes, tools and the like and has an asbestos roof. Its getting to the point where this roof is begining to deteriorate badly, sheets flapping about and what not in windy weather. She can't leave it the way it is much longer as there is a risk of accidents happening with flying asbestos. And besides if she had any loose pieces of asbestos lying around on land she would have the EPA down on her like a tonne of bricks...There is a high risk that the cancer causing elements would make their way down to the water table in time which is not good news.

    She is looking at over 8 grand and probably around 10 grand to get the roof removed. It would need to be taken down by a specialist firm who are registered to do so of which I believe there are not a lot in the country. Then it would need to be sent out to Germany where there is further work carried out on it....Don't know what they do to it in Germany but assume they put it through some chemical process that breaks it down into less dangerous elements.

    OP, I would not necessarily let this alone put me off the house per se but I would certainly factor it into the decision. Bear in mind that you may be facing a situation similar to my aunts down the line.


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    #11
    yoshytoshy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭yoshytoshy


    Goldenegg wrote: »
    He also explained that up until the early 1980's, all houses where built with some form of asbestos and that if I wanted a completely asbestos free house,that I should by a brand new house!

    Looks like I have some serious thinking to do, some people are for, some are against! :(


    That sounds an odd thing for the surveyor to say :confused:

    Asbestos is very rare in houses ,it's usually used in garages and outhouses/sheds.


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    #12
    Maj Malfunction
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭Maj Malfunction


    Asbestos was not widely used in residential construction prior to the 1980's, as mentioned previously quite an unusual statement to made by your surveyor!!

    Asbestos was typically used as insulation for the likes of pipework for industrial applications or encased in concrete for roofing.

    If your set on buying the property I would look to get some prices now to have the Asbestos removed and reinstatement costs for a new ceiling etc. & then factor that into any offer you make.

    If it seems like too much hassle you might be better to walk away from this property, but fair play to you for getting a surveyor to check out the property first, money well spent!


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    #13
    convert
    Registered Users Posts: 9,338 ✭✭✭convert


    If you are really set on the house, see if you could ask the seller to move it rather than having to deal with moving it yourself, as was mentioned above. Or, if they won't, try and use the cost of removing it as a bargaining tool to reduce your offer on the house.


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    #14
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,387 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Asbestos was used in some ceiling materials - I think some tiles and some decorative plasters.


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    #15
    Villain
    Registered Users Posts: 15,944 ✭✭✭✭Villain


    People overreact to Asbestos imo, unless you decide to chip away at the ceiling every day for the next ten years I wouldn't be worried and I have a relative that died from Lung Cancer as a result of working most of his life with Asbestos but I also have many relatives that worked with it in different for many years and their lungs are as healthy as anyone.

    Quick question, Do you smoke? if so I wouldn't be worried about the Asbestos in the ceiling!


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    #16
    mdebets
    Registered Users Posts: 1,747 ✭✭✭mdebets


    Villain wrote: »
    People overreact to Asbestos imo, unless you decide to chip away at the ceiling every day for the next ten years I wouldn't be worried and I have a relative that died from Lung Cancer as a result of working most of his life with Asbestos but I also have many relatives that worked with it in different for many years and their lungs are as healthy as anyone.

    Quick question, Do you smoke? if so I wouldn't be worried about the Asbestos in the ceiling!

    The problem is not so much the danger of getting cancer from the asbestos in the ceiling (which however is still possible), but the cost if he ever has to do work on it.
    I'm not sure what the regulations in regards to removing asbestos are in Ireland, but in Germany they are quite heavy (and probably a good idea what needs to be done). In Germany you have to seal the area where the asbestos is being removed airtight, create negative pressure inside and then only enter the area with heavy breathing apparatus and then deal with the asbestos as toxic waste. All of this is obvious very expensive.

    OP, I would walk away from this property.


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