Asbestos in house built in 1976?

9,981 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by sts7049
Charlie Delta
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My friend's house in Houston got flooded by Harvey, and they want to remove the wet drywall. Is it likely that the drywall compound and wall insulation will have asbestos in it since their house was built in 1976?

Do they need to at least have their house tested first before tearing out the drywall?
AgToadie
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Anything built before the early 1980's has the potential to contain asbestos. Has the home ever flooded previously/drywall been replaced?
Aggietaco
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AG
Likely lead in the paint and asbestos somewhere in the house. For a one time demo I would just wear proper PPE and not make dust out of anything unnecessarily. By that point, asbestos was primarily contained to sheet goods, flooring, and adhesives.
sawemoffshort07
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AG
Agree with taco. Typically to contain asbestos you wet the material before removing to prevent dust particulate.
Charlie Delta
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AgToadie said:

Anything built before the early 1980's has the potential to contain asbestos. Has the home ever flooded previously/drywall been replaced?


No, but they remodeled part of the first floor which would have replaced some drywall. The interior walls around the perimeter of the house are probably the original walls.
Charlie Delta
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Aggietaco said:

Likely lead in the paint and asbestos somewhere in the house. For a one time demo I would just wear proper PPE and not make dust out of anything unnecessarily. By that point, asbestos was primarily contained to sheet goods, flooring, and adhesives.


Is drywall considered a sheet good?

Would a P100 respirator be appropriate?
sts7049
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AG
i would get it tested. it's not worth the risk.
91AggieLawyer
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AG
You need to have it tested. You can purchase a lead/asbestos mask and wear that, but you still have to dispose of the material. You shouldn't dispose of possible (though small) hazardous waste directly to the landfill.

I don't think the sheetrock itself will contain it but it is possible the texture might. Any house prior to 1982 should be tested before things like this.
p_bubel
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Just rip it out already.

If you're worried, get a decent mask.

I'd be far more concerned about the water soaked walls and insulation at this point.
The Fife
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p_bubel said:

I'd be far more concerned about the water soaked walls and insulation at this point.
This. Possible asbestos in drywall joint compound / popcorn vs. guaranteed mold factory that's setting up shop.
Aggietaco
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AG
By sheet goods, I mean sheet flooring and laminates.

And by having it tested, you now know that it is or isn't there and must disclose in the future and probably pay for remediation and special haul-off. Hint hint.
Aggietaco
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AG
sts7049 said:

i would get it tested. it's not worth the risk.
People really do worry more about lead and asbestos than you should. While no level of exposure to particulates is considered "safe", something like this isn't going to kill you any quicker than everything else. Having said that, it's a personal choice for what you are comfortable with. I wouldn't expose infants and young children, but I don't expect they'll be helping with demo much.
Charlie Delta
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Thanks for all the info. My friends are going to tear out the drywall tomorrow. They said it is so wet that dust does not seem to be a concern.
sts7049
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AG
i mean, lead and asbestos are two of the most dangerous substances we can have in our homes. known side effects are possible lung cancer and lead poisoning, so i don't really get why you say people worry too much about it. especially given that it's preventable. but yeah, i suppose it's a personal choice as to what you are comfortable exposing yourself to. next time i need asbestos removed i'll call you instead of the pros
Aggietaco
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AG
And I'd be happy to price remediation for you.
HeightsAg
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sts7049 said:

i mean, lead and asbestos are two of the most dangerous substances we can have in our homes. known side effects are possible lung cancer and lead poisoning, so i don't really get why you say people worry too much about it. especially given that it's preventable.


It's because almost anything could be considered a carcinogen if the ppms and/or exposure is high enough. For professionals that do demo on a daily basis, you bet they are at high risk if they don't follow the proper procedures. But if you are someone that is just doing it once, manage the dust (or not) and you will be fine.
sts7049
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AG
suit yourselves. but i wouldn't lump those two items in with the general idea of anything in some quantity is hazardous. there is plenty of evidence out there that shows the specific risk of exposure to asbestos or lead.
sawemoffshort07
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AG
Wear PPE, wet the stuff down, bag it up.
AgLA06
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AG
Between the slime left over by the flood and mold from the water, there's lots of things to worry about in a home that flooded. Everyone that flooded is ripping out their drywall and cabinets and flooring. It isn't getting tested or remediated because most of the flood water had all kinds of toxic stuff on top of mold. Everything would need to be tested and remediated, so none of it is.

It's truly amazing how many people do not understand what this hurricane did to Southeast Texas.
sts7049
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AG
i don't know how my post translated to that understanding, but whatever
AgLA06
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AG
sts7049 said:

i don't know how my post translated to that understanding, but whatever


Probably because it pretty simple to conclude that there isn't enough remediation companies to come close to being able to do what you're suggesting even if someone was willing to let the home continue to rot while they waited for an inspection.
sts7049
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AG
OP asked for input. i gave input. just because a hurricane is the cause for you ripping it out doesn't change the risk of what it is. but like i said, you do you.
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