ᐅ Are these asbestos panels from the original construction?

Dear forum,

we are currently preparing the existing house we purchased for demolition.

During this process, we discovered attached panels behind the wallpaper.

Does anyone recognize this material? Do you think it could contain asbestos?

Thank you very much for your help!

Best regards,
Bob

A remote diagnosis is of little use to you. There are online test kits available for around 60€ (about $65). These are sent to a laboratory, and you receive a report back. I can only recommend this, especially for the sake of your health.

If it turns out to be asbestos (which no one here can say for sure), the TRGS 519 regulations apply regarding the handling of the material.

Hello,

basically, what Allthewayup wrote is correct. Even a professional cannot always tell if the material contains asbestos fibers. A laboratory can.

What year was the house built?
Which panels are you referring to? The gray material in the picture looks like a foam plastic. I can’t say anything about the brown material near the outlet below. Maybe provide some close-up photos of the broken surfaces.

Thank you very much for your responses!

Attached is another photo of the broken surfaces.

The panels seem to be a composite of cork and the gray material. I suspect the gray material is some kind of plastic or foam, but I’m not sure. I would really appreciate your assessment!

Best regards

Bob

If it is asbestos, it will not burn. Using a blowtorch outdoors, heat a small fragment for a longer time and observe how it behaves. If it retains its shape and does not melt, it is very likely asbestos. However, it has very smooth fracture edges, which speaks somewhat against it being asbestos. In the photos, it almost looks like foam.

That’s a good tip! Thank you very much! I will do that!