ᐅ Renovating a 1970s House as a DIY Project Without Asbestos Testing

Hello everyone,

Friends of ours were lucky to purchase a house at a relatively good price. Now, of course, the whole place is going to be renovated and refurbished, and various demolition work has started as a DIY project. I have read that asbestos was a very common material in building products back then. At the moment, all the floor coverings are being removed intensively, and the removal of the underfloor heating screed is already planned.

Our friends absolutely do not want to arrange for an asbestos test.

Am I being overly cautious by feeling uneasy about helping further until this has been checked? Isn’t it also unfair to the other tradespeople and helpers to carry out potentially hazardous work without knowing?

What do you think? I would really appreciate your opinions.

Thank you.

FFP2 mask?
Yes, it would be appropriate to mention it so that everyone can decide for themselves.

DitUndDat schrieb:

Am I being a bit too picky here,

Unless something there clearly looks like asbestos: yes, you are being too picky.

P.S. Remove the screed completely and install a "proper" underfloor heating system, provided the build-up height allows it. The cost is not much different, but due to the possibility of different pipe diameters and flexible spacing options, it is more recommendable.

Asbestos was often used for fire protection in public buildings, but rarely in private homes. It is also uncommon as an additive in screed or adhesive, except for roof corrugated sheets. Construction companies are familiar with the usual suspects. If you do the work yourself, asbestos is completely harmless as long as it is not inhaled. That means avoiding dust formation, dampening the material, and wearing a respirator mask. Single exposure to asbestos is relatively safe.

DitUndDat schrieb:

Am I being a bit too picky here for feeling uneasy about helping further until this has been checked?

I can understand that.

I don’t see an uneasy feeling as being picky; it actually has its justification.

The problem is more about situations where you yourself are not wearing any protection (like in a garden), but other helpers are working improperly without informing you, so you can’t take precautions for your own safety.

We had an asbestos roof in our old terraced house… if neighbors in the row started working on it, I wouldn’t want to be unaware. Others have hired demolition and disposal companies who removed the roof in protective suits and masks. And yes, I know some who simply dropped asbestos panels from a garage roof into the garden, where they broke. Some nearby people likely inhaled asbestos unknowingly.

DitUndDat schrieb:

Isn’t it unfair to the other tradespeople and helpers to carry out such dangerous work without knowing?

Consideration or rather care is not everyone’s virtue. Ultimately, it takes two parties: the client and the contractor — in this case, friends as the client and you or the helpers as the contractor.
Do you know that asbestos might be present? Do the other helpers know?
It’s your decision.
If you have concerns, then don’t do it. There are things you might tolerate risking your own health for, but it’s not really a favor when it puts others at risk.

However, a lone decision like this probably won’t be easily understood by others.

Grundaus schrieb:

Asbestos was often used for fire protection in public buildings, but rarely in private homes. It was also seldom added to screed or adhesives, except for corrugated roofing sheets. Contractors are familiar with the usual suspects. If you handle asbestos yourself, it is completely safe as long as it is not inhaled—that means avoiding dust formation, wetting the material beforehand, and using a respirator. A one-time contact with asbestos is relatively harmless.

Thank you for your response. The likelihood is probably quite low, but certainty is of course not guaranteed.

ypg schrieb:

I can understand that.

I don’t consider being cautious a bad thing when you feel uneasy and that feeling is justified.

The problem is more where you yourself don’t wear protection (e.g., in the garden), but other helpers handle something improperly and don’t tell you, so you can’t take protective measures.

We had an asbestos roof on our old terraced house... when neighbors in the terrace started working on their properties, I wouldn’t have wanted to know. Others hired demolition and disposal companies who removed the roof wearing protective suits and masks. And yes, I know people who just dropped asbestos panels from a garage roof into the garden, where they broke. Some people nearby probably inhaled some fibers without knowing it.

Consideration, or rather care, is not everyone’s virtue.
Ultimately, it takes two: the client and the contractor—friends as clients, and you or helpers as contractors.
Do you know asbestos might be present? Do the other helpers know?
It’s your decision.
If you have concerns, just don’t do it. There are things you might tolerate risking your own health for, but for others, this is not a favor.

However, it’s likely you won’t be understood if you make this decision on your own.

Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail. It is probably exactly as you say. We’ll see what we decide to do.