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  • 1950 ex council house, asbestos?
  • bruneep
    Full Member

    Son looking at buying a property, it’s an ex council house. Is there likely to be any asbestos in ceilings etc lurking in there? It’s been modernised inside, im guessing if there was any asbestos it would have been dealt with by now.

    Posted 7 years ago
    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    Asbestos is not dangerous unless its already falling apart, or he starts cutting, drilling or removing it.

    If the house is in a good state of repair there is no reason to do this…however I would not assume asbestos is removed, the average DIY’er would just strip it out without even considering the risk, the average tradesman would board over it or remove it with some basic precautions.

    Some variants are fairly safe, i.e. a asbestos roofed garage would be dealt with by simply wetting down, and carefully removing and bagging the boards.

    Fairly certain all the soffits on my house are asbestos, the garage roof was as well.

    Posted 7 years ago
    ratcatcher
    Full Member

    Locally (st albans ) they are flagged for asbestos tends to be for old Marley floor tiles and facias soffits ,ceilings not unless of old artex

    Posted 7 years ago
    gobuchul
    Free Member

    Very possible.

    Asbestos wasn’t completely banned until 1999, although the really nasty stuff was banned in 1985.

    As others have said, it not dangerous until you start messing with it and create dust.

    Old floor tiles that have been covered over with new carpets etc can be a source.

    Posted 7 years ago
    smell_it
    Free Member

    Many councils maintained their obligation to resolve asbestos issues even after they were purchased under the right to buy scheme’s. Should come out in the purchase process. I guess some might not. If it was modernised privately, I would be getting that checked out.

    Posted 7 years ago
    timba
    Free Member

    If it’s been modernised by trades then it should be safe.
    Typical places internally would be CH boilers, flues, electric switchgear, electric heaters and storage heaters; these have probably been modernised tho.
    Flooring and ceilings ^^ You can get these tested before drilling holes.
    Outside? Anything that isn’t brick or slate, but typically soffits, rainwater goods and garages/sheds

    Posted 7 years ago
    bruneep
    Full Member

    More concerned about the internals such as ceilings. The main difficulty is that he’s looking at properties 160 miles away from us and I’m asking him to look for this and that and he has no idea.

    Posted 7 years ago
    gobuchul
    Free Member

    Although mainly commercial stuff, this page may help him.

    http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/gallery.htm

    Posted 7 years ago
    ChipkoAndolan
    Full Member

    Get a professional RICS certified building surveyor to look at your property before buying. I’ve owned a 1950s ex council house with asbestos. I bought it knowing it had asbestos and knowing if and how to deal with it, and how much that would cost. The surveyor will tell you more useful information than just asbestos, e.g. any structural or damp problems. Getting a survey (by a good surveyor!) is money well spent.

    Posted 7 years ago
    timba
    Free Member

    Already done ^^^

    Posted 7 years ago
    gobuchul
    Free Member

    Getting a survey (by a good surveyor!) is money well spentis a tick box exercise and is frequently worthless.

    FTFY 🙂

    Posted 7 years ago
    Marin
    Free Member

    No the average tradesman won’t remove it with basic precautions. If he does he’s stupid. Get some new ones in.

    Posted 7 years ago
    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Mines 1950s ex cooncil Bruneep

    We had the aforementioned floor tiles- now gone , also have asbestos soffits and facias+ the log store and wash room roofs are corrugated asbestos Came up in home report – as did a supposed asbestos roof on the back garage but it’s modern corrugated fibre board- it even has the product labels still on.

    Am I bothered. Nah I just don’t drill into the soffits.

    Our celimgs were regular plaster board and the walls are also boarded over block.

    Every councils different mind.

    Posted 7 years ago
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