Does drywall contain asbestos?
#1
02-25-19, 11:33 AM
Does drywall contain asbestos?
Good afternoon,
We are planning a remodel in our kitchen which involves some drywall removal. The house was built in 1978, and I have been reading that up until that point (+ or - a few years) there could be asbestos in the drywall. Can anyone speak to their experiences working with drywall from that time period and if anyone has had it tested for Asbestos and what the result was? Should this be a concern of mine?
Thanks
We are planning a remodel in our kitchen which involves some drywall removal. The house was built in 1978, and I have been reading that up until that point (+ or - a few years) there could be asbestos in the drywall. Can anyone speak to their experiences working with drywall from that time period and if anyone has had it tested for Asbestos and what the result was? Should this be a concern of mine?
Thanks
#2
02-25-19, 12:53 PM
I'm not aware of asbestos in the drywall although some of the popcorn texture back then had asbestos. IMO it isn't a big concern. Asbestos is only harmful in dry breathable form, so if you wear a mask and limit the dust - you should be fine. Most folks that have an illness from asbestos were exposed daily in the workplace.
#4
02-08-20, 11:33 AM
My understanding is that the drywall doesn't contain asbestos, but the mud/spackle around that time may have contained asbestos.
You can definitely take a sample and get it tested to be sure.
But my personal opinion is aligned with Mark's, I would always wear a good disposable respirator when doing that kind of demo (who wants to breathe all that dust anyway), so I don't really worry about drywall and asbestos. Around that timeframe there could be lead paint too, so keeping control of dust is always a good idea.
You can definitely take a sample and get it tested to be sure.
But my personal opinion is aligned with Mark's, I would always wear a good disposable respirator when doing that kind of demo (who wants to breathe all that dust anyway), so I don't really worry about drywall and asbestos. Around that timeframe there could be lead paint too, so keeping control of dust is always a good idea.
