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Original poster

Random one - but I'm worried!

22 replies

Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 15:45

This is so random but I wanted to see what other people think.

I have a pine dining table and chairs that we had made about 8 years ago by a local company. I need some more pine furniture so I was looking the company up and noticed they weren't there and then realised the entire building had been demolished and rebuilt.

Anyway I then (being nosy and child free today!) went down a rabbit hole of looking up the plans of what they had rebuilt there and, long story short, came upon a contamination report for the original building which stated that it was previously used as a garage before being a pine furniture manufacturers in recent years and therefore it could potential be contaminated with various chemicals, metals and asbestos.

My uncle died of asbestos cancer so am possibly being over sensitive to this but my children have ate at the table and played at the table and so have we, and now I'm panicking that it was made in an asbestos contaminated workshop!!!

I don't know if anyone knows anything about environmental things like this. It was a desk study so no actual tests but advising the owners to get actual tests.

What are the chances that my table would have come to me contaminated and my family have been exposed??

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 15:50

It's making me not want to eat at it today with the kids - is that silly??

OP posts:
user1474894224 · 31/05/2019 15:52

I don't know the ins and outs but it's more likely the asbestos was in the actual building - as long as it's left alone it doesn't contaminate the surroundings. I'm sure your table is absolutely fine... especially all these years later.

Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 15:58

It was more that it has been used as a commercial garage for many years so there would have been the potential for their to be asbestos contaminants from that (as it was used in cars for many years). I've no doubt there was asbestos in the building too but that's concerned me less as, like you say, if not disturbed it would be fine.

I'm hoping that it 2010/2011 the chances of contamination from the garage would have long gone as it was banned in 1999. I guess the surveyor doing the risk assessment just has to cover all possibilities...?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 15:58

Just trying to gauge if this would bother others?

OP posts:
Daffodil2018 · 31/05/2019 16:00

No, I think the risk is almost zero. It wouldn't bother me.

Singlenotsingle · 31/05/2019 16:03

No, it wouldn't keep me awake at night.

Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 16:21

Ok so far I'm poss being ott

OP posts:
Soola · 31/05/2019 16:25

It’s interesting and I have all manner of strange anxieties but this wouldn’t bother me at all and I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

Qsandmore · 31/05/2019 16:28

I would think that was more contamination for workers in the place than the products made there?

My dad had a petrol garage and the next owneds had to be aware of tanks, contaminants etc. I think it’s a PITA but not a blocker.

I wouldn’t worry tbh.

Outanabout · 31/05/2019 16:30

AFAIK the danger with asbestos comes from inhaling loose fibres. The table would have been cleaned before you bought it, and has been cleaned umpteen times since. Stop worrying.

Bluntness100 · 31/05/2019 16:35

There is absolutely no risk here. It's made of pine, why would you possibly think it's contaminated with asbestos. That's not even possible in this scenario.

Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 17:07

@Bluntness100 I don't mean there's any asbestos within the table. I mean that asbestos dust could be ON the table, in crevices etc from when it was made if the area had been contaminated

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 18:34

Anyone else be worried by this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 19:00

Just me...?

OP posts:
lurkingfromhome · 31/05/2019 21:45

Yes. Just you. It’s fine.

MoaningMinniee · 31/05/2019 21:53

Truly, don't worry. Any asbestos will be deep in the underground zone way below the new workshop above. The raw materials for your furniture came in clean - I used to work in a pine furniture manufacturing workshop, I know the process. They'll have gone out clean too. xxx

Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 21:59

Thanks @MoaningMinniee

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummaofangels · 31/05/2019 22:03

Oops posted too soon!

@MoaningMinniee the workshop was previously the garage - no new workshop. I wouldn't have worried if it was a new building built where a previous one had been. I was worried because the report started that the building had previously been used as a garage (before a furniture workshop) and therefore could be contaminated with asbestos

OP posts:
SirVixofVixHall · 31/05/2019 22:12

Well you could get it tested for asbestos, but there wouldn’t be any on it. On the remote chance that some asbestos had been disturbed and the dust had landed on your table, it would’t have stayed there long.
How old are you OP ? How old was the house you grew up in ?
Asbestos was often used in artex, that stuff that made patterned ceilings and spiked walls. It was also used in filler . It was used in wadding around the lids of Agas, tiles around fireplaces and tiles for chemistry lessons. Corrugated roofs for sheds, umpteen things honestly. Most houses pre 1985 will have some asbestos somewhere.
( see also lead ) .
Your table is fine, don’t worry.

BlueSkiesLies · 31/05/2019 22:19

Are you the asbestos troll who occasionally pops up in home and property?

No, I would not be worried about pine furniture.

Outanabout · 31/05/2019 22:24

could be COULD! Heat dispersers for hob rings used to be made of asbestos. Brake liners for trucks. Roofs. Mats for soldering. Anything and everything.

Puffinhead · 31/05/2019 22:33

We had a garage that contained asbestos in the roof. It was fine as long as you didn’t disturb it. Your table will be fine.

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