Can anyone tell me whether this is asbestos!

[DogsRock100]

I absolutely know I need to get this tested to be sure and am buying a testing kit - but in the meantime so I can work out how much to worry, can anyone say whether this looks like asbestos or not?! Pics attached! Thank you!

You arent going to get a meaningful answer here unless there are any asbestos experts around..

Yabu.

@Eightdayz I wondered if anyone has either found asbestos in their house OR works in construction?! Perhaps? Didn’t want to stereotype mumsnet users 😂

Explain more about it, especially the last picture which seems to show large building-type tiles?

@MowingMachine those are polystyrene blocks, thanks so much

OK, so, where did the possible asbestos come from? Did it fall out of the ceiling? What room is it in? How old is the building?

@MowingMachine thats what I can’t work out! It’s in the eaves in the loft but I can’t see where it’s come from! It doesn’t SEEM to have fallen from the roof as that seems to just be wood and polystyrene. But the bottom plasterboard doesn’t seem to be broken up. It must have come from somewhere in there though while things have been stored!
I’m also wondering how anyone knows if their loft has asbestos in - as even if this material isn’t asbestos, what if the boards below have it in? I obviously wouldn’t have worried about it if this broken up material wasn’t concerning me but I’m wondering how people know either way!

How old is the building?

@EyeLevelStick built approx 1910

Is it torching from under the slates above the insulation? Torching is made from lime so should fizz if you put it in vinegar.

@Amonthinthecountry ok just put a bit in malt vinegar and it did fizz! BUT it seemed to have kind of fibres or hairs connecting the rocky part inside which seems a bit asbestos like to me?! Can limestone and asbestos be a thing!?

It's impossible to tell from a picture as asbestos fibres are microscopic but the bottom line is it definitely could contain asbestos. This only presents a danger when damaged (which this is) or disturbed. Undamaged material underneath isn't an issue but is helpful for you to know it's there so that you can avoid disturbing it in future if getting works done.
Personally, I would keep out the loft...stop handling it and get it tested/removed by an asbestos surveyor (not sure of the costs but a local company coming to take one sample shouldn't be astronomical) as they will do this safely.
Normally if there is known/suspected asbestos in a property, it is mentioned in the home report.

Treat it as asbestos until it's been tested.

@Kindafreakingouthere yes I’m definitely a thorough person with stuff like this so I am thinking of getting a home testing kit. Not sure I can justify the price of a professional given the photos don’t scream asbestos. I guess this is why I wanted to work out how concerned to be but yes I think at least a home testing kit which seems to be approx £35-50.

I had some come down off the roof when a very old chimney pot was damaged and it didn’t look like that - looked more fibrous iykwim? I’m no expert though. That looks like bits of gypsum maybe but as the PP said - bottom line is it could be so treat it as if it is. Probably worth laying a wet cloth over it to stop any fibres floating around until you’ve sorted it.

When we bought our house it stated somewhere in all the stuff that our chimney lining and pantry had asbestos. But it had previously
been a council house so don't know if that was why we were told.

Our roof has asbestos in it, in the soffits, and they were stamped with the word asbestolux across the middle of them, which made them pretty easy to ID. They were much thinner than those chunks in your pictures. We tested with a testing kit anyway to be sure. The kit came back in less than a week with the result, very quick and easy to do too.

If it is asbestos then a specialist removal company is your best bet, but in the short term if you can identify where it has come from, you can get paint on asbestos stabiliser which might stop any more damage.

They often mixed animal hair in to help it bind. My bet is it’s from the inside of the roof and it’s lime mortar with animal hair mixed in. It was used to seal the gaps in slates to keep the weather out before people started using roofing felt. The attic floor in my house is covered in chunks of the stuff as over time it drops off. Are you able to remove a piece of the polystyrene insulation without damaging it to see if there’s more attached to the slates? I haven’t heard of asbestos being mixed in but I’m no expert.

I am in no way qualified to have an opinion but that doesn’t look like asbestos to me. It’s too crumbly. Asbestos has fine irritant fibres.

1910 is a bit early. I think it was in production but not as widely used as it was later on.

@Aluna yes I wondered if it was done at a later stage during refurbing for example.
@Amonthinthecountry that makes sense re animal hair! My gut is saying it’s this. I’ve ordered a kit those as too scared not to but I’ve been in the eaves loads so I’ll be majorly worried if it is asbestos. I think and hope you’re right though! Thank you!

I use lime powder every now and then, and it looks like that to me. Don’t know why it’d be in a loft though.

Asbestos analyst/ surveyor here, ran an asbestos lab for years.

No one will be able to tell you from a photo. Shut your loft off, and get it tested.

I had asbestos in my old property. Had a water leak and it was discovered during the course of repairs. It was like something hazmat, with suits and plastic wrap covering the door!! I was concerned but was told it’s fine that I’d been living there the dangerous part is when it’s disturbed like with building work or for people who work with it. If it’s been sat not disturbed you will be fine having it as part of the house. The fact it’s falllen from somewhere however means if it is asbestos you want it dealt with as it could be getting into the air you breath

Many older properties will have asbestos somewhere, unless it’s already been removed. My house had a lot of Artex, some of which contained asbestos. We had this removed rather than skimmed, which now I regret, as years later when decorating, I could see small patches where there was still some of the artex stuck into a beam. It worries me that they might have been less thorough in the removal than they could have been, and that there could have been asbestos in the house dust (it was done before we moved in). Unless it’s a big risk it’s better to just leave it alone.
That looks more like lime mortar to me, sometimes used to bed down slates, especially in some parts of the UK. Where are you OP ?
But sensible to get it tested , as you are doing.

@Christwosheds we are in Bucks if that helps!
This chat is making me want to only buy new builds in future!
@SquashPenguin I know you might be biased because of your previous role but do you think the self testing kits you can buy are reliable? It seems almost unnecessary to seal off an area and pay professionals for some rubble when it’s only me who has worried it could be asbestos and no one is saying the photo screams asbestos? Thanks.

Asbestos was commonly used in houses of that age as they were modernised. For example, when a central heating system was fitted or the roof refurbished.