We are (or maybe that should be, were) about a week away from laying new carpets in our newly-purchased house and then moving in the day after. It's an ex-council (but not system-built) house from the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Today we were lifting the carpets as agreed with the carpet supplier. Under most of the carpets are sheets of linoleum or some sort of vinyl sheet flooring.
The backing material to some of this flooring freaked me out a bit. On some pieces the backing was a kind of fibrous hessian-type material. Other was backed in paper which is rather powdery.
I am guessing by the design on it that this lino/ vinyl has been in situ since the late 1940s/ early 1950s.
What are the chances that this is some nasty friable asbestos??
Also, the heating engineers removed a gas fire, fire surround and backing when installing central heating. The backing to the fire surround is approx 6 mm thick grey sheeting and in one corner there is a hole in it where it was attached with a rawl plug (the mind boggles). I am presuming this is asbestos. DP and I carefully moved it outside onto the patio taking care not to damage it, abrade it further, or touch it.
I have this awful, awful feeling that we are going to have to have an asbestos survey and put back our moving date by weeks. Obv this would be better than taking any risks but oh, my heart just sank when saw these worrisome bits.
Can anyone offer any advice?
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Anyone know about flooring containing asbestos :(
22 replies
narmada · 15/10/2011 21:43
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