Is it dangerous to remove this wallpaper?
Seaside72
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi! Just bought an old house that has three rooms with wallpaper I would like to remove. I did a small patch with the Wagner steamer in each room. Then I started reading about how old paper could have asbestos. I was wearing a respirator, goggles, and hazmat suit and gloves. Is that sufficient? Do I need to also plastic off the area? Should I be getting little scraps from these walls tested? There’s an asbestos testing place near me that charges $55 per sample. I just dropped off two pieces of flooring there yesterday. It seems like there are several layers on these walls so I’m not sure how effective it would be to find out if any of them has asbestos. Pictures attached.
Replies
Interesting, I had never heard that.
Based on a quick google search, most wallpaper with asbestos was vinyl like from the 40's to 70's. But wallpaper paste had asbestos in it prior to the 40's. Your current hazmat suit and goggles etc is appropriate but you should plastic off the work space from non work space. Double bag the debris and spot test debris for both lead and asbestos. Take debris to an asbestos disposal site. Use a HEPA vaccuum to clean up work area.
I'd just keep it wet with soapy water and clean up well.
the asbestos to be concerned with is friable asbestos, asbestos fibers, and dust that can be released into the air. The comment about keeping the paper wet is excellent, it will keep fiber and dust from being released into the air. Don't sand, file, or put dust into the air if the material you are working with has asbestos in it.
I never knew there could be asbestos in wallpaper.
And if it's old and dry and can see how small fibers could become air born as you start stripping it off.
Concerning!