Asbestos-containing ceiling FAQs, set#5

More questions & answers on which ceiling tiles or other materials that contain asbestos.

This article series provides photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings.

Asbestos-containing Ceiling Tile FAQs-set#5

These questions & answers about ceiling tiles that do, do not, or might contain asbestos were posted originally

at ASBESTOS CEILING TILE IDENTIFICATION - be sure to read that article.

Question: asbestos hazard from this 1980's ceiling tile?

2019/11/08 Emily:

Ceiling tile in my bedroom- my daughter hit a volleyball into the ceiling fan while it was on and the fan blade scraped the tile- should I be worried if this is asbestos? House was built in the 40's but I suspect ceiling was added on in the 80's..

Reply:

Probably not - trivial area, brown color may be cellulose material; you could certainly encapsulate the damage with a color-matched spray paint to avoid any particle shedding

 

On 2018-11-11 by (mod) - test old unknown ceiling tiles

Julie, my reply has to be the same as to Jay, below:

From the tan texture and color your ceiling tile looks like a cellulose product; you'd be best served by testing a sample as we don't have more information about what's installed on your ceiling.

On 2018-11-11 by Julie

Just purchased a house built in the 1900s and am worried about these ceiling tiles that we are looking to replace.

On 2018-11-08 by (mod) - ceiling tiles in a 1930 home

Looks like a cellulose product; you'd be best served by testing a sample as we don't have more information about what's installed on your ceiling.

On 2018-11-08 1 by Jay

My basement ceiling is made of sheets of a fiber material. It bends easy and is mostly brown except the exposed part. Im not sure what it is but i want to remove the ceiling.

My home was built in 1930, but this room was finished later on. Thanks for any info

On 2018-11-06 by (mod) - antique acoustic ceiling tiles look like cellulose: asbestos lab test?

Thank you for the excellent photos. Youu include a ceiling tile pattern that I had not seen before.

Although the ceiling tiles look like a cellulose material, until you decide to have a sample tested I would treat them as presumed to contain asbestos.

If your only concern is the small area of damage in that one location where a wire was run, on that concern alone I would not bother with a test.

On 2018-11-05 8 by Matt

...

...

On 2018-11-05 by (mod) -

I don't know, Matt. What ceiling tiles are we discussing?

In general, a single small penetration in a ceiling tile, even if it contains asbestos, is not likely to produce a significant building hazard, though even then it would make sense to use damp wiping to clean up any remaining debris or dust.

On 2018-11-05 by Matt

Although I cannot find any markings on these square basement tiles, these look pretty specific given the printed pattern on them. I also found an area the previous owner punched a hole through to run cable. Should I be concerned these tiles contain asbestos?

On 2018-11-01 by (mod) -

Anonymous

From simply your photo the image is a bit blurry such that

one cannot assert that the ceiling is in fact made of ceiling tiles as opposed to another material; are we seeing wood strips or perhaps metal channels of a suspended ceiling?

the material in the ceiling is unclear and may or may not contain asbestos

The categories of nano materials and particles you propose cannot be asserted from a photograph.

Nor are they consistent with common methods of categorizing ceiling tile materials.

Nor are they all defined.

Your use of "chemical dust" for example bears some comment and needs clarification. WHO describes "chemical dust" = other chemical dusts, e.g., many bulk chemicals and pesticides:

I'm unsure that that term would appear to pertain to an asbestos ceiling tile nor any ceiling tile.

To classify your ceiling materials as hazardous or not you'd need to have a representative sample tested by a certified environmental test lab; for asbestos test labs we give a reference link at the Continue Reading section of this article, just above.

Beware that tests for asbestos are very specific and will not address the other categories in your list)

You can see our cited definitions at Hazard Prevention and Control in the Work Environment: Airborne Dust

WHO/SDE/OEH/99.14 1 Chapter 1 - DUST: DEFINITIONS & CONCEPTS [PDF] at this website or at WHO's original site https://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/en/oehairbornedust3.pdf

On 2018-11-01 by Anonymous - Asbestos Ceiling Tile Damaged during Electrical Work

Asbestos Ceiling Tile Damaged during Electrical Works time after time. - see photo above

Anyone care to

- Identify the asbestos product used as a ceiling tile?

- gauge what type of asbestos is present?

- The Hazard classification?

Contents of board

Nano particles (Silica .... )
Nano Materials (grey)

- Tubulars (glass) and one other type

- Fibres / Whiskers

- Filaments

- Silicates various sizes and lengths

- Nano rods

- flour (powder ... chemical dusts.

On 2018-09-27 by (mod) -

Sorry, Jess, but no, from the photo I can't say whether the ceiling contains asbestos.

On 2018-09-27 by Jess

Just wondering if you can tell if these ceiling tiles might contain asbestos ? There are 12x12 I believe

On 2018-11-27 by Bob P

Ceiling tile in basement marked Jul 30 1993 Armstrong, should I be con concerned about asbestos?

On 2018-11-21 by (mod) -

Thanks for the feedback. Sorry I couldn't be more definitive but it's better not to lie. We have enough of that going on.

On 2018-11-20 by Anonymous

Thanks very much for the information! Helped a lot.

On 2018-11-20 by (mod) - asbestos in ceiling tiles from 1954?

Looks like a cellulose material, Ed. But to be sure of what these ceiling tiles contain you'd need to test three samples for asbestos:

1. The white "skin" on the exposed ceiling tile surface that faces the room

2. A sample of the ceiling tile body

3. A sample of the ceiling tile's upper or hidden surface.

Above in the article bottom links you'll find a link to find a certified asbestos testing lab.

On 2018-11-20 by Ed

Hello, Just recently purchased a house built in 1954. Not sure when the ceiling tiles were installed. They are 1x1 and no manufacturing info on the back of them. Wondering if they contain asbestos.

On 2018-10-07 3 by Amit choudhary

Looking for 595x595,4mm thick asbestos ceiling tile without paint manufacturers in India

On 2018-08-03 by (mod) - asbestos in ceiling tiles installed in the 1990s?

John

You don't give the country and city of your building but it's pretty much reliable that nowhere were asbestos-containing ceiling tiles being installed in the 1990s, certainly not in North America nor most of Europe nor Asia.

On 2018-08-03 by john fay

I have 2 x 2 ceiling tiles in my basement, installed in the 1990's. Might they have asbestos in them as several need to be removed as they are discolored?

It looks like the numbering on the back reads as follows:
05D8001418. The previous homeowner installed them but he is now deceased.

On 2018-07-05 by (mod) -

I see what looks like water stains and dark blotches that could be mold - more-likely if the wet material is paper-covered drywall.

On 2018-07-05 by snavon4

Does this look like asBestos? Or is it just mold?

On 2018-03-22 by (mod) - ok to paint asbestos-suspect ceiling tiles

Painting is a good idea to reduce possible particle released from casual contact.

In fact if the ceiling is in good condition and is undisturbed it's not going to release measurable levels of particles nor asbestos into the building air.

On 2018-03-22 by Susan

If ceiling tiles contain asbestos will painting them seal in the asbestos?

On 2018-03-14 by (mod) -

Peter,

With the apology that I can't bet your safety and money on just a photo, in general when I see brown woody fibrous material in a wallbaord such as in your photo I think this is a wood-based fiberboard product. With some odd exceptions that's not an asbestos material.

See SHEATHING, FIBERBOARD ASBESTOS CONTENT - https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Fiberboard-Sheathing-Asbestos.php for details

On 2018-03-14 by Peter

Hello I have just been to look at some steel Beams but they are boxed off with a board material. I thought it might be asbestos. Just wondering if you can tell.
Regards
Peter

On 2017-11-04 by Jess

Hi, I have recently purchased my first home. It was built in the 1930s and is based in the U.K. My survey came back as saying there is a chance of asbestos in a house of this age but as I wasn't planning on knocking another down, only decorating, I didn't get an abestos survey done.

Last week, my dad accidentally put a hole in my ceiling from the attic and so the ceiling is now torn. I'm concerned it contains asbestos and I've now disturbed it but it seems silly to send a sample off when the damage is already done and we've inhaled the fibres as I assume there's nothing we can do now?

The ceiling seems to have a white inner material with brown sheets on either side and then the white ceiling that you see. How concerned should I be? My knowledge is very limited.
I have images should you want to see them but no info on the tiles themselves
Thanks

On 2017-10-23 by Angie

There was a leak at some point before the roof was redone. It's inside the closet. I wish there was way to find out if it's asbestos without breaking a hole into this stuff. In my sleeping area it's intact except for a few screw holes where someone hung a lamp. The past few days I discovered there's a mouse walking around up there chewing on something up in the ceiling. I guess he'll die from asbestos?

On 2017-10-21 by (mod) -

Angie, Painting and / or covering over such a ceiling is generally the safest course as it avoids disturbing the material.

On 2017-10-20 by Angie

I have ceiling tiles that look just like the first photo at the top of your article (It even has that same uneven placement pattern in the ceiling). It's white on the outside, but someone had stuck posters on the ceiling and where it was peeled off from removal, there's this reddish brown wood underneath the outer layer of white.

I'm afraid to cut into it to see if there's fibers inside this stuff. The room is an addition someone added in the 1970s.

It has hollow wood paneling on the walls and the whole ceiling is made of these tiles. I originally planned to paint the ceiling to seal it in more and then glue up styrofoam decorative tiles over this stuff. Not sure what to do at this point.

On 2017-06-27 by Steve - Asbestos in Carillon Ceiling Tiles?

We just removed 12" x. 12" Carillon Ceiling tiles that were installed in 1991. They were either purchased at Rona or Home Depot in Canada. Would they have had asbestos in them? Should we be concerned?

On 2015-11-24 by (mod) -

I can't promise what will satisfy "building inspectors" as opinions and expertise vary widely. But yes laminating a layer of drywall over an asbestos-suspect ceiling tile would protect the occupants. Don't make a dusty mess.

On 2015-11-24 by Rick

We have 12 X 12 inch ceiling tile in the living room and kitchen. We don't know if it is asbestos or not. Is it OK to simply put sheet rock over the ceiling tiles? Will that eliminate any hazard and satisfy building inspectors?

Asbestos in Carillon Ceiling Tiles from Canada?

This Q&A moved to CARILLON CEILING TILES

Asbestos in New Zealand Pinex Ceilings from Woodpro?

This Q&A moved to PINEX CEILING TILES

...

Continue reading  at DO THESE CEILING TILES CONTAIN ASBESTOS? or see ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST for access to certified asbestos testing labs, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ASBESTOS CEILING TILE FAQs-7 - more-recent Q&A and ceiling tile ID / asbestos photos

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS CEILING TILE IDENTIFICATION - 5 Easy Steps to tell if CEILING TILES are likely to contain asbestos
• ASBESTOS-FREE CEILING TILES
• ASBESTOS-SUSPECT CEILING COVEROVER
• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST - certified asbestos testing labs
• DOES THIS MATERIAL CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if a BUILDING MATERIAL probably contains asbestos -
• HAZARD vs RISK - what's the difference, why you should care

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ASBESTOS CEILING TILE FAQs-5 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

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