Set #2 of recent questions & answers on the question: does drywall or "sheetrock" contain asbestos?

This article series explains where asbestos is likely to be found in gypsum board or drywall systems, particularly in the taping compound and in skim coats using drywall "mud" that contained asbestos.

FAQs on the Asbestos content in Drywall, wallboard or Sheetrock® or in joint compound

Recently-posted questions & answers about asbestos & other materials in gypsum board, drywall, or Sheetrock® panels, posted originally at ASBESTOS in DRYWALL - be sure to review that article.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On this page are answers to reader questions about asbestos hazards in gypsum board, drywall, or joint compound. Brands of drywall whose asbestos content is discussed are listed

at ASBESTOS in DRYWALL

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Ryan, Greenboard won't date from 1927. See if you can find out when the basement was renovated.

On 2019-06-13 by Ryan

I live in a home built in 1927. I recently removed an old DIY-style partition wall in my basement, with green (mold-resistant) drywall (see image). My method involved breaking off pieces with my hands. I generated dust, but not incredible amounts. I wore a respirator during most of this work. It wasn't until I finished that I realized drywall and joint compound can contain asbestos. I'm curious to hear what you think about possible levels of exposure. Thanks.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-12 by (mod) -

JJ

I want to help but can't bet your health and money by saying whether or not you need to be concerned about asbestos after remediation in a home about which I know nothing.

At the end of the day you need to be comfortable with and confident in the final clearance inspection and testing that have been performed and reported. If you are not, then I'd take that worry back to the person you hired to do the testing.

On 2019-04-12 by JJ

Hello,
We had about 70-80 sq ft of drywall removed in our kitchen that then tested 2% positive for chrysotile. We were not I. The hone when it was removed. We have since had air monitoring and dust samples taken all coming back negative. We also have hired a environmental company to come in and clean. I’m trying not to be concerned about bring in our home after it all has been done, but keep going back to the fact it wasn’t properly removed. Should I be concerned?

On 2019-01-02 by (mod) -

In my opinion, Jason, Low. Asbestos use in common construction products in the U.S. was pretty much stopped by 1985.

On 2019-01-02 by Jason

My house was built in Central Florida in August 1988. What are the chances that the drywall and popcorn ceilings contain asbestos?

On 2018-12-19 by (mod) - if a portion of your bedroom ceiling is damaged and has asbestos in the drywall,

Anon

Gee I am so nervous about asking a question like yours with so little knowledge of the situation.

YOu'd remove all of the drywall that was wet or moldy.

You might need to remove other drywall if other building repairs or cleaning are needed.

I cannot estimate the cost to remove your moldy drywall since there is almost no chance that if moldy drywall needs to be removed that that is the only work necessary. If you need to hire a professional mold cleanup company the cost for a small (100 sqft) drywall repair including removal and replacement and finishing could easily be $1000 or more.

Generally the safest and most-economical approach to asbestos-containing materials in buildings, IF the material is intact, un-damaged, and not in a spot likely to be damaged and thus to release and spread asbestos-laden dust in a building,

IS to leave the material alone, in place, or perhaps to cover or encapsulate it.

On 2018-12-19 by Anonymous

if a portion of your bedroom ceiling is damaged and has asbestos in the drywall, do you have to remove the whole ceiling in room? And once you’ve removed do you hepavac every sq ft of that whole room ? Average cost to remove 100 sqft drywall ceiling with asbestos?

On 2019-04-12 by (mod) - is my home safe after an asbestos remediation ?

JJ

I want to help but can't bet your health and money by saying whether or not you need to be concerned about asbestos after remediation in a home about which I know nothing.

At the end of the day you need to be comfortable with and confident in the final clearance inspection and testing that have been performed and reported. If you are not, then I'd take that worry back to the person you hired to do the testing.

On 2019-04-12 by JJ

Hello,
We had about 70-80 sq ft of drywall removed in our kitchen that then tested 2% positive for chrysotile. We were not I.

The hone when it was removed. We have since had air monitoring and dust samples taken all coming back negative.

We also have hired a environmental company to come in and clean. I’m trying not to be concerned about bring in our home after it all has been done, but keep going back to the fact it wasn’t properly removed. Should I be concerned?

On 2019-02-12 by (mod) -

Depending on the country and age of the home, yes. Newly purchased doesn't mean newly built.

On 2019-02-12 by Denise

Im removing drywall in a newly purchased home. Could there be asbestos in the home?

On 2019-01-06 by (mod) - interpret dust screen for asbestos risk

Chris

The salient question here is whether or not your sample was representative of the settled dust in the home.

I look for a dust sample surface that I think is most-likely to have dust that represents the conditions that I'm worried about. So often I will find a horizontal surface such as wood trim over a window or door that has not been wiped since the "dust-making event" and I'll collect my dust sample(s) there.

If you're confident that you found a good sample, then you should be OK with the "no-asbestos" results. Else it's not expensive (less than $50. U.S.) to check another representative sample or so.

On 2019-01-03 by Chris

Hello-
I had the popcorn ceiling removed in a house built in 1953. Unfortunately I didn’t have it tested prior.

A second party removed it, placed drywall mud and sanded down the ceiling leaving dust throughout the house. I realize that not all popcorn ceiling has aspestos, but the more research I did freaked me out. I took some samples of the remaining dust and had it tested for aspestos.

The sample came out negative, so it’s safe to assume from that small sample size that the ceiling didn’t contain aspestos right? I assume that it would have shown traces in the remaining dust? Sorry I just need some reinforcement. Thanks

On 2018-11-21 by Rob

Hello:

I was tearing down a 6'x10' exterior sheathing to fix vinyl siding.

The sheathing had black paper on both sides and the sheathing was hard gray like matter. I was outside and wearing a P100 mask.

The house was built in 1971. I read that some companies made gypsum board for exterior sheathing and the companies added asbestos.

Did you only mean those companies added asbestos or all companies added asbestos for exterior gypsum board? Also, there was a large "S" that was printed on the paper. It was silver and font was three lines, not a solid print. Thank you for your time.

On 2018-11-02 by (mod) - joint compound tested positive at 2% Chrysotile.

Air testing is fundamentally unreliable for characterizing what dust or particle reservoirs are in a building in that the test results can vary by 4 orders of magnitude depending on how the test is conducted.

If you want to screen for further follow-up and maybe further cleanup I would prefer a test of a representative sample of settled dust.

On 2018-11-02 by John

I had some drywall in my basement that was water damaged

. It was in a 17x12 room. I tore it all down and removed it wearing an N95 disposable mask.

I later learned that the drywall could have asbestos so I had a small piece tested that was left behind. The drywall came back negative but the joint compound tested positive at 2% Chrysotile.

Should I follow up with an air test? I had someone tell me this percentage is to low to worry about a big exposure. But I cant help to be little worried that I may have put myself at risk. Any thoughts?

On 2018-10-30 by (mod) - is this gray plaster safe from asbestos?

Shan

I'm not sure what we're seeing in ypur photo, but it looks like a plaster roof coat.

If you're talking about the cement just looking material in the area of damage that's probably what you're seeing.

On 2018-10-30 by Shan

Does this look like it contains asbestos? The grey behind the plaster is it safe?

On 2018-06-19 by (mod) -

Jay

No one who has any experience and honesty would pretend to assess the level of exposure to airborne asbestos from a brief e-text for a building they know nothing about.

However it is possible, IF there was loose, friable asbestos under the carpet, that some asbestos was drawn out and made airborne in the area during vacuuming.

Why not test a representative sample of settled dust for notable levels of asbestos? That would suggest whether or not more cleaning is in order.

You can use the search box on this page to find our ASBESTOS TEST LAB LIST to find a certified lab

On 2018-06-18 by Jay

Hi, I purchased a town home built in 1969 that had the kitchen cabinets and flooring fully renovated. Beneath the newly installed cabinets there was scrap drywall that I decided to vacuum with a shop vacuum one night. Obviously, my concern is asbestos being disturbed and moved throughout my home were it could be inhaled by others.

Would this be classified as a short term heavy exposure or long term exposure as the dust could be disturbed at later times to be inhaled while inside the home. Should I be concerned about this type of exposure provided the dry wall or other materials vacuumed contained asbestos?

On 2018-04-2 by (mod) -

Mark,

Advice on removing asbestos-containing drywall (more-likely joint compound at tape joints and screw or nail heads) is found at ASBESTOS in DRYWALL https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_in_Drywall.php near the end of that article.

On 2018-04-22 by Mark

Hi,
I own a house built in the 1960's. We are preparing to start some renovations. The contractor we hired took a sample of our drywall for asbestos testing and the testing came back as positive for Chrysolite and the range is 1-5%.

Do we require full hazmat procedures to remove the drywall at this percentage? Are there other options to safely remove the drywall?

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

On 2018-11-08 by (mod) -

Yes.

For details about gypsum board used as a plaster base see GYPSUM BOARD LATH

On 2018-11-07 by Laz

Yeah I just found out through some research it’s “rock lath” and the exterior is a stucco(?). Is that right about where analysis took you too?
I’m going to have a sample tested and find out.

I find it a bit odd that they used this method for a 1951 house though. Weren’t most houses built with drywall by that point?

On 2018-11-06 by (mod) - Rock Lath

Laz

It's not quite clear but your photo looks to me as if you have gypsum board being used as a base for plaster. (AKA "rock lath")

While there were gypsum board products made without asbestos, and while asbestos was more common in gypsum board that was rated for fire resistance, and while as you doubtless read most of the asbestos is in the joint compound not in the gypsum board panels,

nevertheless we're stuck with having to advise that unless you had a test performed you can't be certain that the product that you have is asbestos free.

Generally that means avoid making a Dusty mess.

On 2018-11-06 by Laz - house built in the 1950s

This is a great site. Got a lot of info from in. Going to be testing some sites ASAP for a house built in the 1950s I’m attaching some photos for your opinion regarding asbestos in drywall and kraft/tar paper.

In your opinion do these look like asbestos products also I read a lot on the site how “most” or “often” drywall had asbestos in it if it was manufactured from the 20s to the 80s. Does this mean that some where not manufactured with it? Let’s say in the early years?

On 2018-10-29 by (mod) -

Re-posting discussion had by private email:

I hope you can help me. I tried to find an article related to mine but couldn't so I am emailing you. I am having some remodeling work done in my home which begins tomorrow, and am concerned that dry wall contains asbestos.
The wall is on the interior of my house, but at one time was the exterior (prior to an addition). It has cedar shingles on it, and dry wall underneath. The plan is to remove the cedar singles and repair and paint the drywall. But I have read that drywall made in 1930 may contain asbestos.

So if this is possible, I will not have the shingles removed. I've had 3 contractors tell me that it is drywall, but I would appreciate your opinion for peace of mind.

Moderator Reply:

First, if a wall that's now an interior surface was originally an exterior wall, most likely you'll find wood sheathing under the wood shingles, not plaster board and not drywall (though there are some exceptions). Remove a few shingles and take a look.

Second: while there may be asbestos in some drywall or gypsum board, particularly specialty products such as some fire-rated gypsum board, generally the chief asbestos hazard, IF it is present at all, is in the joint compound used to tape and smooth the abutting joints, not in the field of the drywall.

Third: if you remove drywall segments intact, without chopping, grinding, sawing, the dust and the detectable asbestos hazard should be minimal or even below the limits of detection.

Thanks for asking.

Let me know if you have further questions after taking a look this article.

On 2018-07-07 by Anonymous

Thanks Dan.

On 2018-07-06 by (mod) -

Yep those zip-cutter blades make a bit of dust. If that was done without dust containment (plastic, isolation, negative air and thorough cleanup) it's reasonable to want that dust cleaned-up. You could paint the drywall edges or just foam-seal the whole opening. It doesn't deserve a panic - which leads to its own health risks and costs.

On 2018-07-06 by BobbyS

Thanks Dan for your response! Much appreciated. The 4" holes (or 3.5" holes to be precise according to the HVAC guys) are to pass the refrigerant, electrical, and drain lines between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. Minisplits ACs have an indoor unit mounted on the wall, an outdoor in the backyard.

If you don't mind, a couple of follow-up questions:
- I think the HVAC guys use a kind of a router to cut into the drywall - it will generate some dust for sure. Were you recommending a specific dust containment/clean-up procedure?

Or just simply putting down plastic sheeting and cleaning up later? Assuming the drywall joint compound does have asbestos, would you suggest doing the wet spray cleanup rather than vacuum (which is what the HVAC guys would do I believe)
- Once the HVAC guys drill the hole, should I ask them to apply paint on the sides of the hole to contain any further release of asbestos from the very small cross section (I realize, but...)

Thanks very much - you put my mind to rest about the "nuclear" thought re. asbestos The thing is that a couple of years back, I foolishly installed a fire alarm on the popcorn ceiling in my home (drilled 2 holes into it and the base of the alarm had to be kind of grinded into the popcorn ceiling material to make it fit )

I didnt know anything about ceilings containing asbestos at the time and I simply broom-cleaned the dust release from the drilling. I am sure I inhaled some and that has me freaked out a bit. Not that I can do anything about a past incident now, but want to be cautious for the future --- still freaked out when I think of my stupidity.

On 2018-07-05 by (mod) -

Driling a 4" diameter hole? That's an unusually large drill bit and could make a bit of dust. Rather than spend on testing the drywall for asbestos it would be more economical to spend that $50. on dust containment and clean-up.

If the hole is actually cut - as with a drywall knife - in drywall the dust created can be minimal.

Tapping a nail or small screw into drywall to hang a photo does not release any meaningful amount of drywall dust - asbestos or not.

For perspective, in general the workers who contracted mesothelioma from exposure to airborne asbestos were working in locations or jobs where the exposure was either high-chronic or single event acute.

High chronic airborne asbestos dust exposure occurred for workers in the shipyards where I was told personally (and stated by Hills 1989 cited elsewhere at InspectApedia) that the air was so thick with asbestos dust that it was opaque and hard to see.

High acute airborne asbestos (and other materials) exposure occurred to emergency response workers when the 9/11 attack led to the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York City. In that event the air was so thick with asbestos that we later collected lab samples from dust that was thick on window-sills of nearby buildings.

On 2018-07-04 by BobbyS

Thank you for an excellent site with very useful information! We are in the process of installing a mini split AC in our early 1970s home. We have been reading about drywall joint compound having asbestos in it during those days. The installation will need to drill 2 holes 4" each in one internal and one external wall. What is the risk of doing this drilling?

It doesnt seem cost-effective to test and remediate the walls just for this one small job. We have previously hung pictures and clocks etc. using either drilled screws or small nails - was that a mistake. Sorry for the paranoia - everything on the internet makes it seems like this is a nuclear material :) Thanks for your advice.

On 2018-06-02 by (mod) -

Having a certified asbestos test lab Check a couple of Representative samples of settled dust would probably indicate whether additional cleaning in the home from dust from prior Demolition and disturbance of asbestos suspect materials was in order.

separately you need to think clearly about what it means to have a small amount of asbestos pipe insulation in the building. It raises the question of what was there before and whether or not it was treated correctly. If you have any documentation or records about any remediation or cleanup that were performed that would be useful.

On 2018-06-01 by Kevin

I have some wall board on my ceiling in the basement that’s been cut up and broken many times over the past few years. Never did I think it would have asbestos in it but I am selling my house and I supposedly have a small amount of pipe insulation that is asbestos so now I am worried about everything else.

The Gypsum board was made by the Newark Plaster Company and has a parent number 2442321. I searched the patent and in it there is no mention of asbestos. Would you know any more information on this manufacturer or patent? Should I be worried?

On 2018-05-12 by Bob

Hi Gerry.

The article ASBESTOS in DRYWALL answers

Drywall systems that may contain asbestos - at least in finishes, taping joint compounds, skim coats, or in systems that applied plaster over gypsum board date from about 1910 through the early 1980's in North America (1982 in Canada). Taping drywall joints dates from as early as the 1920's. Asbestos-use in plaster overlaps this period.

On 2018-05-12 y gerry

what year in the 1970.s was asbestos used in drywall mud

On 2017-10-11 by (mod) - you cannot normally see asbestos particles in joint compound

K

With the naked eye you would probably not be able to see fibers in asbestos-containing joint compound, certainly not the asbestos shorts or fillers.

On 2017-10-11 by K

If our joint compound tends to break off in chunks (with no fibers visible) is it likely that it is not asbestos? Appreciate your through site.
Thanks, in advance, K

On 2017-09-18 by Julie

Hi I am working in a building built in the late 1800- early 1900 in Vt. Renting office space and the hot water radiator steamed a hole into my wall it was fixed fir a long time and I thought nothing if it. Until it dawned on me there could be asbestos in the wall.

Now I am very nervous and don't even use my office. Can you tell me the chances of the wall containing asbestos and or how I can find out fur sure the person I rented from says they don't know! Thank you!

On 2017-09-17 by Angie Stasand

We live in a home built in 1984 in Irvine CA. We had a water leak in bathrooms and had four inches of drywall cut out along wall. I never even thought to have it checked for asbestos now am worried sick about whether it contained.

I understand there is now at of knowing without testing. But any idea if the chances would be higher or lower? How worried should I be???? I mean my brother cuts all intonhisndrywall in home built in 1979 and tells me I being ridiculous.

On 2017-11-26 by (mod) - GLA - Gypsum Lime and Alabastine Corp. use of asbestos in their Gyproc?

This discussion is now found at ASBESTOS in CANADIAN DRYWALL

On 2018-09-24 by (mod) - decode the stamps on Canadian Gyproc or Blue Domtar Logo Gypsum Board

This discussion is now found at ASBESTOS in CANADIAN DRYWALL

On 2018-08-14 by (mod) - Ignifuge defined - Ignifuge gyproc from 1978 contains asbestos?

This discussion is now found at IGNIFUGE GYPSUM BOARD ASBESTOS?

On 2019-04-21 by (mod) - does National Gypsum Fire-Resistant Gypsum Board contain dangerous asbestos?

This discussion is now found at NATIONAL GYPSUM DRYWALL ASBESTOS?

...

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