Advice on asbestos and lead paint/

sammyjayneex

So I would be grateful for some advise

I live in a rented house that was built in 1935. My husband recently cut holes into the ceiling to add spot lights. At first I thought nothing of it, but now I, worried to death that the ceilings contained asbestos �� and now don’t know what to think, could we have been exposed. There is no artex or anything on the ceiling (I know that used to contain it) so what are the chances? Also what are the chances of paint on my stairs and landing walls containing asbestos or lead? I’ve just stripped some old wall paper and the paint underneath is peeling
The paint is like a dirty yellow type underneath wall paper

phill99

You have more chance of suffering from anxiety than asbestosis or lead poisoning. 99% of houses in the UK have some form of asbestos in them as it was used up to the mid 1990s. Good luck with finding an asbestos free home.

keith969

My Dad paneled the inside of our garden summerhouse with asbestos sheet when we were kids. I can remember him sawing it and drilling it. We then used the summerhouse as a den for years. That was over 50 years ago and we are still alive and kicking.

tonyh66

Should you be cutting holes in your 'rented' ceiling?

sammyjayneex

tonyh66 wrote: »

Should you be cutting holes in your 'rented' ceiling?

Couldn’t you have offered some practical advice? What’s the point In this comment. This is a council house so it’s not as if it’s ‘johns house’ down the street. And I’m wanting to but this in the near future

sammyjayneex

phill99 wrote: »

You have more chance of suffering from anxiety than asbestosis or lead poisoning. 99% of houses in the UK have some form of asbestos in them as it was used up to the mid 1990s. Good luck with finding an asbestos free home.

I’m certainly suffering from anxiety now. I just know what to do now

sammyjayneex

keith969 wrote: »

My Dad paneled the inside of our garden summerhouse with asbestos sheet when we were kids. I can remember him sawing it and drilling it. We then used the summerhouse as a den for years. That was over 50 years ago and we are still alive and kicking.

I just wish I could relieve my anxiety somehow

Davesnave

sammyjayneex wrote: »

I just wish I could relieve my anxiety somehow

If you are worrying about this when we've explained that you've probably done nothing injurious to health, you'll probably worry about many other things.

You haven't been chewing the paint or inhaling vast quantities of gypsum, which is what plasterboard is mostly composed of. The activities you describe are just normal ones for those who do DIY. Anyway, lead was once put into gloss paint for woodwork, not emulsion for walls.

An element of risk is part of life. If you are finding activities like these abnormally worrying, it would be more worthwhile explaining your anxieties to your GP than to random strangers on the internet.

sammyjayneex

I think I’m just extra worried because my 2 year old son chewed on some of what fell from the ceiling ( we cleaned but somehow he found some) this is why I’m mostly anxious I think

sammyjayneex

Davesnave wrote: »

If you are worrying about this when we've explained that you've probably done nothing injurious to health, you'll probably worry about many other things.

You haven't been chewing the paint or inhaling vast quantities of gypsum, which is what plasterboard is mostly composed of. The activities you describe are just normal ones for those who do DIY. Anyway, lead was once put into gloss paint for woodwork, not emulsion for walls.

An element of risk is part of life. If you are finding activities like these abnormally worrying, it would be more worthwhile explaining your anxieties to your GP than to random strangers on the internet.

I think I’m just extra worried because my 2 year old son chewed on some of what fell from the ceiling ( we cleaned but somehow he found some) this is why I’m mostly anxious I think
I do think maybe I should see my Gp as this anxiety isn’t great

Davesnave

sammyjayneex wrote: »

I think I’m just extra worried because my 2 year old son chewed on some of what fell from the ceiling

Plasterboard isn't toxic if ingested and most paints used on ceilings in recent times would be harmless in small quantities, so there's not much to worry about.


Children normally vomit if they eat something harmful and they'll try a lot of different things given half a chance. Apparently, I tried shoe polish and rabbit droppings when I was a toddler.