Could these doors contain asbestos?

[LFS19]

Hi,

Bit concerned about some doors I’ve just taken off in my home.
House is 1930s but was an old people’s home in the 70s and 80s.
I know they sometimes used asbestos in fire doors.
There’s no indication these are fire doors from what I can tell, but they were pretty damn heavy.

All the doors In the house are those plywood faced plane ones with a mahogany sort of finish.
I presumed they were hollow core, but they feel Significantly heavier than the pine raised panel I replaced it with.

This started to make me a little worried they may be fire doors and might contain asbestos. Maybe it’s just the weight of the ply, though.

There’s no AIB over-boarding as you can see - it’s just ply wood. You can get a glimpse of the inside looking at the latch hole. I can’t get the depth of it in focus but it’s wood all the way through.
However, I’m concerned that it could be the case that the latch is encased in wood that goes quite deep but that the rest of the door might have asbestos inside.

I haven’t tampered with it or excessively Or drilled into it, but a few years ago I did screw a little interior lock into it on the edge.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole reading About asbestos and the idea that one fibre can potentially kill you, so I’m worried screwing that lock in could’ve released asbestos fibres into the house; if it is indeed an asbestos based door.

How likely is it that a door like this would contain an asbestos core?

Many thanks!

 

[Rorschach]

Whether it contains asbestos or not it doesn't matter unless you are cutting it up.

You should be wary of asbestos but it isn't something you should be losing sleep over.

 

[LFS19]

I know, but my concern is that I fit that small lock on there a few years ago that I took it yesterday.
Surely if it was asbestos, screwing that in and out would’ve released fibres.

 

[Rorschach]

I know, but my concern is that I fit that small lock on there a few years ago that I took it yesterday.
Surely if it was asbestos, screwing that in and out would’ve released fibres.

Possibly, but unlikely and a bit late now anyway. Don't worry about it, plenty more dangerous things in life than a few asbestos fibres, the people who died from it were those who worked in industries using it and even then not everyone suffered. My neighbour fitted asbestos fire proofing to ships for decades, he died aged 102 with no lung trouble.

 

[AndyT]

I'm not a scientist, but I'm pretty sure that there is a lot of confusingtalk around asbestos.
Just referring to "asbestos" can mean the loose fibres, as mined. Poke a stick into a bale of asbestos and yes, you would release fibres into the air.
But many consumer products, loosely described as asbestos, were actually asbestos cement. I'm talking about roofing sheets, rainwater goods, tiles, soffit boards, that sort of thing. In ordinary use, the asbestos fibres are totally encased in the cement, which they make stronger. Poke it with a stick and nothing happens. Hack at it with a saw and you might manage to release a few fibres but most of them will have cement on them and won't so easily get into your lungs.

If there is some "asbestos" inside your doors, it's highly likely to be asbestos-reinforced cement boards and highly unlikely to be loose fibres. I wouldn't worry.

Edited to add: This guide from the HSE confirms that fire doors use AIB which is lower risk than loose asbestos and shows what they look like.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/assets/ ... -cards.pdf

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Better not mention the probablility that there's lead in the paint(!)...

 

[Rorschach]

Better not mention the probablility that there's lead in the paint(!)...

:lol: I forgot about that.

If I am honest, lead paint worries me more than asbestos, much more likely to come across that in the kind of home renovation situations most of us encounter.

 

[sunnybob]

Its only dangerous if you inhale :lol:

AS an apprentice I hacksawed asbestos pipe, spat into my hands to run asbestos fibres to make rawlplugs, used asbestos putty and asbestos rope to make watertight joints.
Helped my dad paint the undersides of caravans with red lead paint (when it really WAS lead!) without any form of PPE :shock:
That was 60 years ago. 8) 8)

Yes people died of it, but people die of a million different things. If its your time, its your time. Worrying about screwing into a possibly asbestos sheet is a complete waste of your life. 8)

 

[thetyreman]

I am currently removing some artex from a wall to test for asbestos with a kit I bought from bradley eviro, this might be handy:

https://www.bradley-enviro.co.uk/servic ... -look-like

I think you should take it seriously and don't take any chances with it, be cafeful about disturbing fibres...

have you seen inside the door? does it have white fluffy material in it? if not then probably nothing to worry about.

 

[Desi2ie]

I spent a number of years surveying buildings for asbestos and other environmental hazards and have never seen asbestos inside a door in a domestic situation and that includes totally invasive predemolition surveying. occasionally come across asbestos cement sheet fixed to the surface of doors on boiler enclosures or in more industrial situations within steel clad doors to plant rooms, Durasteel was a well known brand. What you have is solid core fire doors either made up of a core laminated from solid wood strips or with a particle board core. Looking at where you have fitted the latch it’s simply a wood core.

No harm in being cautious but don’t let the relatively low risk of asbestos in a residential property paralyse you, as others have said most materials used in these situations were composites, cement board, vinyl tiles, toilet cisterns, acoustic pads under s/steel sinks etc you literally have to grind most to release the asbestos fibres if any are present in the first place. So rest easy you haven’t done anything risky by fitting your latch.

 

[MikeG.]

..........Yes people died of it, but people die of a million different things........

My mum had a cup of tea with my father when he was building a workshop of corrugated asbestos, 45/ 50 years ago, and she is now dying of peritoneal mesothelioma. The "peritoneal" part of it means she ingested a fibre, rather than inhaling it, so it probably fell into her tea. She is making medical history, though, as she is the longest lived patient with the disease post-diagnosis currently known. It normally kills you within 5 years. Don't stuff about with asbestos. Don't listen to people who say "this colour is OK, it's the other stuff that's harmful". There is a whole lot of received "wisdom" on the subject which amounts to little more than guesswork, and as the tens of thousands of tumours distend my mother's abdomen and compress her organs I beg you all to take this issue seriously.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

..........Yes people died of it, but people die of a million different things........

My mum had a cup of tea with my father when he was building a workshop of corrugated asbestos, 45/ 50 years ago, and she is now dying of peritoneal mesothelioma. The "peritoneal" part of it means she ingested a fibre, rather than inhaling it, so it probably fell into her tea. She is making medical history, though, as she is the longest lived patient with the disease post-diagnosis currently known. It normally kills you within 5 years. Don't stuff about with asbestos. Don't listen to people who say "this colour is OK, it's the other stuff that's harmful". There is a whole lot of received "wisdom" on the subject which amounts to little more than guesswork, and as the tens of thousands of tumours distend my mother's abdomen and compress her organs I beg you all to take this issue seriously.

I believe that quite a few women were exposed to fibres when laundering their menfolks' work clothes. Of course all blokes these days do their own laundry..... I remember as a child helping my dad put rawlplugs in the wall - asbestos that we rolled in our fingers with a bit of water to make a kind of putty.

 

[Yojevol]

I remember as a child helping my dad put rawlplugs in the wall - asbestos that we rolled in our fingers with a bit of water to make a kind of putty.

Still got a tin, although I haven't used in the last 20 odd years and I can't see me needing it again. So, how do I get rid of it? It must be Polyfilla reinforced with asbestos fibres. I suppose I could just wet it all, let it solidify and chuck it in the dustbin.
Brian

 

[yetloh]

Large numbers of people are still dying of mesothelioma, I believe it is thought that we still have not reached the peak of deaths from it because of its ubiquity in buildings over many decades. Quite a few teachers have died from it after working in schools - many post-war schools are stuffed with it. Having watched a friend die of it I can tell you it is a very unpleasant way to go. He had spent a life in the building trade. However, I also new a judge who died of it in his 60's having spent a few weeks working on a building site during the summer holidays while at Oxford. Asbestos should never be taken lightly.

Jim

 

[SteveW1000]

As said above looks like a solid fire door, I've one as a back door which needs the hinges changing keep putting it off due to the weight. Only doors I have seen have had asbestos added to the plain panels in a panel door. Use to work in school labs 40+ yrs ago and use to sweep out the cupboards where we stored the asbestos mats. Nothing can be done about that and so I don't worry about it.

 

[MusicMan]

I remember as a child helping my dad put rawlplugs in the wall - asbestos that we rolled in our fingers with a bit of water to make a kind of putty.

Still got a tin, although I haven't used in the last 20 odd years and I can't see me needing it again. So, how do I get rid of it? It must be Polyfilla reinforced with asbestos fibres. I suppose I could just wet it all, let it solidify and chuck it in the dustbin.
Brian

I think it's illegal to chuck it in the bin. Ask your local authority waste disposal department.

 

[Doug71]

The local builder is retiring, he has just started his last job which is building 3 houses on his yard, end of an era type thing.

He was complaining to me that it is costing thousands to get rid of the asbestos from the site. Knowing his yard well I was confused and asked what asbestos he was talking about? He went on to explain that about 30 years ago when he built the bunkers to store sand and gravel etc in they had buried a load of asbestos under the concrete bases, now it has to be dug up and got rid of properly #-o

 

[david_martin]

I spent a number of years surveying buildings for asbestos and other environmental hazards and have never seen asbestos inside a door in a domestic situation and that includes totally invasive predemolition surveying. occasionally come across asbestos cement sheet fixed to the surface of doors on boiler enclosures or in more industrial situations within steel clad doors to plant rooms, Durasteel was a well known brand. What you have is solid core fire doors either made up of a core laminated from solid wood strips or with a particle board core. Looking at where you have fitted the latch it’s simply a wood core.

No harm in being cautious but don’t let the relatively low risk of asbestos in a residential property paralyse you, as others have said most materials used in these situations were composites, cement board, vinyl tiles, toilet cisterns, acoustic pads under s/steel sinks etc you literally have to grind most to release the asbestos fibres if any are present in the first place. So rest easy you haven’t done anything risky by fitting your latch.

I’m in a similar position. I was staying at an old hotel this week and the room door was damaged exposing a white sheet inside that looks like the one you mention. I’ll try to post a pic and would be interested in what anyone thinks as others will be staying in this room ( which also has an air con fan which is pretty powerful.

 

[TRITON]

My neighbour fitted asbestos fire proofing to ships for decades, he died aged 102 with no lung trouble.

Oh well then, that must mean asbestos is perfectly safe and all those thousands who died over the decades worldwide died of something else.

 

[Bingy man]

Large numbers of people are still dying of mesothelioma, I believe it is thought that we still have not reached the peak of deaths from it because of its ubiquity in buildings over many decades. Quite a few teachers have died from it after working in schools - many post-war schools are stuffed with it. Having watched a friend die of it I can tell you it is a very unpleasant way to go. He had spent a life in the building trade. However, I also new a judge who died of it in his 60's having spent a few weeks working on a building site during the summer holidays while at Oxford. Asbestos should never be taken lightly.

Jim

Fully agree that asbestos should never be underestimated, you can’t tell what type it is by looking at it , it has to be tested in a lab , white blue brown all look the same to the human eye, as long as you are asbestos aware and you don’t disturb what you suspect is asbestos then it’s not an issue, if it’s in good condition then leave it alone, if this door is suspect asbestos then double bag it and contact your council who will advise - don’t bin it or put it in a skip etc . Anybody who worked in the building trade , mechanic, or heating and ventilation etc will at some point in time of disturbed asbestos. My first job on a demolition site was ripping old ( insulation !! ) from heating pipes underground at age 15-16 .god only knows what that stuff was but at 57 and a smoker of 30 years I’ve no lung, or breathing problems atm but who knows what the future holds . Personally if I was in a public building and accidentally released asbestos fibres I would be more concerned about the fines and legal expenses that would follow. The op is quite correct in being concerned but as others have said what’s done is done, if in doubt get rid of said door as I’ve said ( double bagged in clear door bags with inner bag marked ASBESTOS via local council.