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Tearing out drywall - asbestos

1025 Views 1 Reply 2 Participants Last post by  mark sr
Looking for advice on if it’s standard practice to hire an abatement company to tear our drywall. I purchased a home built in 1971 so I think it’s a safe assumption there is asbestos in the drywall compound. Some of the walls are in bad shape so I wanted to tear them out and put up new. Specifically one bedroom that will belong to my two year old. Remodel is being done prior to us moving in. Would it be sufficient to hose the walls down and just set up an air scrubber with the door shut or do we have to put up plastic ? I’ll be installing new floors and ceiling as well.

I also need to scrape a popcorn ceiling in the basement. The pop tested negative, but I didn’t have the compound tested. I obviously need to sand it after I scrape it. Would this be dangerous as well?

Thanks in advance for your advice, not many people I talk to even know it’s in joint tape.
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While asbestos was common in texture [mainly commercial but the same contractors often did residential] I don't think it was all that common in drywall or joint compound. Asbestos is only a health hazard in a dry dust form where you can breath it. Wet pretty much eliminates any hazard. IMO using a dust mask and containing or keeping the dust wet goes a long ways toward keeping you/others safe.
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