Repair cracks on vermiculite ceiling
- Thread starter Joel
- Start date
Mix some kitty litter and spakfiller and bog it up. Geez I hate those ceilings 
I used to watch people spray that on,and i wonder if they are still alive because some of those mixes contained "asbestos ",it may have a high fire rating but i pity anyone that has lived under those celings..Mix some kitty litter and spakfiller and bog it up. Geez I hate those ceilings
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XBenX, Do you have a rough idea on the cost to repair these ceilings from your previous experience? I know it's a "how long is a piece of string?" type question but am trying to get a handle on how much it will cost to fix the ceiling.
Not really happy to just put up a false ceiling and have this stuff flaking off behind it. Especially if it contains asbestos.
Not really happy to just put up a false ceiling and have this stuff flaking off behind it. Especially if it contains asbestos.
Oh, is it actually dangerous to live in apartments with those ceilings?
I thought the asbestos was sealed inside the vermaculite and would only be dangerous if you broke/cracked the ceiling (erm....rather like in the photos....) so the asbestos could escape.
I was viewing apartments last weekend and saw one with with signs tacked on walls [This building contains ACM]. I guessed that ACM was asbestos - and it was.
BTW, I never knew what vermaculite used to be called. I used to describe it as stalactites, or what you'd get if you had paint dripping from your ceiling and drying off halfway lol
Is there a 'cut-off' date by which you would never get any asbestos in a building? Like if you bought a building built after 1976 then bang, definately no asbestos in that building for sure?
Is it a full-on no-no to avoid buying in a building with asbestos, unless you are planning on demolishing the building completely?
I thought the asbestos was sealed inside the vermaculite and would only be dangerous if you broke/cracked the ceiling (erm....rather like in the photos....) so the asbestos could escape.
I was viewing apartments last weekend and saw one with with signs tacked on walls [This building contains ACM]. I guessed that ACM was asbestos - and it was.
BTW, I never knew what vermaculite used to be called. I used to describe it as stalactites, or what you'd get if you had paint dripping from your ceiling and drying off halfway lol
Is there a 'cut-off' date by which you would never get any asbestos in a building? Like if you bought a building built after 1976 then bang, definately no asbestos in that building for sure?
Is it a full-on no-no to avoid buying in a building with asbestos, unless you are planning on demolishing the building completely?
Asbestos was largely gone in the 90's and kaput by 2001.... but buildings over 10yo need asbestos mgmt plans and inspections in case of old building materials being used.
A nice little racket for inspections adn mgmt plans has sprung up, similar to the nice little racket for overpriced fire safety upgrades in apartment blocks a few years ago.
A nice little racket for inspections adn mgmt plans has sprung up, similar to the nice little racket for overpriced fire safety upgrades in apartment blocks a few years ago.
It is generally fine to have vermiculite in a building. ACM = asbestos containing material (this can be anything from fibro, floor tiles, some bakelite etc. It is generally not dangerous to live in a building with asbestos containing materials - it is dangerous to work with the material eg cutting, drilling etc. There are no safe limits established for exposure.
It was banned around 1984 but some products continued to be used. The current OHSR act draws a line at 2002. So buying a pre 2002 building cuts out a lot of stock.
Thanks.
Alot of people do home-renos. You know, re-doing the bathroom themselves and stuff like that. I guess that's hazardous, if you don't know 100% for sure if your building has asbestos or not.
So how can you tell if your building has asbestos or not then?
Yes, the most beautiful buildings are often pre-2002. Think art decos. High ceilings, wooden floors. Although the upkeep (hollow render, creaky floorboards) did turn me off.
Hi Dave, also wondering is there a reason why people don't just plaster the ceiling to make it smooth?
I've seen that suggested once on this forum on an old post but most people suggest the false ceiling as you have suggested as well.
You don't render over vermiculite as it is very weak & porous. It will suck all the moisture out of the mud which will then slump off the ceiling. Just ask anyone who has decided to paint the stuff.
The easiest solution is to use battens & plasterboard/fibre cement sheeting.
The easiest solution is to use battens & plasterboard/fibre cement sheeting.
