Remove Tar Paper from Basement Walls - Asbestos?

Question

I want to tear off my basement wood panelling, insulate with polystyrene, and then drywall (even though my code office says that paneling is ok over foam). However, the paneling is furred onto cinderblocks, and covering the block is tar paper.

Does tar paper, from a 1961 house, usually contain asbestos? Is an abatement contractor required? How friable is the stuff? I guess I need to remove it because I need to "Liquid Nail" the foam panels onto the block.

I've cut a 1" piece to have sent to a lab for testing.

Thanks for any advice.

dadiOH · Accepted Answer

Tar paper = tar + paper.  Don't think the cinder blocks containasbestos either.  Probably not even lead.

HeyBub · Answer

You should have asked before you sent off the stuff.

Suppose the test comes back positive. You are now liable for remediation AND for informing subsequent buyers that the house was once contaminated but is now probably okay. That is, if your local government doesn't condem your property, raze it to the ground, and remove the top ten inches of soil.

In the aftermath of 9/11, tens of thousands of pounds of asbestos rained down on New Yorkers. Not a single person got sick (except for a few thousand, but that has statistical clustering written all over it).

Uncle Monster · Answer

A few years ago I read about a young woman who was a scientist working for the EPA and her research showed that only one type of asbestos was a health hazard. She was told to shut up because if people found out that they had been forced to spend billions of dollars in unnecessary clean up, the lives of the EPA bureaucrats would be in danger.

[8~{} Uncle Monster

Buck Turgidson · Answer

Yeah, if it was just me, I'd put on a cheap paper mask and tear it off. But I got a couple of little kids crawling around in the basement.  I gotta think about them.

Joe · Answer

Asbestos never was a cheap filler material. When used in bulding products years ago it was mainly to take advantage of the heat resistance or fiber strength. In the case of tar paper, adding asbestos wouldn't contribute any useful property to the product beyond what was provided by the cellulose fiber. People I know in the abatement business don't consider tar paper as a problem unless it has been contaminated by known asbestos containing material. If your sample comes back positive from the testing lab I would have some serious doubts about their competence. IMO. tear off the stuff and dispose in a huane manner and cease worrying about it. HTH

Joe

HeyBub · Answer

Don't you want your children to have all the opportunities you did?

Bob F · Answer

Not a single person got sick except for a few thousand. Now that's the way  to think.Bob

The Reverend Natural Light · Answer

Why not build real framed walls?

Remove Tar Paper from Basement Walls - Asbestos?

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