1

The picture below shows some kind of tapestry at a wall inside the living room of a bungalow. The house was built in 1966 in (those days west) Germany: enter image description here The material feels kinda warm and solid, but some firm pressure will cause a dent.

Questions now are, what material could that be? What was it used for? And could it be dangerous? Any clarifications are very much appreciated. Thank you.

Improve this question
1
  • As far as it being dangerous, probably not unless you start sanding it without a mask or start eating it. It looks thick enough to be drywall, but looks too bright white.
    – crip659
    Sep 10 at 20:41

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

It appears to be a paper-fiber surface (similar to Homasote®) with a core that could quite plausibly (but we can't tell from a picture) be asbestos, given the era. It could also be some other fiber - only a lab test can say for sure.

If you leave it as is, it's no particular hazard, though you might want to repair the surface damage in some way. If you intend to cut it or remove it, it would be worth paying for a lab test to determine if it is or is not asbestos, but if you leave it alone, it's innocuous.

Someone else from (former West) Germany might recognize the product assembly - if they made/sold something like that particular sandwich material in the USA, I haven't encountered it.

Improve this answer
2
  • could be asbestos could be extruded polystyrene, is it flame proof?
    – Jasen
    Sep 11 at 13:57
  • @Jasen unfortunately I don't know.
    – SePröbläm
    Sep 11 at 17:24

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.