We have a deck that needs to be repainted and some areas have chipped paint that needs to be sanded. The house was built in 1993 (US), and I wonder if asbestos is a concern. I have not seen people worry about asbestos in deck paint, but I heard that talc is often used as a filler and asbestos often coexists with talc, so I wonder if this is a concern.
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4See my comment on your other question. I was surprised that a 30 year old deck was still viable, but it isn't. You'll waste time, effort, and money attempting to restore this decking.– isherwoodCommented Oct 8 at 19:10
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1My decks and picnic table still look like new from 92. They were made with the good pressure treated wood of the time. No paint/stain/sealer applied ever.– crip659Commented Oct 8 at 20:47
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2The lawyers for asbestos workers who got sick did give asbestos a bad name. For the workers working with it, it was deserved. For the rest of us, it usually is not as bad as long as you leave it alone, or take simple precautions, like wearing a good mask.– crip659Commented Oct 8 at 21:30
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3 Answers
A 1993 home with an outdoor deck and you're going to wear a dust mask, right?
No concern at all.
You want to be careful with asbestos, but there's no need to be paranoid. Asbestos is a problem as a persistent dust in an enclosed area with long-term exposure. Short exposure is not a major risk.
While asbestos was occasionally used in paint, compared to things like insulation it was rare. Asbestos was banned in pretty much all products in 1978. Asbestos in paint in 1993 would have been specialty paints and unlikely to be in deck paints where its fire retardant properties would be irrelevant.
Frankly, I'd be wearing a mask, not because of the possible threat of asbestos, but because breathing in anything not pure and undefiled atmosphere is generally bad. And to make a point, if your area's like mine and currently covered in forest fire smoke, the smoke from those fires is a greater risk to you than the infintesimally small risk of asbestos in a 1993-era deck paint.
If you're absolutely terrified of asbestos, vacuum the remains using a high-grade dust bag. If you use something like Shop-Vac brand vacs, it's the yellow bags. Otherwise, wear mask, sand deck, bask in job well done... and don't worry about asbestos.
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1A mask is essential when sanding, period. The small wood particles are irritating to the lungs and there's also a moderate risk of lung infection from biologicals (like bird poo) which become aerosolised through agitation.– ValorumCommented Oct 10 at 2:12
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Is there any possibility to sand it wet? That would prevent most dust generation. Commented Oct 10 at 8:17
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@Valorum I'm pretty sure I said that.
Frankly, I'd be wearing a mask, not because of the possible threat of asbestos, but because breathing in anything not pure and undefiled atmosphere is generally bad.– JBHCommented Oct 11 at 2:25 -
@Peter-ReinstateMonica Sure. Just one more mess to clean up, though. If there were a moderate-to-high chance of asbestos, wet sanding would be the preferred solution. But the OP's circumstances have a very, very low chance of asbestos. I'd be comfortable banking on no chance.– JBHCommented Oct 11 at 2:32
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I think you should have disclosed that the page referenced for the primary health claim does not appear to be written by a medical professional. That site serves many purposes, but a main purpose appears to be to market the services of a bunch of lawyers. Nothing wrong with that, but it's essential to understand sources of medical claims. Even if one does value such a site for making medical decisions, included should have been the fact that the site clearly states "short-term exposures can add up". I'm not saying the OP is at risk or not, just that answers like Solar Mike's are better. Commented Oct 11 at 7:54
So the final answer is "send a sample and get it tested" as that is the only way to be sure.
You will get lots of "asbestos is not likely" or " never seen it happen on decks" but testing is the only guaranteed solution.
Yes, asbestos crystals may found in talc beds. Some quarrying operations were shut down when that was accepted as a hazard. However, the percentage of asbestos in the paint should be low (if any) and your exposure to it lower.
If you're really worried, I would suggest approaching this the way you would if the deck had lead paint: scrape rather than sand, so the paint comes off in larger pieces rather than breathable dust, and put down tarps to catch the scrapings so they can be disposed of rather than being left in the soil.
