Asbestos under old copper pipe radiant ?

[R-mm]

Hi all - I'm an architect but this is a new one. Was in the garage of a 1940's house in New England, heated with copper pipe radiant. The underlayment which was in contact with the top side of the floor joists looked like lath and plaster. This makes no sense to me and it made me wonder if it was some bygone form of thermal insulation aka asbestos. These are the pics I could get. If anyone is familiar with how radiant heat was installed back in the day please chime in!

The finish floor above is a mix of tile in wet areas and clearly new wood in living areas.

 

[Ralf11]

gotta test it - what does your state say about this?

 

[R-mm]

I should have said I am aware of the "right" way to do this but I am trying to help my sister in law make a decision on how to offer on this particular home vis a vis inspections and so forth. As you all know the market is a bit nutty now.

 

[The Cobbler]

I would wild guess it has asbestos , just to what percentage is the real question. even lath & plaster had asbestos mixed in it .
If the homeowners want a sale, sans inspections, there's a reason.

 

[Bert_]

Looks like wire lath and some sort of plaster or cement. Guessing the pipes are embedded in it.

 

[jack stand]

I'd make it a issue for negotiating purposes, then just don't poke it with a stick, it shouldn't bite you unless disturbed.

 

[tinmanwpk]

I grew up in the asbestos industry. There is asbestos in that plaster.

 

[sixty4]

I would ask on a site called heating help. com My guess would be as you mentioned a heat blanket of sorts. I have worked in some very large mansions in the Greenwich Ct area and never have run across that. You could also have it tested as part of the building inspection, almost looks like rock wool?

 

[rlitman]

I would wild guess it has asbestos , just to what percentage is the real question. even lath & plaster had asbestos mixed in it .
If the homeowners want a sale, sans inspections, there's a reason.

Yes, pretty much all plaster has asbestos in it when you take it to a lab. So does talcum powder!

But this is not the friable sort of asbestos, so I wouldn't worry, unless you have plans to rip it up. I'd probably just paint over it.

 

[yeldogt]

That does look like a wet bed .. how thick is it ? would be interesting to know the full build with that ... I have never seen a floor with no subfloor. Maybe you could wire and build a thick enough floor to not need subfloor?

Copper was the only way back then and they did use plaster ... but it sat above the subfloor or they put it in the walls and ceiling

 

[The Cobbler]

.....

But this is not the friable sort of asbestos, so I wouldn't worry, unless you have plans to rip it up. ......

I would disagree and say it is friable

 

[Jim greengo]

I've seen electric heat buried in plaster before,but that's a new 1 to me.

 

[Jackfre]

Ahh, asbestos. It was a wonder drug and is everywhere on or in everything. I worked with a lot of it when I was a kid. In ‘72 when they came out saying that it was bad for you I was really worried about it. I fretted and fretted about it. I finished my apprenticeship in the pipe trades and began working power houses and decided I was looking at things the wrong way. I decided to look at it mathematically. you know, where two negatives equal a plus. I began working shut-downs on nukes and picked up a lot of “zoomies.” That is what we called the radiation that stuck around. 40+ yrs later the final tale hasn’t been told, but so far…
To the OP, I would be surprised if there wasn’t asbestos in it from that period. Without the test, you have to assume it is there. Pretty cool that the copper has lasted. I worked on a lot of what are called Campanella Homes in MA that were post-war copper in radiant system that sprung leaks. There are many many in the NE.

 

[claymont]

Hi all - I'm an architect but this is a new one. Was in the garage of a 1940's house in New England, heated with copper pipe radiant. The underlayment which was in contact with the top side of the floor joists looked like lath and plaster. This makes no sense to me and it made me wonder if it was some bygone form of thermal insulation aka asbestos. These are the pics I could get. If anyone is familiar with how radiant heat was installed back in the day please chime in!

The finish floor above is a mix of tile in wet areas and clearly new wood in living areas.

If it's easily accessible, I'd add insulation.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

But this is not the friable sort of asbestos, so I wouldn't worry, unless you have plans to rip it up. I'd probably just paint over it.

If that is ACM, it is DEFINITELY friable. Get it tested before you touch it.

Tommy