Asbestos Tiles??

[Albin]

Hi Folks,

I'm removing some acoustic tiles in my engine room to do a repair on the fuel tank and I was wondering if there is any chance they contain asbestos. The boat is a 1982 Albin 40 trawler. I've attached a couple of pics of the tiles on the off chance that would help.

Thanks, Jeff
Bedford, Nova Scotia

 

[BruceK]

Here in Australia, where asbestos was ubiquitous,[we built entire houses clad in asbestos cement sheeting (aka fibro) and purveyors of asbestos James Hardie Ltd had a city building proudly named "Asbestos House" ] there are labs which will analyze a sample,at modest cost. If you can`t get a clear answer, mask up (readily available!),wet the tile, cut out a small section, package it and find a lab.

 

[warfdog]

You can buy a prepaid test kit on Amazon. I tested mine. No asbestos just cellulose.

78 Taiwan Trawler - similar looking tiles.

 

[Benthic2]

If you are putting the tiles back afterwards, you are better off not getting the material tested. Ignorance is your friend here. You'l want to take precautions, which is primarily a respirator and good ventilation of your work space. In Massachusetts you have to notify two state agencies 10 days in advance of any asbestos work, fill out forms, pay fees, notify your local fire department and more. Then when you want to dispose of it it has to be wetted, sealed and brought to a landfill designated as "special waste" If you are going to dispose of the material you should probably get it tested and jump through all appropriate hoops, but if you are just going to put the tiles back, getting them tested will open a can of worms that is better left closed. If it were me, I would probably paint the panels with a thick oil based paint to seal them before reinstalling them out of an abundance of caution, but unmolested asbestos in good condition is not a health risk to anyone.

 

[rwidman]

There is a really good chance that these tiles contain asbestos.

How you deal with them is up to you. Me, I would wear a good mask, spray the tiles with water, pull them out, bag them and dispose of them. Vacuum up any dust, and then wet mop the area.

Replace them with new tiles when you're done.

 

[Keysdisease]

Asbestos stopped being used in many items after the Clean Air Act of 1970 that classified asbestos as hazardous. There is little chance your boat built in Rhode Island in 1982 has asbestos in those tiles.
Asbestos is not banned in the US, and is still used in specific items under fairly strict regulations. The Clean Air Act of 1970, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 both predate your boat and were responsible for the asbestos being removed from most manufactured items in the 1970's.

Remove them, they are not doing anything acoustically anyway. They absorb vapors and can become a hazard as they deteriorate. If you feel you must replace use faced acoustic foam, rigid fiberglass or mineral wool boards.

 

[Albin]

Asbestos stopped being used in many items after the Clean Air Act of 1970 that classified asbestos as hazardous. There is little chance your boat built in Rhode Island in 1982 has asbestos in those tiles.
Asbestos is not banned in the US, and is still used in specific items under fairly strict regulations. The Clean Air Act of 1970, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 both predate your boat and were responsible for the asbestos being removed from most manufactured items in the 1970's.

Remove them, they are not doing anything acoustically anyway. They absorb vapors and can become a hazard as they deteriorate. If you feel you must replace use faced acoustic foam, rigid fiberglass or mineral wool boards.

That's good to know about the Clean Air and Toxic Substances Acts. Albin was indeed headquartered in Rhode Island in 1982 but like most trawlers they were made in Taiwan shipyards so I wonder if a little bit of asbestos got slipped in under the radar of US agencies?? Seems unlikely but Taiwan standards were obviously different back then so one has to wonder.

 

[TJM]

Years back there was a similar thread on a different web site, most were deemed to be NON asbestos. I was concerned on my 1982 President made in Taiwan.

 

[Albin]

I just sent sample out for testing. I should know within 24 hours so I'll post the results in case anyone has similar concerns.

 

[Albin]

Years back there was a similar thread on a different web site, most were deemed to be NON asbestos. I was concerned on my 1982 President made in Taiwan.

I just heard back from the testing lab (super fast turn around). No asbestos was detected so that's a relief. I'm guessing most, if not all boats of that vintage would be in the same category.