Portacabin Asbestos

[Cadishead67]

Hi All,

When I was a kid I helped my dad to demolish a wooden Portacabin. He had got the thing from his job, they were getting rid of them in 1982. It had a black exterior and inside had panels that I now believe contained asbestos. They looked like plaster. I can't have it tested because it has long gone, demolished in the early 2000s.

Does anybody know what content and tyoe of asbestos these had?

I am paranoid about contracting an asbestos related disease and nowadays I always wear a respirator when doing any kind of DIY and I am obsessed about dust and fumes. However you can't control your childhood.

Best regards

[knitter]

Hi I know the feeling , we as a family helped build a pre fab garage with asbestos . My father cut a piece of the stuff for my ironing board which flaked everywhere . That was 50 years ago. Asbestos in my airing cupboard and in the soffits which were removed, asbestos in floor tiles . At one time it was so common, many houses had it .

I used to worry, but as you say now we are more aware and careful .

I don’t know what sort of stuff was in your port a cabin , sorry .

[Carnival567]

I spent the first two years of my secondary education in First World War army huts all having asbestos internal partitions which got cracked and broken at times. Not as bad as demolishing them, but I don’t know anyone who had problems as adults. I have bronchiectasis which has probably been caused by bronchitis and whooping cough I had as a toddler. I think you are very sensible to wear a mask when doing DIY. Has anyone ever suggested to you that you have an asbestos related condition?

[Cadishead67 in reply to Carnival567]

Nobody has ever suggested it. I have the occasional symptoms of asthma but a ling specialist in 2014 (who did a CT scan) said that she believed that I suffered with acid reflux which was affecting my throad and lungs. That definitely seems to be the case, if I get reflux I get symptoms of asthma.

However, no suggestion of any Asbestos related disease. My dad had COPD and sadly passed away from an unrelated disease last year. He worked in dust and fumes and smoked much of his life. That is why I wear a respirator when DIYing.

[Biker88]

At school we had asbestos mats in the science labs, in the 60s and 70s I worked with packets of loose asbestos used for insulation, in the 80s I was working in building were asbestos removal was taking place and the asbestos levels exceeded safe levels. So now many years later with regular X-rays for my aspergillosis and COPD there is no sign of the asbestos causing any problems. Try not to worry about it

[Alberta56]

When we had asbestos soffits removed the men doing it assured us that there is very little danger from the asbestos in this sort of board, as long as it is in good condition. Hope this helps a bit.