In all the surfing of the internet I’ve done on asbestos content, I haven’t been able to find any mention of 12"x12" ceiling tiles being grouped with t-bar/drop ceiling panels.
Asbestos not only was a very good insulating material, but it was a very good “acoustic” material, as well. Most concert halls prior to 1979 had acousting panels on the ceilings and walls. Those were commercial applications, though. Acoustic ceiling tiles are quite common in residential construction up to 1979.
When I was doing fundraising for the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera, both of them were in the process of replacing the asbestos acoustic panels (and tiles in the bathrooms and lounge areas) with new stuff. That’s why I was doing fundraising—unexpected expenses.
It’s okay to lump all asbestos-containing materials together since they all contain asbestos. That’s why they are called asbestos-containing materials, such as Johns Manville Transite used on water heater and furnace flues, brake linings used on your car, vinyl flooring, acoustic ceiling tiles, etc.
Put your ‘Marketing’ hat on for a minute. Wasn’t it you that said you like to ‘think outside the box’??? That’s all I’m doing here.
I’ve heard and read about asbestos pipe wrap, paste, tape, floor tiles, boiler wrap, furnice wrap, etc. I know about its fireproofing, heat resistant, and soundproofing properties. I know about the cops getting lung cancer from standing in the intersections…All this I have heard and read.
It sound like a lot of 12"x12" got tossed under the assumption they contained asbestos…
Anyway, I shoveled a lot of snow today so this is it for me.
Asbestos-containing materials are not something that need to be thought about outside the box. You’re trying to overthink it.
Nope. Only if other clues indicate so, e.g., age of structure and visual observation of the material. The picture you posted is of commercial acoustic ceiling tiles that contain asbestos, and you indicated that it is an older structure. Those are all the clues I need. No need to think any more about how they were installed. We didn’t know enough back then about asbestos to understand that we probably shouldn’t be damaging it with staples, nails, screws, etc., during installation.
Hope I’m not frustrating you with this, but I don’t believe I’m over thinking this. I’ve spent maybe 10-15 minutes over the last few days bantering with my fellow HI’s on this board about the subject tiles. Now if I was haunted by all the 12"X12" 's that might have been wrongly tossed…that might be over thinking.
You and I, and most everyone 2 weeks ago would have lumped all ceiling tiles together as probably containing asbestos. But you know what? I got a little curious about the smaller tiles because of the situation in my first post. So I started to do some searching (books, texts, internet). When I couldn’t find an answer, I threw it out on this board to my fellow HI’s. I was, and still am trying to document what I assumed was true. Am I trying to set the HI industry on its ear? Not a chance. I’m just trying to answer my own crazy little curiosity.
Now, now Russel, thats not a very ‘outside the box’ kind of statement! Did you really mean to type that? Don’t you agree its good to challenge what we think we know? Critique our assumptions? Shouldn’t we always be thinking outside the box ? Whether its asbestos, mold, metal roofs or EIFS? Or do we just think outside the box when discussing marketing?
So again, the question is…Does anyone have any documentation that 12"x12" ceiling tiles may contain asbestos?..regardless of how they may be attached??
Please don’t lump me in with that statement because I never would have agreed to that. Now if you put the type of ceiling tiles that you posted a picture of, along with the construction date of the building being before 1979, yes, I would have said that it probably contained asbestos. I use the word probably because someone might have done some remodeling in 1992 and replaced the ACM tiles with newer stuff. But I simply can’t ignore that construction date, preferring to err on the side of caution, health, and safety.
Sure, but one also needs the ability to know when not to challenge what we know we know.
Also remember that there were many 2’x4’ panels created to look like 12"x12" tiles, just like we currently do with vinyl flooring made to look like 12"x12" tiles.
Still think you’re ignoring the forest trying to find that individual tree, i.e., overthinking it. The forest is there; the tree died a long time ago.
As an Asbestos Inspector let me say a couple of things, first only testing can tell you for sure if a tile has asbestos or not; second there are a couple of tiles doesn’t matter what sixe 12 x12, 24 x 24, 24 x 48 that usually will test positive for asbestos one has a red coating on the back and the other has five hole pattern similar to the Chrysler logo. It also does’nt matter if they are stapled, glued or drop in type. Alot of times the glued tiles are not positive but the glue dots are positive so it all goes back to having them tested.
