The truth about asbestos in plaster.

Myth:"Any plaster made before 1981 contains asbestos"

Although the use of asbestos dates back for centuries,United States Gypsum, the largest manufacturer of plaster did not use asbestos in it's materials until the 1920's.

The before 1981 rule may refer to lead paint, but not asbestos in plaster.

Probably the most hazardous use of asbestos in plaster was the use of asbestos fibers in acoustic plaster that was used widely in the 1950's.

The main use of acoustic plaster was in churches and schools.

Acoustic plaster was a lightweight, soft plaster for ceilings that was mainly used for noise reduction in areas where people converged, for example in a church narthex and hallways in schools.

More about asbestos in plaster....

Backwards flashing causes severe rot near Leesburg, Virginia.

Veneer plaster basecoat in Washington DC

Note how the flashing is angled back toward the wall, driving water into the wall. I guess they didn't read my column on flashing windows.

Veneer plaster basecoat in Washington DC

The wood framing next to the window was wet and mushy like oatmeal.

6 year old house has a cement basecoat and a synthetic (fake) finish. Please click to see what I said about backwards flashing:

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Thanks for reading all these years.