Asbestos Found in Decorative Plaster

Using decorative plaster to embellish interior walls and ceilings was quite a rage in the houses built in the 1940s to the 1980s. One can find decorative plaster in ornamental cornices, footings and moldings, as well as acoustic ceiling tiles; walls were sprayed with decorative plaster to achieve a textured look. Little did the inhabitants of these houses know that they were using a potential health hazard that would gravely endanger the people living in that house.

Asbestos Exposure from Decorative Plaster

Decorative plaster contained white asbestos, also known as chrysotile asbestos. Though considered the least harmful form of this fiber, it nevertheless poses a health hazard. Even a single fiber inhaled by humans and pets can lodge itself inside the body and it is enough to set into motion a process that leads to a disease called mesothelioma (a fatal cancer), and also asbestosis, lung cancer, and other serious maladies.

The upside is that the decorative plaster poses no problem so long as it is intact. The thing that is dangerous is its friable nature that manifests when it is disturbed or damaged in any way for any reason. To prevent fibers from getting airborne, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises that decorative plaster be covered with paint. That will prevent any fiber from cutting loose and keep it stuck to the walls and ceilings.

In cases where homeowners are looking to remodel their homes, they are advised to recruit professionals to do the job. Experienced in asbestos management, they will follow safe practices to contain and remove damaged decorative plaster.

Decorative Plaster Containing Asbestos Fibers

Asbestos infection is a professional hazard for those who work with decorative plaster and have done so for many years. This would include:

• Persons in the building construction, renovation, and demolition business
• Construction workers who mixed plaster for decorative plaster
• Specialists who created special effects like scalloped plaster ceilings and other decorative uses of plaster
• Custodians and janitors in buildings with a great deal of decorative plaster
• Anyone who worked in factories where plaster mix was made or packaged
• Plaster workers and spacklers who created artex ceilings and walls
• Contractors and those in renovation and repairs who may have restored or replaced old artex plastered ceilings, particularly if they sanded the artex plaster away.

These are people in the high-risk category who must periodically test for asbestos-related diseases and contact a specialist as soon as symptoms manifest.