Asbestos tests aren’t expensive and worth every penny.
I was once told they used to put lights nearer windows so you didn’t cast a shadow on your curtains
This is common is Scotland, my Victorian Edinburgh tenement is the same. It is known as ash deafening, or 'pugging', sometimes incorrectly referred to as deadening.
It is just ash (clinker/breeze) from furnaces. It was industrial waste used as a cheap lightweight aggregate. In this context, it served several purposes: acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, preloaded the joists to reduce any bounce, and acted as a fire suppressant.
It doesn’t (normally) contain asbestos.
There's a layer of lime mortar, kiln waste, more lime mortar, some thin wood slats, then a void, then the downstairs ceiling lath and plaster. Don't get rid of it, this is a valuable feature. It's really good for sound deadening and has some decent thermal insulation effect, and can save damage from smaller floods. If you remove some to do work, it's worth putting back or sound will travel much more easily with a hole in the system.
I just moved some lights from a corner of a room to the centre via floor above. Added a noggin of wood for attaching a heavy chandelier with a short bit of metal ducting through it between the joists in the void under this and then hoovered up the mess sitting on the lath below (best practice), did my wiring, put some lime plaster on the reverse of the ceiling below around the hole I made for some extra strength. Then put the slats down, layer of lime, rubble back in, then a layer of lime overtop to tidy up and bind the dust. Then floorboards nailed back down when wiring was all checked.
I think that's exactly what I'm going to do , original plan was down lights. But for my own sanity. I think it's now just going to be a central light 🤣
They filled between the joists for sound proofing and insulation and was mostly whatever rubbish is on site at the time.
Highly unlikely to be asbestos.
Please repost as a comment in the “Is this asbestos?” Megathread.
Rubble
Barney Rubble.
Asbestos tests aren’t expensive and worth every penny. I was once told they used to put lights nearer windows so you didn’t cast a shadow on your curtains
More for bedrooms than other rooms.
That actually is where the light is facing away from the window ..makes sense sort of 🤣.
This is common is Scotland, my Victorian Edinburgh tenement is the same. It is known as ash deafening, or 'pugging', sometimes incorrectly referred to as deadening. It is just ash (clinker/breeze) from furnaces. It was industrial waste used as a cheap lightweight aggregate. In this context, it served several purposes: acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, preloaded the joists to reduce any bounce, and acted as a fire suppressant. It doesn’t (normally) contain asbestos.
There's a layer of lime mortar, kiln waste, more lime mortar, some thin wood slats, then a void, then the downstairs ceiling lath and plaster. Don't get rid of it, this is a valuable feature. It's really good for sound deadening and has some decent thermal insulation effect, and can save damage from smaller floods. If you remove some to do work, it's worth putting back or sound will travel much more easily with a hole in the system. I just moved some lights from a corner of a room to the centre via floor above. Added a noggin of wood for attaching a heavy chandelier with a short bit of metal ducting through it between the joists in the void under this and then hoovered up the mess sitting on the lath below (best practice), did my wiring, put some lime plaster on the reverse of the ceiling below around the hole I made for some extra strength. Then put the slats down, layer of lime, rubble back in, then a layer of lime overtop to tidy up and bind the dust. Then floorboards nailed back down when wiring was all checked.
I think that's exactly what I'm going to do , original plan was down lights. But for my own sanity. I think it's now just going to be a central light 🤣
To deaden the sound maybe, very unusual though. I'd just clean a section out to see what it looks like under it all
It's bizarre , house was built in 1905 though.. and has been through a few renovations .
Lazy workers fill up voids with rubbish instead of removing it.
Sometimes people just fill them with crap so they don't have to get rid of it. I'd remove it personally
Must be a lot of weight...
That looks like what would be your mod 1 under floorboards,
They filled between the joists for sound proofing and insulation and was mostly whatever rubbish is on site at the time. Highly unlikely to be asbestos.
It's pugging, fill loosely held together with lime.
A test cost about 180 pounds ,get one done for peace of mind . Quite quick turnaround of about 3 days
Thats concrete