What is this made of? Ceiling wood fibre board type stuff

[paro]

Hi All - I am trying to find our what the 1st floor ceiling is made of so I can look to replcace some of the boards that have broken down.  Can anyone give me a steer on what this is? It's definetely some kind of wood fibre and is probaly 15ish mm thick. The entire 1st floor ceiling is made of it. I need to try and replace like for like because of the texture. I did put some plywood in as a quick fix but it looks terrible.

 

Thanks, Paul

 

[Russdl]

Don’t really know.
 

If it’s definitely a wood fibre board it’s unlikely to contain asbestos but if there is any doubt you should get it tested. Asbestos was used in so many building products mid 20th century. 

[paro]

It never occured to me that it could contain asbestos. That's not a great thought given I spent a a few weekends up in the roof removing all the old glass fibre and mice.

[MikeGrahamT21]

Any photos of the other side of the board? (Loft side)

[paro]

You've got me at it now. I've found somewhere I can send samples to for not very much. Doing that today

[sgt_woulds]

Glass fibre is almost as bad as asbestos, I hope you wore a good mask!

 

Not to mention the zoonotic risk from rodent droppings...

 

I'm so glad that I don't have to crawl around in lofts anymore 🙂

 

 

[paro]

Some pics from when I cleaned things out. 

[paro]

5 minutes ago, sgt_woulds said:

Glass fibre is almost as bad as asbestos, I hope you wore a good mask!

 

Not to mention the zoonotic risk from rodent droppings...

 

I'm so glad that I don't have to crawl around in lofts anymore 🙂

 

 

I did for a change    I reckon I pulled out at least a couple of hundred dead mice. 

 

[Nestor]

Looks like hardboard due to the staining but It could be a type of Sundeala board, wood fibre pin board originally.

Is it slightly soft if you apply a little pressure to it from inside the loft?

Very impressed with your clear up, proper job.

[MikeGrahamT21]

Looking at the bare side, to me it looks like wood fibre board, its entirely possible though the texture on the other side could be artex which could contain asbestos, get a test done and you'll know for sure

[paro]

1 hour ago, Nestor said:

Very impressed with your clear up, proper job.

Thanks. It really was a nightmare to start with. I am most impressed that I didn't managed to put my size 13's through any of it. I would say they are relatively soft. There is a lot of sag in them now, to the point now where some are beginning to give way.

 

1 hour ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

Looking at the bare side, to me it looks like wood fibre board, its entirely possible though the texture on the other side could be artex which could contain asbestos, get a test done and you'll know for sure

Artex actually makes sense as the pattern is not consistent throughout. If that's the case I can potentially just replace with equivalent thickness of ply and try to replicate the pattern. 

 

 

[Redbeard]

21 minutes ago, paro said:

If that's the case I can potentially just replace with equivalent thickness of ply and try to replicate the pattern. 

 

why ply? Why not plasterboard?

 

Some of my sloping soffits have thin wood-fibre (40-50 year-old), plastered over, and almost certainly as an underdrawing to knackered lath and plaster (This year's job to remove and insulate with 260mm wood-fibre and lime plaster over (yes, had the structural calcs done!). The plaster on the aforementioned thin WF causes it to sag, so it looks cr*p.

[Conor]

1 hour ago, paro said:

Thanks. It really was a nightmare to start with. I am most impressed that I didn't managed to put my size 13's through any of it. I would say they are relatively soft. There is a lot of sag in them now, to the point now where some are beginning to give way.

 

Artex actually makes sense as the pattern is not consistent throughout. If that's the case I can potentially just replace with equivalent thickness of ply and try to replicate the pattern. 

 

 

You're not a proper DIYer until you've put a foot through a ceiling. 

Edited Monday at 12:03 by Conor

[kandgmitchell]

Does look like wood fibre board to me also.