It looks nice, I like the living room (or is it another room) with the exposed beam ceilings.

New roof is a big plus too.

I thought it looked really nice. Great yard, nice size and a new roof, too! That's a huge plus. There is only one thing you might want to take care of before you move in--if you have popcorn ceilings (which it looks like you do) see how much it would cost to have them scraped and sanded. It is a quick job in an empty house (and thus way cheaper) but takes forever with furniture. That popcorn stuff is no only fugly, it can have bad chemicals in it. Getting our ceilings scraped in our whole house took just one day and made a huge difference in the feel of the place.

I didn't know anything about popcorn ceilings. The look doesn't actually bother me, but a quick google search just freaked me out. I didn't realize that they could have asbestos (my father died from an asbestos related disease). If it did though, the last thing I would want to do is have it scraped or removed, making asbestos airborne is a really bad idea, imho.

Isn't some sort of asbestos testing normal or at least not unusual in house inspections?

Isn't some sort of asbestos testing normal or at least not unusual in house inspections?

I would hope so, and if it wasn't it was something I was planning on requesting anyway.

You'd want to get a reputable asbestos abatement firm to do the work, should it have asbestos. It will cost more to remove it if it does have asbestos, due to the safety measures and special landfilling required for asbestos containing materials.

Thank you, smonster. I know about that, but I appreciate you mentioning it.

I thought you might, but I figured I would anyway. Any pre-1980 house may have asbestos, which you also likely know, and even into the early 1980s, since it was US manufacturing that was outlawed and not the sale of ACM products thereof. And actually, since we import many building materials, even new buildings may have some asbestos. But as long as it doesn't become friable, it's NBD, until you have to renovate.

ANYWAY. Brain dump. I hope I'm not sounding alarmist or cavalier - neither of those is my intended tone.

Man, it's only 8 pm and I'm already showered and heading to bed. And it wasn't even a very physical day today, or mentally difficult, just emotionally challenging to manage the discussion around our problematic crew members.

I *will* sort laundry before I go to bed, though. ::resolve face:: The plan is to do it on the way home tomorrow, we shall see.

I thought you might, but I figured I would anyway. Any pre-1980 house may have asbestos, which you also likely know, and even into the early 1980s, since it was US manufacturing that was outlawed and not the sale of ACM products thereof. And actually, since we import many building materials, even new buildings may have some asbestos. But as long as it doesn't become friable, it's NBD, until you have to renovate.

ANYWAY. Brain dump. I hope I'm not sounding alarmist or cavalier - neither of those is my intended tone.

Thanks, smonster. That actually helps a lot. I see the word asbestos, and my brain just sort of shuts down. So the ceiling is likely not releasing asbestos in the air unless we mess with it? The aesthetics of it don't actually bother me.

Here's a link to an EPA document about asbestos, dated but still fairly accurate: [link] I would have it tested, so you know. If it is asbestos, then you just try not to disturb it. The asbestos would be in the spray-on coating, so it is friable (meaning that you can crumble it with light pressure and fibers can then become airborne).

I've about reached the end of my asbestos knowledge, really - I was trained to recognize it and know what PPE I need to wear to demo it safely, but I'm not an expert. I believe most diseases related to asbestos are due to exposure over time, and the EPA site backs that up. Here's a little more info from the American Lung Association - [link]

I don't think it's worth not buying that house because of it, as long as the ceiling is in good condition. If it does contain asbestos, you might want to price abatement just to see what it would cost. We are all exposed to little bits of asbestos every day, and our lungs generally do a good job of expelling it.

I'm too tired to sit up straight. Laundry's not getting sorted. Oh well. I got out the sorting bins, that's a baby step.