Asbestos in ceiling boards and walls: testing and removal

Where is asbestos found in ceilings and walls?

In ceiling boards, wall boards and the layers under the surface. From the 1950s to the late 1970s, soft, light boards with small holes or a pattern were put up in living rooms, kitchens and hallways because they dampened sound and were easy to fit. Hard, smooth fibre-cement boards were used on ceilings and as wall boards in utility rooms, basements, garages and under eaves. Both types can contain asbestos.

Under the surface it can be filler, plaster, sealant, some types of paint and wallpaper with a fibrous backing. As long as they sit undisturbed under paint or wallpaper, they release few fibres. Sanding, scraping, drilling and demolition are what send the dust into the room. If you are painting without sanding or scraping first, there is rarely any reason to do anything.

What does asbestos look like in ceiling boards?

You cannot see it. The fibres are mixed into the material and are too small for the naked eye. What you can see is the type and age of the board: soft, light boards with small holes from the 1960s and 1970s, and smooth, hard boards that sound like stone when you knock on them, are both typical places to find asbestos.

But only an asbestos sample can show it, and we do not judge it from a photo either. What an analysis covers is explained on the asbestos survey page.

What to do if you suspect asbestos in a ceiling or wall

1. Leave the boards up, and do not sand the wall. Broken boards and sanding dust settle throughout the home, in the ventilation and in fabrics.
2. Is a board already down? Then close the door to the room, and do not sweep or use an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
3. Have a sample taken. We arrange a small sample from an edge of the board, the filler or the plaster and a laboratory analysis. You get the answer in writing for each material.
4. Decide based on the answer. If there is no asbestos, your tradesperson can get started. If there is, you get a fixed written quote for the removal.

Can you take down asbestos ceiling boards yourself?

As a rule, no. Since 1 January 2025, demolition of asbestos-containing material requires an authorisation. Brief demolition work of a minor nature is exempt, and a ceiling across a whole room, a wall or a layer of filler that has to be sanded off is not that. Nor may a job be split into small ones to avoid the requirement.

What you may do yourself, and the rules on dust and waste when you do, are in the guide to the asbestos rules.

How we remove asbestos in ceilings and walls

We notify the Danish Working Environment Authority and work room by room. The room is emptied or covered and sealed off with an airlock, and we put it under negative pressure so air only flows into the room and out through a filter. Screws and nails come out first, so the boards can be taken down whole without being cut or sanded, and they are packed straight into sealed, labelled packaging. Filler and plaster are removed with tools connected to an asbestos vacuum.

Afterwards we clean the ceiling, walls and floor so your tradesperson can put up a new ceiling or skim the wall. By agreement, we carry out a clearance measurement of the air before the room is used again.

The waste is taken to the approved waste site your municipality directs, and you get the receipt with the rest of the documentation. If the work covers more than 10 m² or produces more than 1 tonne of waste, you as the client must also notify the municipality of the waste. We help with the details.

What does it cost to remove asbestos in ceilings and walls?

The price depends on the area, how many rooms have to be sealed off separately, and whether the boards can come down whole or are set in filler and plaster that has to be removed layer by layer. A ceiling in one room you can empty is the smallest job. Ceilings and walls across a whole floor, with furniture to cover, are a bigger one.

You get a fixed written quote based on your details, and if anything is unclear, we come out and look at it free of charge. If we find more along the way than the quote is based on, you get a new quote before we continue. More on prices for indoor removal is on the pricing page.