Can wallpaper contain asbestos? The short answer: very rarely in the wallpaper paper itself, but asbestos is a common finding underneath the wallpaper and in skim-coated walls in homes built or renovated before the 1990s.
Skim coat - the most common asbestos finding behind wallpaper
A skim-coated wall means a wall surface where, instead of wallpaper or underneath it, there is a thin layer of filler applied directly onto concrete or board. Fillers from the 1960s to the 1980s often contained asbestos to improve workability and strength. Typical places:
- Concrete walls and ceilings in apartment buildings (slip-formed and precast buildings)
- The base filler underneath the wallpaper
- Skim coats applied over painted walls
See also our more detailed article: asbestos in wall filler.
When is a wallpapered wall a risk?
An intact wall that has been wallpapered or painted does not release fibres. The risk arises during renovation, when the surface is worked on:
- Stripping wallpaper by wet sanding or scraping - the filler comes away with it
- Sanding the wall before new filling or painting - the single biggest fibre risk
- Chasing channels for cables and pipes into the wall
- Demolishing board walls whose joints have been filled
How to check for asbestos before wallpapering or painting
- Check the year of construction - asbestos is possible in anything completed before 1994, and likely in buildings from the 1960s to the 1980s
- Take a sample of the filler - scrape off a small amount of filler from under the wallpaper (dampen it first). Instructions: taking an asbestos sample yourself
- Send it to the laboratory - the analysis costs 39,90 € + VAT and the result reaches you quickly by email
- Act on the result - negative: renovate as normal; positive: sanding and removal must be carried out as asbestos removal work
For housing company renovations and larger sites it is worth ordering an asbestos survey (from 119 € incl. VAT), so the surveyor takes samples of every suspect material in a single visit.
What about the wallpaper itself?
Ordinary paper or vinyl wallpaper does not contain asbestos. Rare exceptions include certain speciality wallcoverings and fire-protective coatings in public buildings. In a home, the things worth your attention are the fillers and adhesives underneath the wallpaper - they decide whether the renovation counts as asbestos work.