Is it dangerous to leave an opened ceiling exposed after a leak?
Cutting into old walls or ceilings without testing first can release hidden asbestos fibers into the living space. This leaves homeowners anxious about whether they should evacuate while the gaping hole and exposed insulation remain unfixed.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 23.1× more often in r/HomeImprovement than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Is it dangerous to leave an opened ceiling exposed after a leak?
- 1leaving the apartment until repairs are doneDid this help you?
- 2getting the material tested for asbestosDid this help you?
- 3wet mopping the area and running a HEPA air filterDid this help you?
- 4wiping up and mopping the dustDid this help you?
- 5relying on the contractor to spot anything and halt the jobDid this help you?
- 6assuming the brief exposure from a minor cut is harmlessDid this help you?
- 7Cover the existing material with a waterproof LVPDid this help you?
- 8Do it yourself by watching YouTube videosDid this help you?
- 9Using a putty knife to knock down high spots instead of sandingDid this help you?
- 10Using the wet sponge method while the mud is still partially soft to smooth it out without creating dustDid this help you?
- 11Washing the exposed clothes twice at homeDid this help you?
- 12Taking the clothes to a laundromat to avoid contaminating a personal washing machineDid this help you?
- 13Throwing the contaminated clothes straight into the trashDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I didn’t realize that you’re supposed to wear disposable clothes and throw them away - I figured you could just wash them. I’d *prefer* not to toss the clothes I had been wearing - and I don’t think there was any significant amount of dust on them.”source ↗
“Will this be a concern for me when I am sanding the skim coat-- especially on the first coat?”source ↗
“I also want to repair some cracks in the drywall so will have to cut out some of the drywall before I fill them in and mud over-- is this a risk?”source ↗
“I tossed my clothes in the trash. They were cheap and I didn’t want all that nasty stuff in my washer.”source ↗
“We just realized, too late, that maybe we should have tested for asbestos before having someone cut into the wall.”source ↗
“What extra steps or things should I do to make sure the asbestos doesn’t make it into the air when I remove the carpet and install the LVP over it?”source ↗
“Hi good people of Reddit, I was experiencing a ceiling leak this week and the plumbers opened up my ceiling to see where the leak was coming from. Good news, they fixed the leak, bad news, they left this gaping hole where I can see a bunch of insulation… I’m wondering if there’s any danger of breathing in asbestos while my ceiling is open? Should I find somewhere else to sleep until this is fixed? Thanks!!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 12Should I test old flooring for asbestos if I'm just covering it up?
- 6What to do if you find suspected asbestos during DIY
- 2Am I going to get sick from breathing in chemical fumes?
- 3How to fix an exposed HVAC duct after removing a drop ceiling
- 6How to get a landlord to remove popcorn ceilings with asbestos
- 9Ceiling popping noises and drywall screws showing after roof repair