Just learned drywall used to have asbestos in it until the 80s

I was reading this old house renovation blog last night and found out that drywall manufactured before 1980 actually had asbestos mixed into the joint compound. That blew my mind because I've been tearing out walls in my 1978 fixer-upper without any mask at all. The article said some crews back then called it 'magic dust' because it dried so smooth and hard. Has anyone else accidentally remodeled a pre-80s house without thinking about this stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade61816d agoMost Upvoted

My 1976 house... did you test yours or just assume it's safe?

skylershah16d ago

Oh man, @jade618 that's totally fair to ask. My place was built in 1978 so right around the same era and I actually did test mine last year. I figured better safe than sorry especially with all the old wiring and stuff. But honestly what really made me worry was finding out my neighbors had aluminum wiring and had to rip out half their walls last fall. That story stuck with me and made me want to at least check what I was dealing with. My test results came back fine thank goodness but it was worth the peace of mind for sure.