Thread: Asbestos?

The photo below is of a truss plate/gusset plate in an attic of a 1973 built duplex. Some of the metal plates have an asbestos-like covering on them. I was wondering if anyone can confirm if asbestos covers were used on truss plates? If so, I am assuming they were for fire protection of the plates? Maybe they are not asbestos and just designed to protect the plates from rust? Or are they to protect the plates from hammer strikes during construction? Several of them were missing but were not found laying around the attic.

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Originally Posted by Matthew Barnicle

The photo below is of a truss plate/gusset plate in an attic of a 1973 built duplex. Some of the metal plates have an asbestos-like covering on them. I was wondering if anyone can confirm if asbestos covers were used on truss plates? If so, I am assuming they were for fire protection of the plates? Maybe they are not asbestos and just designed to protect the plates from rust? Or are they to protect the plates from hammer strikes during construction? Several of them were missing but were not found laying around the attic.

No, there is no logical reason for asbestos covers on gussets. My guess is those are site-built trusses and the builder used some salvaged plates scavenged from somewhere.

I'd check carefully for any sign of failure. The pictures don't show any, but those plates look inadequate and the nailing is pretty random. Any sag in the roofline?

There were regular metal gusset plates behind this material covering them. The material was fastened with finishing type nails.

They may have been there for shipping purposes to keep a small gap between trusses.

I would not worry about it. The only sure way to tell what it is would be to remove some of it and have it tested.

That's what I told him - only sure way to know is to have it tested. Just didn't know if anyone on the forum had run across the same thing and had knowledge about this type of cover or maybe if anyone had ever had them tested.

A wild guess but the material looks like it could be cement asbestos board.

Whoever installed them may have thought it would help protect the trusses in a fire to keep the connections from failing......just a thought!

Originally Posted by Wayne Carlisle

Whoever installed them may have thought it would help protect the trusses in a fire to keep the connections from failing......just a thought!

My thoughts too ... let the wood burn, but protect the metal plates? Someone was not using their noggin on that one.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

My thoughts too ... let the wood burn, but protect the metal plates? Someone was not using their noggin on that one.

Give them cake!