Buck Turgidson wrote:
I want to tear off my basement wood panelling, insulate with polystyrene,
and then drywall (even though my code office says that paneling is ok over
foam). However, the paneling is furred onto cinderblocks, and covering the
block is tar paper.

Does tar paper, from a 1961 house, usually contain asbestos? Is an
abatement contractor required? How friable is the stuff? I guess I need to
remove it because I need to "Liquid Nail" the foam panels onto the block.

I've cut a 1" piece to have sent to a lab for testing.

Thanks for any advice.

Asbestos never was a cheap filler material. When used in bulding
products years ago it was mainly to take advantage of the heat
resistance or fiber strength. In the case of tar paper, adding
asbestos wouldn't contribute any useful property to the product beyond
what was provided by the cellulose fiber. People I know in the
abatement business don't consider tar paper as a problem unless it has
been contaminated by known asbestos containing material. If your
sample comes back positive from the testing lab I would have some
serious doubts about their competence.
IMO. tear off the stuff and dispose in a huane manner and cease
worrying about it. HTH

Joe