Lessons We Learn from Bridgerton

By now, some of you have read up on the asbestos trouble discovered in the rented London studio for the Netflix production Bridgerton. If not, then go to the link at https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/bridgertons-cursed-production-studios-abandoned-23234111. What a mess, and a dangerous mess at that. Imagine asbestos falling on your face, similar to what happened to a construction manager.

Let’s be clear that asbestos in old buildings, and old homes, is very common on both sides of the Atlantic and in many other locations throughout the world. It has been used a lot in building construction projects from the very beginning unto the late 1980s and potentially into the 1990s. Let’s also agree that the lawsuit involving the Bridgerton studio lease is not the first such dispute over who is responsible to clean up or deal with the asbestos. If you purchase or enter into a lease for an older building, ask that your inspector look for asbestos far enough in advance to your contingencies expiring so that you have time to understand and scope out any issues.

How common is asbestos in older buildings? Let’s use the manual issued in 1917 by Keasbey & Mattison Company for its Ambler Asbestos Building Lumber to help us out. The manual is not in good shape and has water stains but, hey, it is over 100 years old and still gets the point across.

To put the time frame into context, life in civilized society during 1917 was pretty tough. The world was three years into World War I and the Spanish Flu was beginning to make an appearance. One way to make people feel better? Asbestos.

Let’s take a look starting with our kids at their School Houses.

Okay, how about Assembly Halls.

Okay, well let’s go to the Theater instead. Well, maybe not as you have the walls and the curtain made of asbestos for fire protection.

With no place left, let’s escape to the bathrooms. Hold on as the toilet stalls were made of asbestos. That would be a lot of exposure for some of us. Also, this page includes a fire-proof Bowling Alley for those enjoying the 10 pins rather than the Theater.

If that was not enough asbestos to be exposed to as of 1917, here is a list of other uses of this particular board.

Even sink splash boards and steam boxes for bleaching underwear used asbestos. There was really no escape during 1917. And remember, the use of asbestos was just expanding as of this era and so a person’s exposure in the 1920s through 1970s would have been much larger.

In summary, the building involved in the Bridgerton dispute with asbestos is more the rule than the exception. Caveat Emptor should be your motto as a buyer or renter, even in those localities in which the Seller has a duty to investigate and disclose.

Let me know what you think of this Blog in the Comments Section or drop me a line at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com.