How to repair broken vermiculite manhole cover?

Question

Hi, a new unit block owner got a quote for asbestos & the requested company went into roof via laundry.

They broke the manhole cover & needs to be replaced.

how do we do that as the company has denied responsibility.

Also, the vermiculite in my unit has been wrongly painted over from leaks & looks awful. How to fix too please.

Dave-1 · Answer

Morning @Boze

Repairing the manhole cover as @EricL has suggested would be the easiest way to go, tho the crack will still be able to be seen.

Id actually be tempted to replace it with a smooth surface and paint it in a neautral color, your eyes will glaze past it over a few months compared to seeing the crack (even tho repaired) each time.

I really dont know how i would suggest to paint the vermiculite 😕 Maybe a spray paint gun done via a professional unless you are skilled I woud hesitate to go this route as you could be adding more of an imperfect look then what you are describing. I would potentialy start figuring out if its possible to remove it. I take it that leaks that have discoloured the surface have been taken care of? What do you mean by "wrongly painted over?"

Dave

EricL · Answer

Hello @Boze

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your vermiculite manhole cover.

The cover could technically be glued back together and a support piece drilled into the back. The only issue is the vermiculite finish, it's possible to place some adhesive into the crack and vermiculite pebbles dropped in to cover the crack, but you would never be able to match the paint finish as a special coating is often applied to the vermiculite then painted over. If you are in an apartment complex with strata, I suggest asking them if they have access to the trades person who did the original vermiculite finish. They trade's person should be able to give you the details of the materials used, or you could engage their services to repair the damage done.

In regards to the paint, I suggest looking for the maintenance manager of the complex as they would probably know the name of the paint used on your vermiculite ceiling. I'm currently unaware of a method to paint match such an irregular surface.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric