While renovating a bathroom in a quite old house in germany, we removed the cover holding the tiles on the front side of the bathtub and could not clearly identify the material. It seems to be interwoven strands of wood(?) with a dark paint covering them.
One person was afraid it might be asbestos paint – If someone here knows what it is, please help us satiate our curiosity and hopefully put that worry at rest.
Here's some pictures, tell me in the comments if I can provide anything else to help!
overview, a mat of dark strands
closer view of the edge, with some strands having partially lost their paint
Best Answer
It "could" be asbestos, but most likely it's Zementgebundene Holzwolle (cement-bound wood wool). It was used as a cheap, lightweight cover material. Heraklith was a popular brand across the German-speaking countries until well into the late 90s.