What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a strong fibrous mineral, which can resist heat and chemicals. It was most commonly used in building materials between the 1950's and 1980's because it:
- resisted chemicals
- was fire proof
- was a good insulation material
Asbestos was finally banned in the UK in 1999. However, a lot of our housing was built before this time and some properties contain asbestos materials. Products containing asbestos can look the same as those that do not, so you should always be careful.
Where could asbestos be in my home?
Outside your home:
-
roof sheets and tiles
-
fascia boards
-
cladding
-
guttering and drainpipes
-
garage and shed roofs
Inside your home:
-
textured wall and ceiling coatings (such as Artex)
-
duct panels (access to pipework)
-
infill panels (above, below or next to doorways/windows)
-
panels behind radiators/heaters
-
floor tiles
-
hanging ceiling panels
-
panels underneath the stairs
-
toilet cisterns
Other items:
These are not the full lists, but include the places on our estates we usually find material that contains asbestos.
