Any Residential Property Built Before 2000 Can Protentially Contain Asbestos.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a natrually occuring mineral that is mined from the ground. In the UK, there are 6 types of asbestos, all of which comprise of extremely small, long and thin fibrous crystals. These invisible fibres that can be breathed in or rest on your clothes. The asbestos fibrous cannot be seen in the air or on your clothes, so you do not know they are there.
If materials that contain asbestos are damaged or distrubed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When people inhale these fibres they can cause serious diseases which cannot be cured. The most common diseases caused by asbestos are:
mesothelioma
asbestosis
asbestos-related lung cancer
These diseases will not affect you immediately – they often take a long time to develop. But once you have been diagnosed it is often too late to do anything. This is why it is important to protect yourself and others now.
3 Major Types of Asbestos
Chrysotile (white asbestos)
Amosite (brown asbestos)
Crocidilite (blue asbestos)
3 Minor Types of Asbestos
Tremolite
Actinolite
Anthophyllite
Asbestos was not totally banned in the UK until 1999, so any residential property built before year 2000, could have asbestos containing materials in them.
As the asbestos fibres are very strong, resistant to chemicals and heat, asbestos was used in many building materials for fire- proofing, insulation or as a bonding material.
Below is a list of the most common types of asbestos containing materials in the UK
High Risk Asbestos Containing Materials
- Sprayed Insulation/ loose insulation
- Thermal Insulation- Pipe or boiler insulation
- Asbestos insulating board (AIB)
- Asbestos coatings (surface coating used for fire/ heat or sound insulation)
These materials are risk high due to the asbestos content, and the ease of releasing fibres if disturbed.
These materials normally require a licence to work on.
Low Risk Asbestos Containing Materials
- Asbestos cement (AC)
- Textured coating (Artex)
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Asbestos paper & textiles
- Gaskets & washers
- Bitumen products
- Reinforced plastics & resins
These materials are generally classed as low risk and the asbestos was used as a bonding material, and the release of asbestos fibres is low.
These materials do not normally require a licence to work on.
Asbestos was not totally banned in the UK until 1999, so any residential property built before that, could have asbestos containing materials in them.
Possible Locations of Asbestos in UK Homes
Internal Locations
A. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) around boiler
B. Toilet cistern and seat
C. Vinyl floor tiles (VFT) backed with asbestos paper and bitimun adhesive
D. AIB or asbestos cement (AC) bath panels. AIB ceiling panels
F. AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler
G. Pipe insulation
H. Abestos insulating board (AIB) or asbestos cement (AC) partition wall
I. Asbestos cement water tank
J. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) behind fuse box
K. Textured coating (Artex)
L. Loose fill insulation
M. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) behind fire
N. Asbestos insulating board (AIB or asbestos cement (AC) interior window panel
External Locations
1. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) or asbestos cement (AC) soffits and fascias
2. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) or asbestos cement (AC) porch ceiling panels. Roofing felf
3. Asbestos cement (AC) roof slates/ tiles
4. Asbestos cement (AC) panels
5. Asbestos cement (AC) profiled sheets
6. Asbestos insulating board (AIB) or asbestos cement (AC) exterior window panel
7. Asbestos cement (AC) gutters and downpipes
Asbestos Testing/ Sampling
If you suspect or have concerns about a material in your home, then Asbestos Somerset Ltd can arrange for a trained surveyor to come to your home and take a sample of the suspect material to test for asbestos. The report will tell you if the sampled material has asbestos, and if so, which type of asbestos.
Asbestos Somerset Ltd will then be able to advise you on the safe management of the asbestos containing material or it’s safe removal and disposal.
Asbestos Surveys
If you would like to know if you home contains asbestos/ unsure where to look/ are buying or selling a residential property or carrying out any refurbishment works, then Asbestos Somerset Ltd can arrrange for a fully qualified P402 Surveyor to attend you home and carry out an asbestos survey of your property.
On completion, you will be given a report of the survey findings, detailing if any asbestos containing materials were found, plans with locations of asbestos, asbestos sample reports and recommendations on how to manage the asbestos materials.