Where is asbestos commonly found in properties?
Asbestos was a widely used building material due to its strength, fire resistance, and insulating properties. Its use was particularly prevalent from the 1930s up to the mid-1980s, with a full ban on all types of asbestos in the UK only coming into effect in 1999.
This means that any property built or significantly refurbished before 2000 has the potential to contain asbestos. It can be found in a surprising number of places, often hidden within the fabric of the building.
Here are some of the most common places asbestos is found in properties:
Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB):
This was commonly used for fire protection, heat, and sound insulation. You might find it in:
- Internal partition walls and bulkheads above ceilings
- Fire door panels
- Lift shaft linings
- Ceiling tiles
- External soffits (under eaves)
- Panelling around windows
- Ducts (e.g., service ducts in kitchens and bathrooms)
- Infill panels, wall linings, door linings, panels above doors, bath panels, and partitions.
Asbestos Cement Products:
This was the most widely used asbestos material and is characterized by its high strength and durability. It’s often found as:
- Roofing: Profiled sheets for roofing (especially garages and sheds), roof tiles/slates, roofing felt.
- Cladding: Flat or profiled sheets for wall cladding.
- Pipes: Downpipes, gutters, flue pipes for boiler systems (including domestic), air conditioning, and ventilation systems. Water and sewage pipes can also contain asbestos cement.
Other:
- Flat sheets for partitions, bath panels, soffit boards, fire surrounds, cold water tanks.
- Textured Decorative Coatings (e.g., Artex): Many textured paints and plasters applied to ceilings and walls, particularly before 1988, contain asbestos.
- Floor Coverings: Vinyl floor tiles: Asbestos was added to PVC and thermoplastic floor tiles.
- Cushion flooring Bitumen adhesive: Used to stick down floor tiles.
- Asbestos paper-backed floor coverings.
Thermal Insulation (Lagging):
This is one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos as it’s highly friable (easily crumbled, releasing fibres). It’s typically found:
- Around boilers and calorifiers.
- Around pipework (often covered in a protective coating or painted).
- In boiler houses and heating plants.
Sprayed Asbestos Coatings:
Used for fire protection of structural steel, these are fibrous materials sprayed onto surfaces. They are very rarely found in domestic homes, but were common in large system-built flats and around building cores like service ducts and lift shafts.
Loose Asbestos Cavity Insulation:
Loose-fill insulation between floors and in partition walls.
Drywall and Finishing Products:
Asbestos was used in drywall materials and joint compound (drywall mud) for durability and heat protection.
Fireplaces:
Asbestos was used in some fire surrounds.
Specific Appliances and Items:
- Warm Air Heating Systems: Some older systems contain asbestos.
- Electric Storage Heaters: Those manufactured up to 1976.
- Flameless Catalytic Gas Heaters: Up to 1988.
- Early ‘Coal Effect’ Gas Fires.
- Oven gloves and ironing boards: Some older domestic equipment.
- Seals on cooker doors and fire blankets.
- Some older appliances: Such as ovens, stoves, heaters, dryers, and toasters, as asbestos was used for insulation and fireproofing.
Important Considerations:
Age of the Property:
The older the property (especially pre-2000), the higher the likelihood of asbestos being present.
Condition of Asbestos:
Asbestos is generally only a risk if it’s disturbed or damaged, causing fibres to become airborne and inhaled. Intact and undisturbed asbestos is often considered safe to leave in place, but it must be managed.
Professional Assessment:
If you suspect asbestos in your property, especially before any renovation, demolition, or maintenance work that might disturb materials, it is crucial to always consult a qualified and accredited asbestos surveyor. They can identify asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), assess their condition, and advise on safe management or removal.
Never attempt to remove asbestos yourself.
