Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that has been a popular building material since the 1950s due to it being a good insulator, with fire protection properties and protects against corrosion.
Asbestos has been used in thousands of different products in buildings and, if you live or work in a building built or refurbished before the year 2000, then it is very likely that some parts of the building will contain asbestos.
It is not always easy to tell whether something contains asbestos from how it looks, but some of the areas in your home where asbestos may be present include:
- textured decorative coatings like Artex,
- bath panels and toilet cisterns,
- vinyl floor tiles,
- boxing to pipes,
- cement soil pipes,
- cement rainwater goods (gutters and downpipes),
- soffits at roof level,
- corrugated cement roofing sheets.
Asbestos is perfectly safe if it is in good condition, intact, not damaged or sealed up. It’s in most older homes in the UK, and does not cause any issues.
Asbestos fibres can cause a risk to health only if disturbed and made airborne, e.g. through DIY, during building works or if accidentally damaged.
Never cut, saw, drill, break or sand materials containing asbestos.
We have an Asbestos Management Plan which sets out how we identify and manage asbestos in your homes. We also have our own in-house special works team of operatives and qualified asbestos surveyors.
If you are thinking about making any alterations or improvements to your home, you must contact us first. We will then arrange a technical inspection and sample any suspect materials before you start work.
Do not repair, remove or dispose of any material that you think may contain asbestos – it is illegal to do so unless you are properly qualified.
If you have any questions or concerns about the presence of asbestos in your home, then please contact us.