Where Can You Find Asbestos?

Asbestos can be found in any industrial or residential building built or refurbished before the year 2000. It is in many of the common materials used in the building trade that you may come across during your work.

Industrial Property

Inside

• Sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls, beams and columns
• Asbestos cement water tank
• Loose-fill insulation
• Lagging on boilers and pipes
• AIB ceiling tiles
• Toilet seat and cistern
• AIB partition walls
• AIB panels in fire doors
• Asbestos rope seals, gaskets and paper
• Vinyl floor tiles
• AIB around boilers
• Textiles eg fire blankets
• Textured decorating coatings on walls and ceilings eg Artex

Outside

• Asbestos cement roof
• Asbestos cement panels
• Asbestos cement gutters and downpipes
• Soffits – AIB or asbestos cement
• Asbestos cement flue

AIB = Asbestos Insulating Board

Residential Property

Inside

• Asbestos cement Water tank
• Pipe lagging
• Loose-fill insulation
• Textured decorative coating eg Artex
• AIB ceiling tiles
• AIB bath panel
• Toilet seat and cistern
• AIB behind fuse box
• AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler
• AIB partition wall
• AIB interior window panel
• AIB around boiler
• Vinyl floor tiles
• AIB behind fire

Outside

• Gutters and asbestos cement downpipes
• Soffits – AIB or asbestos cement
• AIB exterior window panel
• Asbestos cement roof
• Asbestos cement panels
• Roofing felt

AIB = Asbestos Insulating Board

Common Materials That May Contain Asbestos

Asbestos can found in many of the common materials used in the building trade.  Some of these materials should only be worked on by a licensed contractor.

• Loose asbestos in ceiling or floor cavity
• Lagging
• Sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls and beams/columns
• Asbestos insulating board
• Floortiles, textiles and composites
• Textured coatings
• Asbestos cement products
• Roofing felt
• Rope seals and gaskets