How to tell if your home has asbestos (UK)

Asbestos can be a dangerous problem for homeowners as exposure can lead to some pretty serious health issues later on in life.

Unfortunately, it can be tricky to identify asbestos because the fibres can't be seen by the naked eye. The products need to be home tested if you want to be sure.

We'll take you through the common building materials that contain asbestos, as well as signs to look out for if you're worried about potential exposure.

Ultimately, if you're worried or not completely certain, always seek help from a professional. They'll be able to get the products tested thoroughly and remove asbestos if it poses too great a risk in your home.

So, let's take a deeper look into asbestos materials, the risks they pose and safe asbestos testing and removal.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of fibres used to fireproof and strengthen building materials. It was very popular in residential properties built or refurbished pre 2000, so can be found in plenty of common building products in and around the home.

Asbestos has since been banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in more than 50 countries around the world because of the health risks it poses. If inhaled, asbestos fibres get trapped in the body, which can cause some very nasty diseases including:

• Lung cancer.
• Asbestosis.
• Malignant mesothelioma.
• Stoke.
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Pleural plaques.
• Pulmonary fibrosis.

But don't panic straight away. You don't need to always be concerned about asbestos in the home if it's left undisturbed or undamaged. If it's left alone, it poses no problem as it won't get into the air.

You do need to be vigilant if you decide to carry out DIY, refurbishment or building works that might damage the asbestos in the building material.

Asbestos exposure risks

When a building or area containing asbestos is disturbed, the fibres will release into the air and get trapped in your lungs.

This can cause scarring, inflammation, damage to your breathing and some really serious health issues and diseases.

Where can you find asbestos in the home?

There are plenty of places around the home where asbestos could be lurking, both inside and outside your property.

Common building materials that may contain asbestos include:

• Pipe lagging.
• Loose fill insulation.
• Toilet seat and cistern.
• Asbestos cement water tank.
• Vinyl floor tiles.
• Textured decorative coating like artex.

You'll also find it in a number of different AIB building products such as:

• AIB partition wall.
• AIB behind the fireplace.
• AIB ceiling tiles.
• AIB interior window panel.
• AIB around the boiler.
• AIB bath panel.
• AIB behind fuse box.
• AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler.
• Soffits – AIB or asbestos cement.
• AIB exterior window panel.

Common external asbestos containing materials include:

• Roofing felt.
• Duct work.
• Insulation (including vermiculite insulation).
• Asbestos cement roof.
• Asbestos cement panels.
• Eaves.
• Carpet underlay.
• Caulking and sealers.
• Flues.
• Cowls.
• Fireproof materials.
• Gutters and asbestos cement downpipes.
• Window putty.
• Pipes.

What to do if you identify asbestos in your home

Because asbestos is only dangerous when the fibres are disturbed and released into the air, you don't necessarily need to do anything to remove it. So long as it's in good condition and is located somewhere it can't be easily damaged, you shouldn't need to worry.

Just to be safe, you should regularly check the condition of the materials to ensure they haven't been damaged or started to deteriorate.

Asbestos isn't always easily identified, so if you're unsure but think you might have it in your home, it's always better to consult a professional testing company.

Before testing asbestos fibres...

It's really important to wear protective equipment if you're checking for any potential asbestos material to keep you safe from any damage. After all, even the slightest asbestos exposure can lead to health issues later in life.

How to identify asbestos

Identifying potential asbestos materials in your home is really important if you're suspicious, especially for older homes that are more at risk.

So if you think your home contains suspect material, ask yourself these questions:

When was your home built?

Older buildings built before or during the 1980s are much more likely to contain asbestos as it was often used in the floor tiles, walls, ceilings, insulation and pipe cement.

Cement was a common material used at this time; the construction industry used it to help insulate buildings, as well as other key elements.

If you own an older property, you may have a cement water tank and pipes, which often contain asbestos. They may also have cement sheets, which may contain asbestos in the vent covers, light bases and cover traps. If they deteriorate, the asbestos fibres can be released into the pipes which can be very dangerous.

Corrugated roofing that contained asbestos was also common between the 1920s and 1970s. Not only that, cement roof shingles often contained white asbestos as well (also known as Chrysotile).

Also be sure to check when the materials were manufactured. If they were made before 1999, they're much more likely to contain asbestos.

What is your flooring made of?

Check if your property contains vinyl flooring tiles made with millboard or paper. If the flooring was installed between 1952 and 1986, it's much more likely to contain asbestos.

Do you have physical symptoms?

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen, which means it's a substance that is known to cause cancer. As well as mesothelioma, asbestos can also cause lung cancer, and cancers of the larynx and ovary.

Physical symptoms will often crop up if you've developed an asbestos-related disease, but they could sometimes take decades to appear. Symptoms include:

• A persistent cough that worsens over time.
• Shortness of breath including hoarseness and wheezing.
• Coughing up blood from the lungs.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Pain or tightening in the chest.
• Loss of appetite.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Fatigue or anaemia.
• Swelling of the neck and/or face.

Check the joints on the building

This is recommended for outbuildings like garages and sheds. Aluminium runners and asbestos sheets were usually joined together.

Make sure to check any adhesives that were used to join materials together for asbestos too.

Check the material's surface pattern

Most materials with asbestos will have a swirl or dimpled pattern on its surface (while newer materials will have a smoother surface, suggesting they don't contain asbestos).

However, you shouldn't take this as the final conclusion as it can sometimes be difficult to identify asbestos. If you're struggling, always consult a professional.

Check finishings and appliances

Common materials aren't the only type that may contain asbestos. In fact, it can be fact in a number of different other products found in and around the home.

Make sure to check the location of the potential asbestos material as well; places more exposed to damp have a higher chance of containing asbestos.

Asbestos surveys

Now you know the common signs of asbestos in your home, you'll hopefully have a better idea of whether or not you may be at risk.

However, the best way to tell if your home has asbestos is to get an asbestos survey. You should take samples to a surveyor for testing to be absolutely sure if your home does or doesn't contain asbestos.

Make sure you're wearing protective clothing including a disposable coverall, face mask and gloves to keep you safe.

To take the sample, all you have to do is cut a small square out of the suspect material. It doesn't need to be any bigger than one and a half inches, but make sure you cut right through the depth of it.

Then put the sample into a clear plastic self seal or ziplock bag. To be extra safe, always place this into a second bag before clearly labelling the date and room or area the sample has come from. You can also include the building materials.

The samples will then be sent to an asbestos testing laboratory to be tested. Make sure to include any details of the property as well as other important information like what the suspect material was made from and how old your home is.

Once you've taken all the samples, make sure you double bag the disposable clothing in appropriately labelled sacks. They'll usually be a red and clear coloured sack.

Once you've done that, you'll have to take them to a local asbestos waste disposal facility. If you're not sure where that is, contact your local council for more information.

Do you have to get an asbestos survey?

You're not legally obliged to get an asbestos survey for a residential property, but you do for public or commercial properties to meet Duty to Manage regulations.

Other ways to recognise asbestos materials

There are other kinds of asbestos tests to identify it in your home. For example, you could look for identification markers like asbestos mould.

Identifying asbestos mould

Asbestos can be moulded into various shapes and sizes depending on what it's used for. They can be moulded into sheets to make up walls, or even slates for roofing.

Each of these different moulds will have a different location printed with the manufacturer's information, which can help to identify if the materials contain asbestos are not.

You should look out for letter codes; AC means contains asbestos; NT means does not contain asbestos.

How long does an asbestos survey take?

How long asbestos surveys will take will depend on a number of different things, from the size and age of your house to the amount of suspect areas that need testing. The maintenance of the overall building will also have a part to play, as well as the type of asbestos survey you need.

How is asbestos removed?

How they remove asbestos will depend on a number of factors, including where there is asbestos present, the condition of the materials, and whether or not it's friable.

Friable asbestos crumbles really easily, so if it's reduced to a powder it can become airborne (and therefore start to pose health risks).

Whereas non-friable asbestos is tightly bound with other building materials, which means it'll take a lot more to make it crumble and become airborne.

If you want your home to be completely asbestos free, you'll need to get the asbestos removed properly. Otherwise you're leaving yourself exposed, and you might not see the impact for years to come, by which time it might be too late.

You should consult and invest in a professional asbestos removal company to get rid of it for you, as they'll be able to do a thorough job.

Summary: Always seek help from a professional!

If you find asbestos in your home, don't immediately panic. It's not dangerous if left undisturbed. However, if you do have concerns about work you're getting done to your home, or you're seeing signs and symptoms of asbestos exposure, it's always better to check with a professional.

They'll be able to carry out thorough asbestos testing to ensure your home is safe for you and anyone else that may live in your property.

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