Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in a range of building materials to make them more rigid and fire resistant. It has also been used in household products like ironing boards and oven gloves. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s.

Some areas in your home where you may find asbestos include:

• eaves, gutters and rainwater fall pipes
• boilers
• garage and shed roofs
• linings for walls, ceilings and doors
• insulation panels in some storage heaters
• bath panels
• central heating flues
• loose asbestos packing between floors and in partition walls
• floor tiles
• ceiling finishes