Many
people have worries about asbestos, but undisturbed asbestos usually poses no problems. However, care should be taken to prevent
the release of fibres as they can cause serious damage to your health.
What is 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 such as ironing boards and oven gloves. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950s through
to the mid 1980s but wasn’t finally banned from use until 1999. Some of areas in your home where you may find asbestos include:Eaves gutters and rainwater goods, Fire blankets, 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.
Most people are exposed to low amounts of asbestos present in the atmosphere with no
ill effects. Asbestos fibres and dust are potentially very dangerous if inhaled in higher concentrations over a period of
time, when they can cause serious lung diseases including cancer. The symptoms of these diseases often do not appear for between
20 -30 years after exposure to asbestos.
What to do if you think you have asbestos in your home
It is very hard to identify asbestos, but if you suspect
that you are living with asbestos:
- Don't panic and leave asbestos alone, it's safe unless it's damaged or disturbed
- Never sand,
drill or saw asbestos materials.
- Always seek professional advice before thinking of removing asbestos materials.
- Do not attempt to remove asbestos
lagging, spray coatings or insulation board by yourself.
These materials can only be safely removed by a licensed
contractor
Sometimes it will be necessary to take a sample, for example to identify the type of asbestos. SEL are fully trained and
competent in sampling and surveying of all types of domestic properties.
Removing asbestos from your home
Search Environmental always advise against removing
ACM’s yourself.Call us now for free no obligation advice and let us help you!
