Asbestos can be a huge health risk and many people worry that they might have asbestos in their home. The truth is that it is possible you do have the material somewhere on your property. So how can you identify asbestos in your home? Let’s have a look.
How to tell if it’s asbestos
When many people think of asbestos, they picture the furry material used in roof insulation. However this is very misleading – firstly, not all furry roof insulation material is made from asbestos, but more importantly not all asbestos looks like this. Asbestos can be found in all sorts of materials from cement or sprayed coating. That means that, visually, it’s almost impossible to tell if asbestos is present in your home.
As a rule, if the home was built before 2000 then there is a chance that asbestos may be present somewhere in the property. So where are you most likely to find the material?
Common places you’ll find asbestos
Insulation and lining are two of the most common places you’ll find asbestos but it can be found throughout the house. Cement, vinyl floor tiles and ceiling finishes like Artex can all contain asbestos. Remember that even though asbestos can be exceptionally hazardous to human health if it is released, asbestos that is in good condition is not usually a risk. So there is no need to panic if you believe you have asbestos at your home.
Call in professionals
As you cannot know for sure whether a certain material contains asbestos, it’s always best to call in the experts. Having an asbestos survey can provide you with peace of mind. Any potential asbestos-containing materials will be sampled and sent to a lab for analysis. If those samples do contain asbestos then you can either arrange to have the material removed or you can come up with a plan so that the risk of exposure is minimised.