Asbestos is a well known hazardous material nowadays and has
been known as such for a good twenty plus years now. But there was a time when
it was considered to be almost a super material and used en masse throughout
residential and commercial properties. Unfortunately, it was used so frequently
that a lot of buildings still retain asbestos in many hidden areas. This needs
to be addressed by professionals who know how to safely remove it without
causing any health risks.
So, the question is, just where might asbestos be lurking in
your property? Here are a few examples of the most common places that asbestos
can be found, so you can then find out and if necessary, do something about it.
Firstly, asbestos can be found in certain types of cement.
There are tests and analysis that can be carried out, if a surveyor suspects
asbestos cement. This kind of asbestos can be found on cement roofs on larger
agricultural buildings, wall cladding, guttering of warehouses and cement
flues, found in some ventilation systems.
Asbestos, rather alarmingly was used in many textured
coatings of domestic properties, due to its heat protective properties. These
decorative touches were seen on both walls and ceilings. One of the better
known examples of this was Artex, which is now seen as potentially hazardous
and should be taken down; if it was installed before the late 1970’s when
asbestos was still being used.
Asbestos can be uncovered in floor tiles, which may be
laying unknown underneath carpets or laminate.
Certain textile materials contain asbestos and there may be
evidence of this behind a fuse box. They used to make fire blankets and other
heat resistant objects such as safety gloves from asbestos, because it had the
quality of repelling high temperatures.
Asbestos was often used as an insulation material too and
can be found under roofs of lots of buildings, both domestic and commercial. It
was also installed to create protection against fire to steel beams and under
floors where columns were found.
Other places that asbestos can be found to reside in are
within lift shafts linings, between partition walls, the panels of fire doors,
amongst boilers and other sorts of heated pipes, lagging, lofts, cavity walls
and in panelling underneath windows.
Hopefully this highlights just how much asbestos was used in
all areas of a property, so if you are concerned, then call in an expert and
don’t try to remove it yourself.
If you need an asbestos removal team to get rid of any asbestos in your home or business premises we would be more than happy to help.
