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Think you've damaged or disturbed asbestos? Talk to us straight away so we can work to make the area safe.
Asbestos safety
Asbestos is one of those words which might worry you, especially if you find out that asbestos might be in your home. However, it’s usually nothing to worry about, as this section explains.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is very strong, resistant to heat and chemicals, and it's also quite sound proof. This meant asbestos was used widely in construction between 1930 and 1980. However, as time passed, it became clear that when asbestos fibres are inhaled they can cause serious health issues.
What does this mean for you in your home?
If your home was built before 2000, there might be asbestos in the fabric of the building. This usually isn't a problem for your home or your health: asbestos is only dangerous when it is damaged or disturbed.
Do not carry out any work in your home that disturbs the fabric of the building without speaking to us
This is so that you don't disturb any asbestos that might be in the fabric of your building. By 'fabric of the building', we mean work to the:
- walls
- ceiling
- floors
- in the loft space
- behind the bath panels
- bath or toilet (or other bathroom features that we call 'sanitary fittings')
- outhouses
- garages
Where is asbestos usually found?
Outside your home
- Roof, garage and shed - in sheets, tiles or roof felt
- Gutters and down pipes
- Fascia (the band at the lower edge of the roof)
Inside your home
- Textured coating on walls and ceilings
- Floor tiles and adhesive – often concealed underneath more modern laminate or carpet – and may break up if you lift the floor covering
- Partition walls
- Panels beneath windows
- Cupboards around domestic boilers
- Panels behind electrical equipment, fires or heaters
- Panels on or inside fire doors
- Bath panels
- Gaskets and rope seals inside gas appliances
- Cold water storage tanks
You can also sometimes find asbestos in toilet cisterns and seats, fireplace panels, fuse carriers, old ironing boards, oven gloves and even toasters.
I want to work on my home and I'll need to drill into the building fabric. What do I do?
Get in touch with us in all the usual ways before you start doing any work.
We'll look at your plans and let you know what we think the next steps should be.
I think I could have found asbestos. What do I do?
Get in touch with us immediately. We'll take the next steps to make your home safe.
Stay away from any material that you think might be asbestos. Make sure nobody goes into the area where asbestos may have been disturbed - close doors and stay away from that area until the Trust have confirmed it's safe again.