Asbestos is an umbrella term used to describe several naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have crystallised to form fibres. These fibres are resistant to heat and fire, as well as chemical and biological degradation. The material’s mechanically strong properties made it very popular within the construction industry, particularly for insulation, which is why asbestos was widely used across homes built pre-1999 (the year the final ban on asbestos happened in the UK). But, what was asbestos used for specifically? Pillars Environmental have put together the following guide on the top previous most common uses for asbestos to help you find out.
Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB)
A popular building material due to its fireproofing qualities, Asbestos Insulating Board (or AIB asbestos) became commonplace in the industry after World War II, particularly between the 1950s and 1980s.
AIB asbestos is a low-density board that was used for many fire-retardant applications, as well as general construction board products to protect and insulate buildings. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the most common uses for AIB asbestos were:
- Partition Walls.
- Fireproofing Panels in Fire Doors.
- Lift Shaft Linings.
- Ceiling Tiles.
- Soffits.
- Panels Below Windows.
What Is Chrysotile (White) Asbestos?
Chrysotile white asbestos is the only type of serpentine asbestos and the most commonly used type in the past. Serpentine asbestos has soft, flexible and curved fibres, which made it an ideal material to use for the following products:
- Asbestos Floor Tiles.
- Asbestos Cement Sheets.
- Roof Pipes.
- Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB Asbestos).
What Is Amosite (Brown) Asbestos?
Amosite brown asbestos was one of the more commercially valuable types of asbestos. It has amphibole fibres which are extremely fine, sharp, brittle and needle-like in appearance. This means much less exposure is needed to cause serious diseases in comparison with chrysotile white asbestos. Amosite brown asbestos was widely used in construction materials throughout the 20th century, including but not limited to the following:
- Asbestos Ceiling Tiles.
- Fireproof Products.
- Asbestos Gaskets.
Asbestos Floor Tiles
Popular flooring solutions for both domestic and commercial properties in the UK, asbestos floor tiles were well-known for their heat-resistant properties and became a common choice for building owners – particularly before and during the 1970s.
There are several types of flooring tiles which contained asbestos, including:
- Vinyl Floor Tiles.
- Vinyl Sheet Flooring.
- Linoleum Flooring.
- Laminate Flooring.
Not only did the floor tiles themselves pose a risk of asbestos exposure, but the adhesives/sealants used to fit the tiles also contained asbestos. These adhesives included products such as asbestos in bitumen, emulsion and mastics.
Asbestos floor tiles were usually made using between 2 and 5% chrysotile white asbestos.
Asbestos Cement Sheets
Most commonly used for roofing and siding, asbestos cement sheets were popular in older buildings, particularly those constructed throughout the 20th century. Strong, heat-resistant and malleable (to an extent), asbestos cement sheets were used widely across the construction industry for the following applications:
- Asbestos Garage Roofs.
- Asbestos Cement Roofs.
- Wall Cladding.
- Asbestos Guttering and Downpipes.
- Asbestos Flue Pipes and Drainage Pipes.
Asbestos cement sheets usually contain chrysotile white asbestos, but some older cement products (those made between 1945 and 1980) may contain crocidolite blue asbestos or amosite brown asbestos.
Asbestos Ceiling Tiles
A popular solution for commercial and institutional properties in the UK, asbestos ceiling tiles have durable and fireproof qualities which meant they were ideal for schools, hospitals, warehouses, etc. They were widely used between the 1940s and 1980s, meaning many buildings could still contain asbestos ceiling tiles to this day. They can usually be found in domestic or commercial properties built before the mid-1980s, particularly within:
- Basements.
- Bathrooms.
- Boiler Cupboards/Rooms.
- Utility Rooms.
- Offices.
- Schools.
- Warehouses.
- Hospitals.
- Kitchens.
Not all asbestos ceiling tiles will look the same. However, during their circulation between the 40s and 80s, their distinctive look was characterised by a unique pinhole mark, powdery surface, mild texturing and a square shape.
Asbestos ceiling tiles were generally made using amosite brown asbestos.
Asbestos Pipe Lagging
Heavily used across both domestic and commercial properties for decades within the UK, asbestos pipe lagging was often a first-choice material in the construction industry, due to its highly-effective insulation properties and its ability to keep pipes warm/insulated (maintaining their good condition). According to the HSE, asbestos pipe lagging can be found in heating systems around boilers, calorifiers or pipework.
Asbestos pipe lagging has several different appearances, but mainly has a fibrous material that flakes easily and can sometimes be covered in a protective coating – making it difficult to identify with an untrained eye. It will usually contain a mixture of chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite asbestos that is anywhere between 8% to 100% asbestos.
Asbestos Textiles
Asbestos textiles is an umbrella term for cloths, yarns, fire blankets and garments that had asbestos fibres woven into them in order to make them resistant to heat and corrosion. These products were made from 1884 all the way until the late 1980s and were often used to create rope seals and within electrical components.
Asbestos textiles were also used for day-to-day applications, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Aprons.
- Ironing Board Covers.
- Oven Mitts.
- Gloves.
Chrysotile asbestos was one of the most common asbestos types used to make textiles due to its fibrous nature, which made it easy to spin or weave into fabric.
Asbestos Textured Coatings (Asbestos in Artex)
Asbestos in textured coatings (artex), sometimes referred to as popcorn ceilings, was widely used in the UK between the 1970s and 1980s to produce decorative, textured and stippled/swirled/combed finishes on ceilings in both domestic and commercial buildings, particularly in homes and offices for example.
Asbestos in artex was generally made using chrysotile asbestos. The fibres in textured ceilings are extremely fine and not visible to the naked eye, which is why it’s very important to have your textured ceiling professionally surveyed.
Asbestos Roof Insulation
Asbestos was used across many various types of roof insulation products from the 1960s onwards. The particular type of asbestos insulation used for roofs was loose-fill asbestos insulation, which was popular in commercial, domestic and industrial properties. Other types of asbestos products used for roofing included asbestos soffits and asbestos in felt.
Asbestos Gaskets
Asbestos gaskets were frequently used for various industrial applications throughout the 20th century, due to its effective heat-resistance and durability. These industrial applications spanned several sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, construction and more.
Used as mechanical seals, asbestos gaskets were usually applied between two surfaces in order to prevent leakage. As they were so widely implemented, asbestos gaskets may still be in use, particularly within heating systems including boilers, pipes and other common plumbing systems.
Asbestos gaskets commonly contained between 70% and 80% chrysotile white asbestos. Gaskets designed for acidic environments were more dangerous, as they contained crocidolite blue asbestos.
Which Asbestos Services Do We Provide?
Here at Pillars Environmental, our licensed asbestos consultants provide efficient, reliable and thorough Asbestos Surveys (both Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys and Asbestos Management Surveys), Asbestos Management Plans, Asbestos Removal Management and Asbestos Re-Inspections.
Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Surveys
A Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Survey (formerly known as a type 3 asbestos survey, sometimes referred to as an R&D survey) locates all ACMs within your property before any planned maintenance, refurbishment or demolition works are due to take place and assesses their condition. Intrusive methods are necessary for this type of survey, in order to locate all ACMs, which is why an R&D survey may be recommended for older buildings that pose a higher risk of containing asbestos. This also means the premises must be vacant at all times during the survey.
It is a legal requirement for dutyholders with properties due to undergo refurbishment or demolition works to have an R&D asbestos survey carried out. This is because, if any ACMs are broken or damaged during these works, their fibres could become airborne and pose serious health risks to those exposed.
Asbestos Management Surveys
An Asbestos Management Survey (formerly known as a type 2 asbestos survey) uses a less invasive sampling approach than an R&D survey, and the premises do not need to be vacant during the survey. Our fully trained asbestos consultants will only ever extract samples in line with HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide and will help dutyholders remain compliant with the latest asbestos regulations by appropriately deducing the presence of ACMs within their property and sending them to an independent, UKAS-accredited laboratory for testing.
Asbestos Management Plans
An Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) establishes the process a dutyholder is planning on putting in place to ensure that everyone on entry and exit of their building is safe from the threat of asbestos exposure. Before an AMP can be put into place, it is a legal requirement for an asbestos survey to take place to locate and identify the presence, type and condition of any potential ACMs within the premises. If ACMs are detected, an AMP will be put in place to set out a list of strategies designed to manage the risks associated with asbestos within your building.
Asbestos Removal Management
Our Asbestos Removal Management services help you manage your site’s asbestos removal contracts. Our professional asbestos consultants have decades of industry experience working across large and complex projects, carrying out the following services:
- Preparing the specification for the works, ensuring full compliance with regulations and communicating your requirements to a list of contractors.
- Managing the tendering process, assessing quotations and vetting experienced and compliant asbestos removal contractors.
- Performing regular site audits to monitor progress and ensure the asbestos removal contractor you have enlisted is carrying out the work safely and compliantly.
- Advising and representing your interests in all site meetings to maintain agreed timescales and costs.
- Producing documentation showing the removal works were completed to a satisfactory standard at the end of the project.
Asbestos Re-Inspections
Asbestos Re-Inspections involve our asbestos consultants carrying out regular inspections of any ACMs in your premises that have been left in situ. Any ACMs left in situ within your premises have likely been left there due to being in an overall good condition. Our comprehensive asbestos re-inspection services simply ensure that their status does not deteriorate or pose a risk to the health and safety of building users.
How often our asbestos re-inspections must take place depends on many different factors, including material type, likelihood of disturbance, etc. The longest period between assessments is 12 months in most cases. Asbestos re-inspections are a crucial part of forming your Asbestos Management Plan.
What Types Of Buildings Do We Provide Asbestos Surveys For?
Get Your Free Asbestos Service Quote Today
Now you’re aware of the top previous most common uses for asbestos, if you are the dutyholder or occupier of a building constructed before the year 2000, if your property is due to undergo refurbishment or demolition works, or if you simply suspect the presence of ACMs within your premises – you should enlist the help of licensed asbestos consultants to carry out a safe and compliant asbestos survey, help you set out an asbestos management plan, support you with asbestos removal management or carry out regular asbestos re-inspections.
Our friendly and knowledgeable team, based across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, are always happy to discuss your unique project requirements over the phone, via email or using the contact form on our website. We can help you arrange any of our bespoke asbestos service packages, tailored to you and your domestic, commercial or industrial property. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote.
