What is Asbestos Insulation?
Asbestos insulation is a building material that was used to insulate the pipes, boilers and walls of many homes and businesses across the UK – particularly between the 1930s and 1980s. Asbestos was added to insulation due to its heat and fire-resistance, as well as its affordability. There are several types of asbestos insulation, including but not limited to:
Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB): Looks like flat, rigid polystyrene or plaster/insulation boarding at first glance, and is typically grey or beige in colour.
Loose-Fill Insulation: Has a fluffy but solid appearance, and is usually grey or white in colour with a hint of blue. Can look like lumps of clay to an untrained eye.
Pipe Insulation: Commonly has a white or grey appearance and a firm texture, resembling plaster or cement. Often wrapped in a protective cloth or metal.
Vermiculite Insulation: Small, grey-brown pellets of insulation that are often found in attics or wall cavities.
Sprayed Insulation: Has a thick and fibrous appearance, with viscous (can stick to things easily) properties. Sometimes covered with a protective coating.
As the nation became more aware of the dangers associated with asbestos, the use of it was banned in the UK in 1999.
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How Dangerous is Asbestos Insulation?
Asbestos insulation, or asbestos lagging as it’s also known, can contain up to 100% pure asbestos (depending on the type). The most common types of asbestos used for insulation were the three major commercial types – chrysotile (white asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos).
- Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB): Contains between 10 and 30% of chrysotile and amosite asbestos.
- Loose-Fill Insulation: One of the most dangerous types of asbestos insulation, typically containing up to 100% pure asbestos. Designed to be poured or blown into roof voids and attics, the free-flowing nature of loose-fill insulation’s fibres makes them spread quicker and easier than other types (when they are disturbed/airborne).
- Pipe Lagging: Can contain anywhere between 8-100% chrysotile, amosite or crocidolite asbestos.
- Vermiculite Insulation: Not all vermiculite contains asbestos, but the majority of it did become contaminated with tremolite and actinolite fibres during its prime. This occurred when it was being heavily produced in an American mine in Libby, Montana between 1919 and 1990. Zonolite® is the type to look out for, which can contain 1-5% asbestos.
- Sprayed Insulation: Widely known by the brand name, Limpet Asbestos®, sprayed insulation can contain up to 85% asbestos (often a mixture of chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite).
As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states, asbestos poses a serious risk to human health when its fibres are disturbed, they become airborne, and they are then inhaled. It won’t affect you immediately, but there is a risk you will develop mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer years down the line.
That’s why we would always recommend having a professional asbestos survey undertaken before any significant refurbishment or maintenance works are due to take place at your property, or if your property was built before 1999 (when the use of asbestos was banned in the UK).
Refurbishment, significant maintenance and demolition can disturb asbestos insulation, releasing fibres into the air.
How Does Testing For Asbestos Insulation Work?
Our asbestos specialists can provide two types of asbestos surveys (both of which include asbestos testing) – Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys (R&D Surveys) and Asbestos Management Surveys (AMS).
Offering you clarity and peace of mind, our experienced surveyors will only ever follow HSG 264 – Asbestos: The Survey Guide to ensure quality, safety and compliance during our sampling process. Once the survey is complete, we’ll send suspected ACMs (asbestos-containing materials) to a UKAS-accredited laboratory where professional asbestos testing will take place. These tests will confirm whether asbestos is present, and if so, which type of asbestos has been found.
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What Happens If Asbestos Insulation is Confirmed?
If the presence of asbestos insulation has been confirmed within our extracted samples, there are a few different options available to you. The suitable course of action will depend on the level of danger posed by the asbestos that has been found.
- Asbestos Removal: If the insulation is friable (crumbles easily under hand pressure), has become damaged over time, or you’re planning any renovation, remodelling or demolition works for your property, you should contact a licensed asbestos removal company to get rid of the material safely and lawfully. Our consultants can support you with asbestos removal management to ensure the process goes to plan.
- Asbestos Remediation: If the insulation is in a good condition, sometimes remediation can be safer than removal. To ensure you fulfill your legal obligations as dutyholder of the building in question, we offer professional asbestos management plan services.
- Asbestos Re-Inspections: If the insulation is in good condition, and is unlikely to be disturbed, it can be safer to leave it in place with regular asbestos re-inspections carried out to ensure safety and compliance. Learn more about our asbestos re-inspection services.
Qualified Asbestos Surveyors
As BOHS P402 and ConstructionLine qualified asbestos surveyors, our certified team can manage all aspects of your asbestos inspection needs. With over 35 years of multi-disciplinary experience, we’ve surveyed a wide variety of domestic, commercial and industrial properties all over the UK.
Highly knowledgeable on all of the latest health and safety regulations, our accredited asbestos surveyors can handle projects of any size, sector or complexity.
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Get Your Free Asbestos Survey Quote
If you suspect your domestic, commercial or industrial property may contain asbestos insulation, please don’t hesitate to contact our professional asbestos surveyors to get your free, no-obligation quote.
With offices based in Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire, we can offer expert advice and support for several areas across Great Britain.
