Asbestos was used in many building materials due to its thermal insulation properties, chemical and thermal stability, and its high tensile strength. If your house was built before the 1980s, there is a strong chance that some building materials in your home could contain it, and these materials need to be removed immediately. There’s also a chance that any building materials you have stockpiled and stored have also been compromised.

It’s important to remember that asbestos fibres can be distributed into the air if you perform DIY projects or renovations and that they can also be spread as a result of blowing wind, rain or storm damage. This is why you need to be aware of which products and building materials have been used in your home that could contain asbestos, and if they’re currently in the position to be compromised. As a top local asbestos removal company, we can tell you everything you need to know about where you should start looking.

Asbestos can be found in older houses in the following building materials. Make sure to check both your home and every structure on your property for the following:

  • Cement roofing and siding shingles
  • Textured paint and plastering/patching materials
  • Insulation
  • Some vinyl floor tiles, sheet flooring and adhesives
  • Asbestos paper, cement sheets or millboard (in walls and the floors surrounding wood burning stoves)
  • Boilers
  • Insulation for oil and coal furnaces
  • Insulation around hot water and steam pipes
  • Soundproofing materials
  • Decorative materials

Fortunately, if you have items in your living or working spaces that contain asbestos, it doesn’t become hazardous unless it is damaged or exposed to the air. If it’s still intact, you’ll be safe and could even safely live with it on your property for decades to come without any risk to you or your family.

Asbestos exposure causes disastrous illnesses in the lungs. If you come across materials or items in your home which contains it, you should call in a local asbestos removal company to dispose of it. They are qualified, licensed and experienced to remove hazardous waste, and they’ll get the job done quicker and easier than if you attempt the task yourself.