Asbestos can be a silent killer, with not many people knowing about the material and its causes it is crucial to find out whether you’re at risk of asbestos poisoning in your home.

What is asbestos and how is it dangerous?

Having been banned in the UK since 1985, asbestos was once a well-used material that was used for homes and commercial properties. Worryingly, it was discovered to be extremely dangerous and life threatening, with the small asbestos fibres able to enter the lungs and cause breathing difficulty, tiredness, fever, and pain in the abdomen.

Asbestos has been the cause of death for thousands of people over the UK through the years and remains a cause for many illnesses and fatalities.

The mineral is particularly dangerous when airborne. This could occur once it’s been disturbed, such as during a renovation or demolition.

How do you know if there is asbestos within your home?

Asbestos is commonly found in homes built before the 2000’s, within roofing, insulation, and even in the casing of home products like ovens, hair dryers, and toasters.

With asbestos being such a key material in construction, it’s often found within multiple parts of a home.

To find out if there’s any asbestos in your home, a simple sample can be taken from your building to see whether it contains the fibres.

Are there different types of asbestos?

There are many types of asbestos. The two main things to look out for is whether the asbestos is friable or non-friable.

Friable asbestos is the most hazarders as this can be easily crumbled, then becoming airborne.

Non-friable asbestos is more commonly made up of other materials, making this harder to become airborne unless cut, or sanded down. With this type of asbestos, it is not always a hazard, however, it should be monitored in case anything changes.

What should you do if you think you have asbestos within your home?

If you find asbestos or think you may have asbestos within your home, this must be taken care of by a professional asbestos removal company. If the asbestos has to be removed it must be contained during the process as the removal can release a high amount of the asbestos fibres. Once completed, an air sample will be taken to ensure that there are no remaining particles.