Although asbestos is banned from use in the United Kingdom, it is still found in many building materials in older homes. Asbestos is found in flooring, electrical wire insulation, and cladding, among other products.
If you have an older home and it hasn’t been renovated, you need to have asbestos testing done before doing any type of remodelling. Here are some ways to identify asbestos materials around your home.
Asbestos in Flooring
Asbestos doesn’t necessarily need to be removed from your house if the flooring hasn’t been damaged. However, if you want to replace the flooring, you may be able to tell if it contains asbestos by inspecting it.
Most floor tiles made before 1960 are going to contain asbestos and 9×9 tiles made after 1985 will probably have it as well. If you suspect that the flooring is made with asbestos, contact an asbestos removal company in Tonbridge to identify and remove it.
Asbestos Cladding
Many homes were built using cement cladding made with asbestos prior to the mid-1980s so if you own an older home, it may still have asbestos cladding. The cement cladding was formed as tiles or corrugated sheets. Since this material is not easily friable, as long as it isn’t damaged, you can have it covered with vinyl cladding to avoid the expense of having it removed.
Asbestos Electrical Insulation
Along with the many building materials that contain asbestos, electrical wire coverings were made with it as well. As long as the coverings are not damaged, they can remain in your home. Getting rid of them can be expensive as that would require rewiring your house.
If there are asbestos building materials or products in your home, contact asbestos experts to have them safely removed. Asbestos can cause cancer if not properly handled so let the experts take care of it.