Asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials until it was banned in 1999. It’s unlikely that any materials containing asbestos in your home will be harmful if you don’t disturb them. However, you should take extra care if you’re doing DIY or activities which could disturb them.
What we do:
- Asbestos register: We maintain a comprehensive register of all known asbestos in our homes and buildings.
- Management plan: We have a detailed asbestos management plan to make sure we manage and monitor any asbestos we know about.
- Pre-work checks: Before we start any major work, we check our register and, if necessary, conduct a survey to make sure we won’t disturb any asbestos.
What you can do:
- Never drill or cut: Don’t drill, saw, sand or disturb walls, ceilings, or other building materials. This is the main way asbestos fibres can escape into the air.
- Report damage: If you notice any damaged or deteriorating materials in your home that you think could contain asbestos, please contact us immediately.
- Let us know about your plans: Before you carry out any DIY or home improvements, please check with us first. We can tell you if the area is safe to work on.
If you’re concerned that anything in your home that may contain asbestos, contact us for advice on 0113 386 1000. We’ll assess the situation and take appropriate action to keep you and your family safe.
Here are some frequently asked questions from customers about asbestos:
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of small fibres. It was used in the UK in a wide range of building materials in an estimated 1.5 million homes until it was banned in 1999.
Many building products within a home can contain asbestos, such as:
- Some textured coatings – commonly known as Artex
- Some ceiling tiles and vinyl or thermoplastic floor tiles
- Rainwater and soil pipes
- Corrugated cement sheeting – usually found on garages and outbuildings
- Electrical Fuse Boards, rope seals or flash guard
- Asbestos pipe lagging/insulation
- Insulating boards, backs of doors or wall linings.
You can’t tell just by looking if something contains asbestos. We use trained surveyors to identify asbestos in different materials and we may have sent you a survey report about this.