What are the risks with asbestos and is it legal to have in a property?

[fairyfly]

Is it true it is of no harm unless moved and torn out?

I dont know about inside, but we recently had a check and one of my drain pipes is made of it, said it was fine because it wasnt damaged, just made a note of it.

afaik it is ok as long as not disturbed. We had a fire surounded taken out last year and they also had to remove the hearth because it contained asbestos. The roof of my mum's garage contains it but we consulted a surveyor friend at the time she bought the house who reckoned it was ok unless she wanted to do anything to it.

There are different grades, some are more dangerous than others.

The real problem starts if you disturb it in any way (eg. during refurbishment) or it becomes damaged.

Thankyou and is it rue that if it does get disturbed in a rennovation the area has to be sealed off and it taken away in sealed containers?

rickman has or is waiting for asbestos to be taken out of her living room, she'll know about it if she comes on or bump for her later

bump for freckle

our building at work is riddled with it and has little do not disturb the asbestos stickers all over it!

nice!

Asbestos is very dangerous and the removal of it is a specialist job. I have a haulage firm and we won't undertake asbestos work at all and will stop a job if we suspect it's about.

My understanding is that it only takes one bit the size of dust to lodge in your lungs to be fatal eventually.

But I also understand from the building work we did that as long as it is totally intact it is fine.