How common is asbestos?

[GorgeousLadyofWrestling]

I hear asbestos and just panic but the more I’m reading, the more common it seems to be.

We have possible - probable - asbestos in our property. It’s a 1960’s purpose built flat. I’ve read that it’s ok as long as you don’t disturb it but we really need to update the kitchen and bathroom. There’s about 96 other flats on the estate and it’s reasonable to assume as they were all built the same way that they also have asbestos if ours does. From nosing on right move at the ones sold recently they all had modern kitchens/ bathrooms.

We have an asbestos company coming to test but I am just wondering about if those flats would have had the asbestos removed and if not - is it something you have to declare when selling? We had a survey done and it didn’t flag anything.

Is it on the walls? Plasterers tend to skim over it.

I think the most common place to find it is in Artex on ceilings and perhaps floor tiles. Most people skim over it on ceilings, leaving the next occupant unaware of what could be lurking beneath the skim coat.

Builders will just tend to rip stuff out. Regardless of the risks. I've seen builders saw asbestos water tanks in half and if you're renovating a house, they tend to just rip the ceilings down.

The asbestos company will give you any advice, hopefully you won't have any, but don't panic if you do.

It’s in a huge amount of British homes and gardens. As long it is encapsulated and undisturbed it is fine. Try not to panic.

BluTang, are you sure those water tanks were asbestos; i've not seen it used in those. could they have been fibre-glass type ?

We've got an asbestos water tank in our house (and vent pipe and artex). It's not worth removing.

I walked past a house which was having their bathroom renovated an saw the builders had sawn the exact same one in half. I think it even had a sticker on saying it was asbestos but I wasn't hanging around or getting too close to find out.
It was an ex council house so I think they labelled everything containing asbestos prior to it changing hands.

Thanks everyone. It’s possibly in a cupboard in the hallway. It’s a floor to ceiling cupboard that has a platform halfway across it. It held our cold water tank but we just had our boiler changed to a combi boiler and the tank was removed. The gas engineer that removed it said the platform possibly had asbestos in it.

The management company of the flats have said there’s asbestos on the walls on the outside but that’s their problem to sort out. But I suppose I am expecting it.

I don’t think the kitchen has been in since the sixties - it’s old but not that old. So it’s been updated since original build. If there is asbestos in the walls, is it affected by things like a new kitchen being installed if it’s simply a like for like installation? We need to move in a few years and only plan on modernising to a small extent - simple kitchen refit but nothing major like moving walls or the sink/ plumbing or anything.

Regardless of what other flat owners have done you are doing the right thing to get it tested. My father in law had asbestosis and it severely impacted his later years - he was a builder back when they were building those houses!