What does asbestos look like?

Before it was banned, asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials. 

Common uses in construction were for insulation, floor tiles and roofing, although it was used in a huge range of building products. Buildings constructed after 2000 are less likely to contain asbestos because it was banned in 1999. It is, however, always something to be aware of when you’re doing building or DIY work in the UK.

Besides building materials, asbestos was also used for many other purposes. It was used in ships, railway carriages, vehicles and in consumer goods. It was even used in cigarette filters and tobacco pipes.

All types of asbestos are highly dangerous. However, easily crumbling types of asbestos are particularly dangerous because they can release dangerous asbestos particles into the air more easily.

Here, we’ll look at what asbestos looks like in some common asbestos containing building materials.

Asbestos Artex

Artex is a trade name used to refer to textured coatings that are common on household ceilings and walls. They were used to create decorative patterns, such as swirled, stippled or shell effects. Asbestos Artex coverings were normally white when they were applied, but walls and ceilings made with Artex can be painted any colour.  

Artex coatings were used up until the 1990s, and any textured wall or ceiling coating built before the full asbestos ban in 1999 could contain asbestos. It is not possible to tell by looking at a wall or ceiling with a textured coating whether it is made from asbestos or not. The only reliable way to identify asbestos Artex is to have it tested. 

Professional testing is always required rather than using an at-home testing kit because of the risk of exposure if asbestos is not handled properly.   

You should always treat textured wall and ceiling coatings in houses built before the year 2000 with care. Any work to an asbestos Artex coating will need to be completed by an appropriately trained or licensed professional. 

Asbestos floor tiles

Asbestos was often used in floor tiles, including PVC and thermoplastic tiles. These may be found in old kitchens, pantries and corridors, or in other areas. In some cases, asbestos floor tiles are found underneath new flooring that has been laid on top.

What do asbestos floor tiles look like? It’s not possible to identify an asbestos tile just by looking at it. Asbestos floor tiles can look like many different types of materials, and the asbestos may not be visible. As with Artex asbestos coatings, the only reliable way is to have it professionally tested.

Asbestos was also used in other flooring products besides tiles. Be careful with all flooring products that could possibly contain asbestos. Some other products it was commonly used in are:

• Composite floor screeds

• Stair nosings

• Bitumen used to stick floor tiles down

• Asbestos paper floor coverings

• Flooring sheet materials

Just as asbestos floor tiles may not look like they contain asbestos, it is often very difficult or impossible to identify asbestos in other flooring products. All flooring products that you suspect might contain asbestos should be treated with great caution. Seek professional help if you are unsure whether flooring materials in your home contain asbestos.

Asbestos insulation board (AIB)

Asbestos insulation board, also called AIB, was used as fire protection in various places in buildings in the UK. Some common places to find AIB are:

• Internal partition walls

• Bulkheads

• Fire doors

• Plasterboard

• Soffit boards

• Around windows

• Ceiling tiles

AIB is often located between or behind other building materials.

As well as this, AIB might also be contained within other building materials, such as within wall panels or ceiling tiles. As a result, it may not be immediately apparent that a building material contains AIB with asbestos. 

Treat all locations where AIB is likely to be present in buildings built before 2000 with caution.

Asbestos pipe insulation

Asbestos pipe insulation is normally found on piping connected to heating systems, although it can be found on all types of piping. 

Normally, asbestos pipe insulation is a fibrous material. It can also appear like corrugated cardboard, as a plaster type material at joins and bends, or it can have other appearances. Asbestos pipe insulation may have a protective coating, or it may be painted, which can make it difficult to identify.

The best approach is to be cautious with all pipe insulation that could possibly be asbestos.

Asbestos pipe insulation is highly dangerous. It is easily crumbling and prone to breaking up if it is disturbed. Most work on asbestos pipe insulation is high risk and must be completed by an HSE licensed contractor.

All types of asbestos are very dangerous. Easily crumbling asbestos products are particularly dangerous because particles can become airborne more easily.

Asbestos cement roofing

Asbestos was often used to create asbestos cement roofing products. Corrugated asbestos roofing panels and roofing tiles are common examples. There are, however, many roofing products made with asbestos cement. 

Asbestos cement roofing products are often a grey, cement like colour. 

Unfortunately, it is not possible to identify whether cement based products contain asbestos by sight. As such, the best approach is to be cautious with all cement products made before the year 2000 that could contain asbestos.

Asbestos cement was also used for more than just roofing products. Some other asbestos cement products are:

• Undercloaks beneath roof overhangs

• Downpipes

• Gutters

• Wall cladding

• Water and sewage pipes

Seek professional help if you are unsure whether cement based products contain asbestos. 

Loose fill asbestos insulation

Loose fill asbestos was used as insulation before the dangers were realised. It is often found in between cavity walls, under floorboards and in loft spaces. It is a loose and fluffy material, and it might be blue, grey or white in colour.  

Loose fill home insulation is highly dangerous. You should always be aware of the risk of encountering it. It is easily disturbed and can release highly dangerous asbestos particles into the air. Be careful with all work in insulated areas of homes built before the year 2000. Pay particular attention when working in loft spaces, under floorboards and on cavity walls. 

Be aware that drilling into a feature containing loose fill insulation, such as a cavity wall, is highly dangerous.  

If you’re looking to replace your home insulation, be aware that your old insulation could contain asbestos. 

Seek professional help if you suspect you may have loose fill asbestos insulation in your home. 

The three types of asbestos most used in building materials in the UK are blue asbestos, brown asbestos and white asbestos. 

Tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite were used much less in building materials. Often, they are found as contaminants in white, blue and brown asbestos.

In this section, we’ll look at what each asbestos type looks like. Be aware, however, that asbestos is often very difficult to identify by sight. If you’re not sure whether you’ve encountered asbestos, you should always seek professional help.  

Chrysotile (white asbestos)

Chrysotile, white asbestos, was the most commonly used type of asbestos. It can be found in a huge range of building products. In its raw form, white asbestos is made of small, fluffy fibres that can be white, grey, green or yellowish in colour. You might be able to see small, fluffy fibres in building products that contain white asbestos.

In many cases, however, you won’t be able to see the fibres, such as in floor tiles.  

Some products that might contain white asbestos are:

• Vinyl floor tiles

• ‘Popcorn’ acoustic ceilings

• Roofing cement tiles and sheets

• Interior fire doors

• Pipe insulation

• Insulation materials

Amosite (brown asbestos):

Brown asbestos was widely used before 1985. The fibres in brown asbestos are brittle. Often, they are straight and rod or needle like in appearance, like other types of asbestos in the amphibole groups. In its raw form, it can be brown, grey or green. Like white asbestos, it is also a fluffy material. 

Some products that can contain brown asbestos are:

• Insulation boards

• Asbestos cement products

• Pipe insulation

• Thermal insulation

• Floor tiles

• Ceiling tiles

Crocidolite (blue asbestos)

As with other amphibole types of asbestos, blue colour asbestos fibres are brittle and often straighter and rod or needle like in appearance. The strongest indication, however, that something might be blue asbestos is a blue tint to the colour. Be aware, however, that it can appear in other colours, including green.  

Some products that might contain blue asbestos are:

• Spray on insulation

• Pipe insulation

• Asbestos cement products

• Ceiling tiles

• Fireproofing

Tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite

Tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite can be found in building materials, although these types of asbestos were less often used for building materials.

A risk with these types of asbestos is finding them as a contaminant in other types of asbestos.