Asbestos
Asbestos is a natural material that was used a lot in buildings between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was later discovered that breathing in asbestos fibres can make people seriously ill, so it’s important we do what we can to protect ourselves from unnecessary exposure to harmful asbestos fibres.
Though some materials in your home may contain asbestos, you will not be at risk so long as those materials are not disturbed or damaged in any way. For example, drilling or sanding materials containing asbestos could release asbestos fibres into the air. Please let us know if you have any concerns about asbestos in your home.
-
Where can asbestos be found in the home?
It is not always possible to tell whether something contains asbestos just by looking at it. Items that sometimes contain asbestos include:
Inside your home:
- textured wall and ceiling coatings, like artex
- floor tiles
- bath panels
- boiler flue pipes and pipe lagging
- duct and infill panels
- underside of stairs
- storage heaters
- fireplace panels and panels behind radiators
Outside your home:
- roof sheets and tiles
- fascia and soffit boards
- cladding
- guttering and drainpipes
- flue pipes
- garage and outhouse roofs
You should not tamper with any items you suspect contain asbestos. If in doubt, please contact us.
-
How we deal with asbestos
We have a register of known asbestos within council homes, where asbestos has been identified. We check this register before carrying out any works inside customers’ homes, arranging a new survey if the information available is not adequate. We have a team who are licensed to deal with asbestos. If you have concerns about asbestos in your home, please contact us.
-
Asbestos reports
We hold asbestos reports for some of the homes we manage. The information contained in these reports is based on what we know from the visits we have carried out over the past few years. If you would like more information about asbestos in your home, please get in touch.
Please note we do not hold an asbestos report for every home. Though asbestos may be present in your home, please remember it is not dangerous unless it is disturbed or damaged. -
Asbestos removal service
If you are a homeowner and have removed asbestos from your home, you will need to remove and dispose of the asbestos safely. We can offer customers specialist asbestos bags, including collection and disposal.
Asbestos collection is £231.76 and includes up to 10 bags of asbestos waste.
We can collect the following types of asbestos:
- bath panels
- ironing board heat shields
- asbestos panels or corrugated roofing sheets
- external drainpipes and guttering
We will include a guidance booklet with your bags. You must read this carefully before removing any asbestos from your home.
The asbestos should be double-bagged and completely sealed to prevent any fibres escaping. Please do not pack the bags too much, as they will need to be small and light enough to lift.
We do not collect asbestos waste produced from work carried out by independent tradespeople, as it is their responsibility to remove and dispose of the waste themselves.
If you would like to request an asbestos collection, or you would like us to quote you for the safe removal and disposal of asbestos from your home, please email asbestos@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk or call us on 01902 554220.