Where do you find asbestos cement?

Asbestos cement is mainly a mixture of chrysotile (white asbestos) and cement, moulded and compressed to produce a range of asbestos cement products. You can find asbestos cement in many places inside and outside buildings such as:

Asbestos cement roofs

These are mainly made up of large sheets of corrugated asbestos cement; they are commonly found on industrial/commercial or farmyard buildings, but can also be found as roofs on garages and sheds. They are often covered in moss and other growths as they’ve been there for many years, weathering & delapdation occurs breaking down the cement based sheet which often means a new roof or a repair.

Asbestos wall cladding

This has a shape and structure similar to roof sheeting, and is often found on walls/as walls of buildings with asbestos cement roofs different profiled sheets were used depending on the size of the roof, flat panels were also used to internally clad.

Asbestos downpipes, soil stack’s & gutters

The rainwater goods are often attached at the lowest point of the apex roof and used to divert the rain water (gutters), the vertical soil stacks usually external to the building until the wall penetration where it goes to the back of the W.C.

Asbestos cement flues

These may be found in boiler systems (including domestic) air conditioning and ventilation systems.

Asbestos cement and pitch fibre water and sewer pipes (below ground)

Drainage pipes, such as water and sewage pipes, were often made of pitch fibre. This is a lightweight and easy to handle material, made of wood cellulose impregnated with inert coal tar pitch. Asbestos cement was added to strengthen the material.