Asbestos Exposure

Homes are classed as being in fuel poverty when more than 10% of their income is used to pay fuel bills.

Nov

2023

How Improved Insulation Could Cut Those Troublesome Energy Bills

The percentage of households classed as being in fuel poverty in England is 11.1% according to a recent report by BEIS. The figures for Scotland are even more alarming with nearly 25% in fuel poverty according to the country’s housing condition report.

So if you find yourself struggling with your heating bills or even feeling the pinch you are certainly not the only one. The fuel poverty figures will be disappointing to a government that needs to increase awareness of energy efficiency to cut down on emissions.

Homes are classed as being in fuel poverty when more than 10% of their income is used to pay fuel bills. In colder climates such as those found in Scotland, people will generally require more energy to heat their homes than warmer parts of the country which perhaps partly explains why Scotland’s fuel poverty levels are higher.

One way to cut down spending on heating is to inspect how well your attic space is insulated. Insulation can degrade over time and damage to roof tiles may go unnoticed making the problem worse.

While the cost of insulation can seem high relative to the bills you are getting, over a period of time, upgrading your insulation will pay for itself and save you money on those heating bills.

Dec

2019

Does vermiculate insulation contain asbestos?

Should you be concerned if you have vermiculate insulation in your roof?

Vermiculate insulation is commonly used to insulate building roofs and walls. If you have vermiculate insulation in your home, you may be concerned by reports that some vermiculate can contain asbestos.

If your vermiculate insulation was installed after 1990 then you’ll be relieved to know that it is unlikely to contain asbestos. There is however a chance that older vermiculate insulation could be contaminated with the dangerous substance.

What is vermiculate?

Vermiculate is a natural material that expands when it is heated, making it ideal for insulation. It is flaky material that looks a little like grey, lightweight gravel.

Vermiculate and asbestos

In its natural form, vermiculate is not dangerous and does not contain asbestos. However, prior to the 1990s, most vermiculate originated from one mine in America which was contaminated with asbestos, later causing problems for over 35 million homeowners in the USA.

Unfortunately, vermiculate from the same mine was imported to the UK for use as insulation in our homes prior to the 1990s, so it is possible that if your home contains very old vermiculate insulation it could too be contaminated with asbestos.

How to deal with old vermiculate insulation

Asbestos is a very dangerous substance that poses numerous health risks. It is a known carcinogen and can cause a variety of serious lung diseases and health problems.

If you suspect that your insulation could be contaminated by asbestos, then it is very important not to touch or disturb it any way as asbestos is most dangerous when it becomes airborne.

Instead, seek help from a professional who is licensed in the removal of asbestos. They can then test for the presence of asbestos and safely remove the insulation if necessary.

Spray foam insulation

If you are removing old insulation from your roof, then it will need to be replaced with a new insulation material to keep your home warm, comfortable and energy efficient.

Speak to our team here at Metropolitan Insulation about the benefits of our spray foam roof insulation by calling us on 0800 028 4042.

Apr

2019

Common places to find asbestos in commercial buildings

If you own a commercial property that was built before the year 2000 then there could be asbestos lurking inside.

Up until 1999 asbestos was a common building material that was used for a variety of purposes in construction. After it was found to be linked to a number of serious health conditions it was banned from use and legislation was put in place to regulate its management.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 state that it is the dutyholder’s responsibility to determine whether asbestos is present in a building and then ensure that it is managed safely.

As the owner of a commercial property, you should ensure that a survey is carried out to assess whether there is any asbestos present in your building.

Where could asbestos be lurking?

Key areas of your commercial property that may contain asbestos include:

Sprayed interior coatings
Water tank
Insulation
Partition walls
Ceiling tiles
Vinyl floor tiles
Textured decorative coatings
Roof, gutters and downpipes

Asbestos insulating board is a fireproof material that was commonly used in ceiling tiles, partition walls, fireproof doors, and lift shafts. To the untrained eye, it is difficult to tell an asbestos board apart from a non-asbestos one.

There is also a risk that the exterior of your building could feature asbestos cement. Asbestos cement is simply normal cement with asbestos mixed in. It was often used in the construction of roofs, downpipes, gutters, soffits and flues.

What to do if asbestos is found in your commercial property

If a survey does find asbestos present in your building, then you will be required to take measures to manage the risk to protect yourself and the building’s tenants.

The correct action to take will depend on the location of the asbestos and its extent and condition. Options for management may include monitoring, maintenance, removal or encapsulation.

To find out about how our spray foam can be used to encapsulate asbestos in commercial properties,give us a call on 0800 028 4042.

Apr

2019

Asbestos encapsulation versus asbestos removal: which is best?

If you find asbestos lurking within your property, it’s important to consult an expert before deciding what to do with it.

Asbestos was a popular building material until it was found to be a dangerous substance and subsequently banned in 1999. It was discovered that fibres of airborne asbestos posed a significant health risk when breathed in.

If you discover asbestos in your property, then it is your responsibility to ensure that it is safely managed.

A couple of options available for managing asbestos include complete removal and encapsulation.

Encapsulation involves covering the asbestos with an impervious material that protects it from damage and prevents any fibres from becoming airborne.

Asbestos removal or encapsulation: which should I choose?

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) any asbestos in your property is safe unless it becomes damaged. Damage can be caused by drilling, sawing, sanding, tearing down, or otherwise disturbing the material so that fibres become airborne.

The right course of action will depend on the condition and extent of the asbestos in your property and a risk assessment should be carried out by an expert prior to any work being carried out.

Advantages of encapsulation

If encapsulation is deemed to be an appropriate course of action, then it has several advantages over removal including:

Can usually be completed quicker than removal.
Causes less disruption.
No need to dispose of hazardous material.
Affordable.
Minimal risk as asbestos is disturbed less.

If you discover asbestos in your property you should never attempt to remove or encapsulate it yourself. The Control of Asbestos Regulations require this work to be carried out by a trained and licensed professional contractor.

To find out more about how asbestos can be safely encapsulated using our spray foam solutions, give our team of experts a call on 0800 028 4042.

May

2018

When Does Asbestos Become Dangerous To Health?

Asbestos is a fairly inconspicuous material that often lies hidden within the structure of an old building and even if the material is disturbed you’re probably not going to see what does the damage with the naked eye. It’s important then to understand when and how asbestos becomes dangerous.

As you have probably gathered asbestos is dangerous when it is disturbed in some way and the dangerous dust and fibres are then allowed to escape into the air. If you’re close by then there is a risk that you breathe in the fibres which then pass either into your lungs or possibly your digestive tract as well.

Once these fibres enter into the lungs they can embed themselves into the lungs causing scarring which hardens the tissue and makes it difficult to breathe when the lungs are unable to expand and contract properly. Other potential dangers include rare types of cancer that are triggered by the presence of asbestos fibres in lung tissue.

The results are invariably fatal which is why asbestos has been banned in construction since 2000.

If you are concerned about asbestos in your building, we offer an encapsulation service which takes away the risk of asbestos being inadvertently broken up and leading to dangerous health consequences.

May

2018

Concerned About Asbestos Exposure?

Advice On How To Keep Yourself Safe

Most people are aware of the dangers of Asbestos exposure but few people know what to do when faced with the risk of contamination from asbestos fibres when it discovered. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to limit your exposure and keep yourself safe.

Be aware of what is dangerous and what isn’t

Asbestos is a dangerous material but only when it is disturbed and broken up. Asbestos can be presnt in the structure of a building for years without anyone knowing it is there or suffering any ill effects. It is only during refurbishment or other work is done that the asbestos is discovered. The kneejerk reaction for some people is to try and remove the material but that only increases the dangers. This leaves two safe options, get experts to remove it (expensive) or use a process called encapsulation which will add a protective layer around the asbestos so that it doesn’t present a danger.

Places where you are likely to find asbestos

Of course the best way to stay from asbestos is not to do any major refurbishment or building work on a property built prior to 2000 when the material was banned from use in construction. This isn’t always possible so if you are in any doubt contact someone who knows how and wher to find the material to check whether or not any is present in your property.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog