After reading the other asbestos thread it’s made me a little concerned about this stuff in my garage

It could be or it could be fibreboard. The only way to find out is to get it tested.

as above.

did you pull the rest down?

It was like this when we moved in, although the alarm guy has put a hole in it on the 2nd pic

Looks like Chrysotile to me. HSE Website

Best thing to do is get it tested. I originally thought you had to pay someone to come in to get suspected asbestos tested but then discovered you can send off the sample yourself… I used Cavendish Labs http://cavendishlaboratories.co.uk/

Give them a ring to confirm but it was just a case of double bagging a sample and sending it with a cheque…£15-£20 a sample although this was a while back; very professional service and they got back to me within 24 hours of the sample being received. Obviously careful bit is taking the sample

Does look like it although it’s possible it could be fibre board. Without touching it I can’t tell. Get it tested at a UKAS accredited lab. Where are you based?

If it is Asbestos it’s likely to be AIB due to the location and it’s use. This is predominantly brown and potentially dodgy. Get someone in rather than sample it yourself unless you have a p3 mask coveralls and sprayer.
I’m an Asbestos surveyor/analyst. Let me know if you need any more advice.

I’m in bolton, any recommendations for surveyors would be great

Try these, we have used them in the past Envirolab

Based in Hyde

Looks like Chrysotile to me. HSE Website

As the others have said it could be AIB. Get it tested, that’s the only way to know for sure.

Also a surveyor/consultant.

From the pics I would say it probably is, but like above, test result to confirm before deciding on course of action. Could be a strange fibreboard. My thinking from the pics is Chrysotile based insulation board, but could have Amosite or Crocidolite content as well. It’s not layered in the same way as your standard asbestolux board, but looks like older millboard. Date of garage? 1930’s?

The HSE website is a very good source of asbestos information. Don’t be afraid to get several companies opinions/quotes and make sure you know your basics/what to expect of a contractor/consultant before going with the cheapest quote…it may be cheap for a reason.

I have AIB in my garage (70s house) – undamaged but I need to get rid of it to do an extension – confirmed via a post away test of a sample.

Mine looks smoother/shinier than yours but then yours has clearly been messed with so impossible to say what it is for sure.

Several builders I had look at it beforehand reckoned it wasn’t asbestos…

FWIW, 2 quotes to remove from my garage at £1.7k

Can I join in?

Looking at having ancient floor standing boiler replaced and beginning to think that the boarding behind it may be asbestos based. I’m assuming it’s not a good idea to be guided by whoever I get to do the work.

Best thing to do is to get any suspect substances removed and double bagged.

Employ an oldie to do it. They’ll be dead long before any ill effects show up.

What littlegirlbunny said basically.

Your alarm guy has been a bit naughty to be honest.

If your results are positive I would recommend having it removed as soon as possible due its condition.

Unfortunately I cannot recommend any contractors in your area.

Rocket Tom – Impossible to tell as its fully sealed, is it possible to take a pic from the other side?

Rocket Tom – this is one where I would recommend getting a specialist in too (not me, I don’t mix work with cycling so I’m not touting for business, just don’t tell my boss I’m missing an opportunity ha!)

Looking at the pic there are a few things to question – how old is the boiler – does it have asbestos ropes, gaskets, loose fill insulation? What is the boarding (you are concerned about)? Is that textured coating or paper on the wall (textured coating may be asbestos containing), does the boiler have a flue, what’s the ceiling, and one that is rarely considered, but not improbable in an older residential property – are the pipes lagged beneath floor level/is there loose fill insulation and are you likely to disturb it.

It may just be a timber panel/relatively modern boiler/unlagged pipes, nothing to worry about….but then it may not be and, if you do have AIB there or even thermal insulation it would make a right royal mess if it isn’t dealt with properly. A boiler contractor has a legal responsibility to comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 even when working in a residential property, so your boiler man should be aware of this. However, I would say at least 50% have no idea of their own responsibilities under CAR2012 and a good deal that understand the law flout it anyway because customers just don’t want to know. Educate yourself and grill them about the asbestos factor if you do decide to leave it to the boiler operative to decide what to do!

Out of interest, where are you based, how old is the property and boiler?

PS – also check for panels under the boiler – it may be a replacement boiler installed sat straight on top an older insulation board panel

Sammaratti – can’t really access the back as it’s against an external wall. Don’t know if this pic helps at all?

Looks like asbestos board to me, but could be asbestos cement rather than asbestos insulation board. Wouldn’t give a definite without seeing it in real life.

That does look suspect to me.

I would recommend getting a company in to do a sampling survey. Make sure that they are UKAS accredited as any monkey can call themselves a survey.

Guideline for costing based on my company would be a £100 call out fee including two samples and a further £10 per additional sample.

Littlebunnygirl – Don’t know exact age of boiler but definitely in the ancient bracket! It’s a floor standing Ideal Mexico which is located in a cupboard in the kitchen extension and the boarding covers the entire end wall. Pipes are run above the concrete floor until the disappear under the original suspended floor. Oh, and I’m in Innerleithen.

Thanks Samarratti/littlebunnygirl, looks like I’ll be calling in the specialists!

Womp – for test I used Microtech Sciences in Blackburn – UKAS lab and about £20.

Looks very similar to the AIB we had in our garage. The best removal firm I found / used was Weldlag. They do a lot of work for local authority, schools etc. Very professional.

If you don’t need to disturb it, its fine to keep it there. Its only a problem if you’re doing something that release fibres into the air – drilling, cutting, whatever,

Rocket Tom could probably leave it in situ. Womp’s looks pretty disturbed and needs some action if it is AIB…..

Yeah, I was planning to rip the whole lot out to free up some space as I’m going to be putting in a new kitchen. The boiler and cold water tanks are currently housed in a fairly large floor to ceiling cupboard which I want to remove. I suppose in theory it may be possible to remove everything without disturbing the boarding and then construct a false wall which will still give me more space to play with.

Surveyor has just been to collect a sample and was fairly sure that we’re looking at asbestos cement here, which is the lesser of two evils – will have the results in a day or two.