Asbestos was a very common construction material because of its unique characteristics, versatility, and low cost. It was used for ceilings and ceiling tiles as a form of insulation, and soundproofing, and because of its fire resistance. It gradually fell out of use and then was fully banned in 1999 because of the risk it poses to human health.
If you have asbestos in your ceiling or ceiling tiles, then you can get it removed by a professional asbestos removal company. On average, you could expect to pay between £800 and £2,500 for this work (although there may also be other additional costs involved). The cost of asbestos removal can vary, however, depending on a variety of factors, such as the size of the ceiling, the amount of asbestos present, and how difficult it is to remove. Read on for our detailed asbestos removal cost guide.
At Asbestos SOS, we can help with your asbestos removal. Our experienced team will work with you to establish the presence of asbestos and develop a clear and detailed plan for removal. We will give you a thorough quote for the removal cost as well as a timeline for the removal process.
Many people don't realise that asbestos isn't man-made. It is a type of silica mineral that consists of tiny fibres. It is mined from the surrounding rock and merged with other substances to create a variety of different building materials.
There are six types of asbestos:
Chrysolite, amosite, and crocidolite are the three types that you are likely to find used in building materials. The other three were very rarely, if ever, used. Although there may be a small percentage of them present due to contamination at the quarry face.
Discover: What Does Asbestos Look Like
It wasn't always clear that asbestos was dangerous, although people did suspect that it may carry health risks many decades before it was finally banned.
The issue is that asbestos doesn't cause any problems immediately. Asbestos-related diseases only show up decades after the initial exposure. So it was initially difficult to spot the link.
When asbestos is disturbed, through sawing, smashing, drilling, and other activities, it releases its microscopic fibres into the air. These fibres are then inhaled or ingested. Because they are so tiny, they can't be expelled from the body so they remain in place. Over time, the presence of these fibres triggers a variety of diseases.
Many of these diseases are potentially fatal. Asbestos exposure is responsible for 5,000 deaths per year in the UK.
Asbestos was often used for ceilings. This was mainly because of its heat and sound-insulating properties. But it was also valued for its fireproofing attributes.
We are focusing here on asbestos that was used to create ceilings themselves, rather than asbestos used in Artex as a decorative ceiling coating.
Check out: Asbestos Artex Removal (Textured Coating) Cost
Asbestos ceilings and ceiling tiles were most often made from Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB). AIB is a low-density board that resembles and can be used in a similar way to a plasterboard.
It isn't made from pure asbestos but it has a higher percentage of asbestos than many other asbestos materials. AIB is most often made from amosite (brown asbestos) but can also be made of chrysolite (white asbestos). Crocidolite (blue asbestos) was sometimes used in early AIB boards.
AIB is 16-35% asbestos. Compared to the 10-15% asbestos found in asbestos cement, this is one factor that makes AIB one of the most dangerous of the asbestos materials.
The other factor that makes AIB dangerous is that it is highly friable. Friable asbestos is asbestos that can be easily crumbled with little force. When asbestos crumbles, this releases asbestos fibres into the air, which can then be inhaled.
Asbestos can't really be distinguished from other materials with the naked eye. Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) and asbestos ceiling tiles will look almost identical to their asbestos-free equivalents.
The only accurate method of identifying asbestos is through testing a sample of the material. This is known as an asbestos survey and is usually carried out by trained professionals.
Asbestos ceiling tiles and AUB will usually be light in colour, have tiny pockmarks, a slightly textured finish, and may appear powdery. The ceiling tiles are usually square and 2x2 or 2x4.
Asbestos ceilings and ceiling tiles can be found anywhere, but they were often used to create dropped ceilings in kitchens or basements to cover up ductwork.
If your ceiling was installed pre-1985 and consists of ceiling tiles or boards, then it is highly likely that it contains asbestos. Between 1985 and 1999, there is still a chance that there could be asbestos present. AIB boards and ceiling tiles were one of the last types of asbestos material to be banned.
If you are unsure if your ceiling contains asbestos and you would like to get the material tested, contact us at Asbestos SOS. Our team will conduct a precise and thorough survey to determine whether or not there is the presence of asbestos.
You aren't obligated to go through with asbestos removal even if you find asbestos in your ceiling or ceiling tiles. If an asbestos ceiling is intact and in place, then the risks involved in asbestos exposure are very low. This is because the asbestos fibres are sealed in place so can't be inhaled or ingested.
Because of this, some people choose to leave their asbestos ceiling where it is. The ceiling can then be encapsulated. This is where the ceiling material is enclosed using a special sealant or other material to seal the asbestos material fully.
Asbestos encapsulation is not a permanent solution but it is a way of managing asbestos risk in the medium-term.
It is a cheaper option than full asbestos removal and doesn't involve the same level of upheaval and work that removing asbestos does.
With that being said, asbestos encapsulation doesn't remove the risk from your home. The asbestos and its harmful fibres will still be present and still have the potential to become dangerous if the ceiling gets damaged or is disturbed in some way. This can be more of an issue with ceilings than other materials because AIB is so friable.
The presence of asbestos can also be an issue if you decide to sell your home. It will need to be declared to potential buyers and it can lower the value of the property.
Removing asbestos is not an easy task, and this is reflected in the asbestos removal cost. The asbestos removal process is time-consuming, requires managing a high level of risk, and needs professionals with the right level of training to undertake it.
Let's take a closer look at a breakdown of the likely asbestos removal costs from the start of the process to the end.
The first step in the process is to identify the presence of asbestos. This is done by having an asbestos survey completed. During an asbestos survey, a professional will carefully take small samples of the potentially asbestos-containing material and have the samples tested for the presence of asbestos.
In many older homes, asbestos can be present in more than one area. In these situations, a full asbestos survey can be conducted where several samples are taken from likely asbestos-containing materials throughout the property.
You don't have to have an asbestos survey completed. If there is a high likelihood that a ceiling will contain asbestos, you can go through with the removal on the assumption that it does.
You can buy at-home asbestos tests but these aren't as accurate as a survey conducted by a professional. They will know how to take samples safely, where to best investigate, and will ensure that the sample is handled and tested properly.
The cost of asbestos testing can vary depending on how much asbestos is being tested. On average, you could expect to be between £50 and £200+ for an asbestos survey.
If you opt for asbestos encapsulation over asbestos removal, then the cost will be lower. This is because work will involve fewer labour and material costs, take less time, and be less risky.
On average, asbestos encapsulation will cost between £8 and £25 per square metre.
This works out as:
If you opt to remove asbestos from your ceiling rather than encapsulate it, then you will be eliminating the risk of asbestos fibres from your home.
You will need asbestos removal specialists to complete the removal work. To minimise the risk from asbestos fibres, a professional team will use specialist equipment and techniques. You may sometimes need to leave your home while the asbestos is being removed.
The area needs to be sealed off. In some cases, a negative pressure environment can be created in the room. This means that the air pressure is lower inside the room than outside, preventing contaminants from exiting the room when the door is opened.
The asbestos specialists will usually try to remove ceiling tiles and Asbestos Insulating Boards (AIB) intact, as this reduces the asbestos dust as much as possible.
If there are screws, these will be carefully unscrewed and if there are nails, these will be seared with a knife to prevent any breakage to the board or tile. This can be time-consuming, but worth it in the long run to reduce the risk to everyone present. Then the tiles or boards will be lifted out as intact as possible.
The asbestos removal specialists will use full personal protective equipment (PPE) including respirators to minimise their exposure to asbestos dust. The removal of asbestos is when the release of fibres is most likely, so asbestos removal work can be dangerous.
Spraying equipment is used to keep the boards and tiles wet while the team works to remove asbestos. Fibres are less likely to become airborne when they are wet.
Once the boards or tiles are removed, they will be wrapped and bagged in asbestos waste bags. Because asbestos is a hazardous material, it will need to be disposed of by someone with a hazardous waste carrier's licence and in line with regulations.
Then the area needs to be made safe again. First, any dust or debris will be removed and bagged along with the tiles.
Afterward, the team will conduct a detailed cleaning using specialist cleaning equipment. Using an H-class vacuum cleaner with a powerful filter ensures that the asbestos dust and fibres are removed without causing more of them to become airborne.
The cost to remove asbestos is higher than encapsulation and when you look at how time-consuming the process is, as well as how much specialist equipment and knowledge is needed, it is clear why.
On average, the cost of asbestos ceiling removal will be between £50 and £150 per square metre.
This works out as:
The cost of removing asbestos isn't the only element to consider. Once the asbestos ceiling is removed, then you will need to replace it and bring the room back to a usable state.
Replacing a whole ceiling can cost between £400 and £1,000, depending on the size of the room.
You will likely want to redecorate the room once the new ceiling is in place. You may choose to use a professional painter and decorator for this work.
The average cost to paint a room is between £325 and £600, depending on the size of the room.
While the cost of removing asbestos can seem high, this isn't a situation where it is advisable to complete the job yourself. Is asbestos removal expensive? Yes, but it is also dangerous work that should be undertaken by only trained professionals.
There is no safe limit to asbestos exposure. Any amount of asbestos fibre inhalation can cause serious and fatal diseases such as lung cancer.
The removal of asbestos is the most dangerous time, especially for friable asbestos such as ceiling tiles and AIB. It is at this point, while the asbestos is being disturbed and broken in places, that the fibres are most likely to become airborne.
You should also consider the disposal of the asbestos. It is a hazardous material so can't be placed in your usual rubbish bin. It needs to be transported safely to a landfill that will accept it. Even moving the asbestos into your car and taking it to the tip will put you at risk of inhaling fibres.
Cleaning the room properly after the removal of asbestos is also a specialist task. Asbestos fibres aren't visible. So while a room can look clean, there can still be fibres present.
We are a trusted and experienced asbestos removal company, and you can be sure that any asbestos removal task we complete will be to the highest of standards. Our team is highly trained and knowledgeable about asbestos and its safe handling, removal, and disposal.
We will work with you through every step of the process and keep you fully informed of the asbestos removal costs from the very start. If you need asbestos testing, we will complete that survey and then develop a safe and effective plan for removal.
Our team will handle the safe disposal of the asbestos waste as well as a thorough and professional detailed cleaning to ensure that all asbestos fibres have been removed. We will also complete a final inspection.
If you suspect that your ceiling or ceiling tiles may contain asbestos, get in touch. We are ready and waiting to take your call and help you with the asbestos removal process.
Ceilings and ceiling tiles were commonly created using asbestos from the 1930s up until the 1980s. They were often created using the Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB), which was renowned for its insulating and fireproofing capabilities. Unfortunately, AIB is one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos material because it contains a high percentage of asbestos and is easily crumbled (which releases the fibres).
The asbestos removal cost for a ceiling, on average, ranges from around £800 up to £2,500. The cost will depend on the size of the ceiling, the amount of asbestos, and the ease of removal. There may also be other additional costs involved, such as an asbestos survey, the cost of a new ceiling, and redecoration costs.
This isn't a job that should be attempted as a DIY project because of the health risks associated with asbestos. A professional asbestos removal company will take all of the necessary safety precautions to ensure their safety and your own.
