Identifying Asbestos
Types and examples of asbestos-containing materials
Asbestos in Building Materials
- Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels Chalkboards
- Spray-Applied Insulation Roofing Shingles
- Blown-in Insulation Roofing Felt
- Fireproofing Materials Base Flashing
- aping Compounds (thermal) Thermal Paper Products
- Packing Materials (for wall/floor penetrations)
- Fire Doors
- High Temperature Gaskets Caulking/Putties
- Laboratory Hoods/Table Tops Adhesives
- Laboratory Gloves Wallboard
- Fire Blankets Joint Compounds
- Fire Curtains Vinyl Wall Coverings
- Elevator Equipment Panels Spackling Compounds
- Cement Pipes Elevator Brake Shoes
- Cement Wallboard HVAC Duct Insulation
- Cement Siding Boiler Insulation
- Asphalt Floor Tile Breaching Insulation
- Vinyl Floor Tile Ductwork Flexible Fabric Connections
- Vinyl Sheet Flooring Cooling Towers
- Flooring Backing Pipe Insulation
- Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc.)
- Heating and Electrical Ducts
- Acoustical Plaster Electrical Panel Partitions
- Decorative Plaster Electrical Cloth
- Textured Paints/Coatings Electric Wiring Insulation
Friable Asbestos
- Asbestos-rope door gaskets in wood stoves
- Loose fill roofing insulation (not common)
- Spray-on insulation or soundproofing
- Low-density asbestos fibre board
- Insulation on hot-water pipes, domestic heaters and stoves (e.g. lagging)
- Backing material on floor tiles and vinyl flooring
- Carpet underlay (not common)
- Textured paints, decorative ceiling coatings
- Heat-resistant fabrics
- Brick and plaster sealants, fillers and some adhesive products
- Hail or fire damaged, or badly weathered asbestos cement materials.
Additional resources
Common locations of materials containing asbestos in a house (PDF, 4.8MB)
Example of a house with a concrete or clay (terracotta) tiled roofCommon locations of materials containing asbestos in a 1970’s house (PDF, 476KB)
Example of a house built in the 1970sCommon locations of materials containing asbestos in a commercial building (PDF, 583KB)
Example of a commercial buildingAsbestos: A guide for householders and the general public, Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, Canberra, 2012 (PDF, 3.10 MB)
Environmental Health Subcommittee (EnHealth)
Further information and resources on asbestos, are available on the Queensland Government’s website at https://www.health.qld.gov.au/asbestos/.