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This Asbestos Checker contains general information.

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Adhesives, dry powder mixes and asbestos

Asbestos can be found in adhesives like grout, sealants, putties and dry powder mixes.

Types of adhesives containing asbestos include:

  • asphaltic cutback - a black adhesive used beneath vinyl tiles and flooring
  • cement, furnace or stove cement - used in areas exposed to extreme heat:  boilers, stoves, chimneys, kilns, refractories, manufacturing plants.
  • duct adhesive - looks like duct tape or a sprayable adhesive. Used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
  • emulsion - used to bond wood to synthetic laminates like roofing or floor tiles
  • fibrous - a liquid adhesive applied with a brush or sprayer. The adhesive can break down over time and release asbestos-containing dust
  • lagging - a water-based adhesive used in heating and cooling systems to seal ducts and ventilation corridors
  • mastic – a liquid or glue used in construction, heating and air industries
  • sealants - used to join roofing materials.

Where to look

Where was it used

Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Community infrastructure and spaces, Agricultural & horticultural

Locations

Fireplace, Walls, Ceiling and ceiling spaces, Doors, Windows, Kitchen, Laundry, Bathroom, Floors and floor coverings, Mouldings and moulded products, Plumbing and drainage, Plant and machinery, Electrical and power boxes, Garage, sheds and dog kennels, Roofs and eaves,  Fences, Garden and backyard 

Known uses

To glue down floor tiles and carpet, fix wood to synthetic laminates and prevent leaks.

Manufacture information

  • Friable or Non-Friable Non-Friable
  • Period of Manufacture Pre-1987

1 of 7 images

AC Wall behind tiles and in ACM in grout
Unsealed asbestos cement sheeting and asbestos-containing crumbling grout exposed after tiles fall off the wall
Asbestos Cement Sheeting Behind Ceramic Tiles With Adhesive
Asbestos cement sheeting behind tiles, and asbestos-containing adhesive
Outdoor Tiles
Asbestos cement material in tile adhesive and grout
Under Carpet and Vinyl Flooring
Asbestos-containing adhesive under vinyl and carpet. The floor also contains asbestos cement
Carpet Underlay 2
Asbestos-containing, light-coloured hessian underlay  
Bathroom wall and floor tiles with toilet
Asbestos in grout around wall and floor tiles
Bathroom Wall Tiles
Tiles glued with asbestos containing adhesive and grout
 
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