Asbestos pipe and boiler lagging
The soft, fibrous wrap found around old pipework and boilers is one of the more delicate materials we get asked about, because it can shed fibres if knocked or disturbed rather than cut cleanly like a sheet. Send us a photo and tell us where it is.
We will look, tell you plainly what you have and what needs doing, and if it turns out to need somebody with a licence, we will say so and tell you what to look for when you are choosing one.
- Over 12 years in asbestos removal
- Qualified & insured
- HSE Compliant
- Most jobs completed within a day
Fibrous wrap around old pipes and boilers
Lagging was used for decades as cheap, effective pipe and boiler insulation, and it is one of the most common things found wrapped around heating pipework in older buildings.
- Usually a soft, fibrous or corrugated-paper wrap, off-white or grey, sometimes finished with a canvas or painted outer layer.
- Found on pipe runs, boiler casings and old hot water cylinders, most often in basements, plant rooms and older domestic boiler cupboards.
- It can crumble or release fibres easily if it is knocked, cut or pulled at, which is why it gets treated with more care than a solid sheet.
- You cannot confirm what it is by looking. If you suspect it, leave it alone until it has been assessed.
What to do before anyone arrives
-
01
Leave it alone
Do not touch, knock, brush past or try to move anything near it. Disturbing it is what releases fibres, not simply having it in the building.
-
02
Do not try to wrap or seal it yourself
A DIY fix on a soft, fibrous material is more likely to break it up than protect it. This is not a job for tape, cladding or paint bought over the counter.
-
03
Keep the area closed off
If it is in a cupboard, plant room or basement, close the door and limit who goes in until it has been looked at.
-
04
Send us a photo
One clear shot from a few steps back, plus roughly where it is in the building, is usually enough for us to tell you what we think you are looking at.
We look, then we tell you plainly what it needs
Note
Lagging gets looked at in person before anything is quoted
A photo tells us what it probably is. Confirming it and working out how to take it out safely means someone standing in front of it, because the same wrap can behave differently depending on its condition and how much of it there is.
Whatever the visit finds, we will tell you plainly what it is and what needs doing. If it turns out to need somebody with a licence for that particular part, we will tell you that too, and what to look for when you are choosing them.
- Condition
- Whether it is intact, damaged, or already disturbed
- Location
- Boiler cupboard, plant room, basement, pipe run
- Extent
- A single fitting, or lagging running the length of a room
What people ask us
Can I remove pipe lagging myself?
We would not recommend it. This is a soft, easily disturbed material, and the practical risk of breaking it up while trying to strip it yourself is real. Send us a photo and we will tell you what your options are.
How do I know if my pipe insulation is asbestos?
You genuinely cannot tell just by looking. Anything fibrous or corrugated wrapped around old pipework or a boiler in a building of any age should be treated as asbestos until someone has looked at it in person.
What happens if I have already disturbed it?
Stop, leave the room, close the door if you can, and call us. There is no undoing a disturbance that has already happened, but there is real value in not making it worse and in getting it assessed quickly.
Is all old pipe lagging asbestos?
Not necessarily. Some older insulation is a different, non-hazardous material entirely, but you cannot tell which by eye. Treat it as asbestos until it is confirmed otherwise.
If there is more than one material in the job
Lagging often turns up alongside cement sheeting, floor tiles or a water tank in the same building. Send a photo of everything and we will tell you what each part needs.
Send a photo and we will take it from there
A photo and roughly where it is in the building is enough to start. There is no charge for looking and no obligation.