DIY and related content for the UK and ROI.

Welcome to the Asbestos Megathread! Here we will try to answer all your questions related to asbestos. Please include images if possible and be aware that most answers will probably be: “buy a test kit and get it tested”.

DIY test kits: Here

HSE Asbestos information

Health and Safety Executive information on asbestos: Here

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in construction materials. It is made up of tiny fibers that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Asbestos was used until the late 1990s in the UK, when it was finally banned. Asbestos may be found in any building constructed before circa 2000.

What are some common products that contain asbestos?

Asbestos was commonly used in a variety of construction materials, including insulation, roofing materials, and flooring tiles. It was also used in automotive brake pads and other industrial products.

How can I tell if a product contains asbestos?

It is impossible to tell whether a product contains asbestos just by looking at it (unless it has been tested and has a warning sign). If you suspect that a product may contain asbestos, it is best to have it tested by a professional.

How can I prevent asbestos exposure?

The best way to prevent asbestos exposure is to avoid materials that contain asbestos. If you are working with materials that may contain asbestos, be sure to wear protective clothing and a respirator.

What should I do if I find asbestos in my home?

If you find asbestos in your home, it is best to leave it alone and have it assessed by a professional. The best course of action may be to leave it undisturbed. Do not attempt to remove asbestos yourself, as this can release dangerous fibres in to the air.

The most significant risks to homeowners is asbestos insulation. This should never be tackled by a DIYer and needs specialist removal and cleaning. Fortunately it is rarely found in a domestic setting.

Morning everyone,

There are a huge influx of “is this a good quote?” and “how much will this cost?” posts recently. I have added a new flair “Quote” which I hope people will use. If you don’t want to see these posts, you can filter out certain flairs to never see these posts.

On the subject of posts with links to building survey reports, or questions like “my builder did this, is it acceptable?”…I understand these aren’t strictly DIY. I have added a “non-DIY advice” flair which is for anything housing/building related but not necessarily work being carried out by OP themselves. Again, please report incorrectly flaired posts.

I have added a rule to use the correct flair on posts. If you see posts without flairs, especially “quote” posts then please report them and I can either remove the posts or assign the correct flair myself. There’s no need for “wrong sub” or “not DIY” comments cluttering the discussion. Use the report button.

I’m considering removing the asbestos megathread and using this flair method with asbestos related posts too. Allowing people to filter them out entirely. Megathreads never get answered anyway.

I’m open to all thoughts and ideas so please post here with any ideas related to the sub!

PS. Images in comments are now allowed. User-assigned post flairs are now allowed.

After some way to protect my books, figures etc from fading from UV light, recently noticed one book on a shelf at 90 degrees opposite a window has faded slightly on one corner, but it's been there for years. Unfortunately my room is too small to move everything out of the way of the window, really.

But I don't want to darken the view outside much, and I'm not bothered about all this reflective stuff that stops others seeing and reflects heat. It's a double-glazed window, and I've read that apparently it can break if it reflects the heat too much. I'm assuming that the ones it's that privacy reflecting mirror effect that also reflects heat and that means one without that would be ok?

All the ones I've noticed on amazon seem to specifically be reflective privacy film which obviously isn't suitable. Do clear non-tinted UV films actually exist? Searching for it seems to bring up a few sites that SEEM to be that, but I can't find any photos or actual evidence of what they're claiming. There are 1-2 on amazon (like "Luxico" ones) but they're again something with no photos, the descriptions are fairly vague, and they've only for a few reviews.

Can anyone help figure out whats actually suitable for what I'm after?

So I would like to turn this old water tank cupboard into a storage area and would like to remove the plumbing going to the attic and cap it beanth the floorboards, also the other pipes shown in the pictures. Would it be safe for me to do this? I've loosened a nut on the pipe going into the attic and there seems to be a flow of water still. There are no water storage tanks in the attic, I'm unsure how to proceed. Thank you

https://imgur.com/a/LkVmlf1

I'm replacing my kitchen socket faceplates and behind one I found the backbox wasn't properly attached on the right hand side, which makes it impossible to fully re-secure the new faceplate.

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The wall looks to be plasterboard (or maybe tile backer board). It's hollow behind with a gap then the rear of the wall of the room behind. I'm not entirely sure where the screw to attach the left of box goes!

How can I properly secure the RHS of the backbox?

Due to a cancelled extension we've got around 1000 bricks spare in the garden that cost a reasonable chunk of money.

We've decided to use them building a raised planter, dimensions will be 30cm deep, 1m wide, by 7m long.

Would you go double skin, or single skin? I'm unsure. Length suggests double skin but it's only short. Have seen blockwork planters single skin.