Asbestos insulation and insulating board.

Asbestos insulating board (AIB)

AIB is a low-density rigid board used for internal fire protection, partitioning and soffits. Manufactured in Ireland and the UK from the 1950s through to about 1980.

What to look for:

• Light grey to off-white rigid boards, typically 9–12 mm thick.
• Softer than cement sheet — fibrous when scratched.
• Sometimes painted (often a single coat of magnolia or cream).
• Common ceiling tile sizes: 600 × 600 mm in a metal grid.

Where in Irish buildings: ceiling tiles in commercial and institutional buildings, soffit boards under eaves on bungalows of the period, partition walls in flats and offices, fire-door cores, panelling around boilers and water tanks, behind storage heaters.

Pipe lagging

Insulation wrapped around hot pipes, calorifiers and boilers in commercial premises and older domestic central heating. Used in Ireland from the 1950s to the 1980s.

What to look for:

• Grey or off-white wrapped insulation around pipes.
• Often covered with hessian, cloth or a plaster-like outer coat.
• Damaged lagging may look lumpy, fibrous and partially exposed.

Where: boiler and plant-room pipework, calorifier and tank insulation, service-duct piping, heating pipes in older council, commercial and school buildings.

Pipe lagging is one of the highest-risk asbestos materials because of its high asbestos content and propensity to release fibres when disturbed. Damaged lagging is notifiable work requiring a HSA permit.

Sprayed coatings (Limpet)

Sprayed asbestos coatings — often known by the trade name Limpet — were applied to structural steelwork for fire protection in commercial and industrial buildings from the 1950s to the 1970s. Highly friable. Usually dealt with as part of major refurbishment or demolition by specialist contractors.

Loose-fill insulation

Loose-fill insulation in some attics — particularly vermiculite from a specific North American mine — can be contaminated with asbestos. See the vermiculite guide for detail. Other loose-fill products (glass wool, mineral wool, cellulose) do not contain asbestos.

If you suspect AIB or lagging

1. Don't disturb — including drilling for fixings, cutting for renovations, or moving panels.
2. Don't try to seal it yourself — friable encapsulation is specialist work.
3. Get a survey — a refurbishment/demolition survey if you are planning works.
4. Engage a permit-holder — friable removal is notifiable work and requires a HSA permit.

Frequently asked questions

What is AIB and where would I find it in an Irish building?

AIB is asbestos insulating board — a softer, lower-density board than asbestos cement, used internally for fire protection, soffit lining and partitioning. In Irish buildings it shows up as suspended-ceiling tiles in commercial and institutional buildings, partition walls in flats and offices, soffit boards under eaves, fire-door cores, panelling around boilers and water tanks, and behind storage heaters. AIB is friable — fibres release easily when disturbed.

Is loft insulation asbestos?

Most modern loft insulation in Ireland (mineral wool, glass wool, sheep wool, cellulose) does not contain asbestos. Two exceptions to be aware of: vermiculite loose-fill insulation from a specific era can contain asbestos contamination from a North American mine — see the vermiculite guide. Asbestos pipe lagging on attic heating pipes is a separate but common issue. If you have unknown loose-fill or wrapped pipework in an older attic, get it checked before disturbing it.

Can I do anything about AIB myself?

No. AIB is friable — fibres release easily even with gentle handling. Removal is almost always notifiable work requiring a HSA permit and a permit-holding contractor. For homeowners the right action is: identify, do not disturb, get a survey, then engage a permit-holding firm. Drilling a hole through what turns out to be AIB to put up a shelf is one of the most common ways homeowners create a serious exposure incident.