What is asbestos and asbestos encapsulation?

Asbestos is a serious health risk and if you’ve found it in your home you need to act fast.

Asbestos removal can be very costly but there are alternative ways to manage asbestos in your property.

Read on to find out more about asbestos and asbestos encapsulation.

What is asbestos and why is it harmful?

Asbestos is a term used to refer to six naturally occurring silicate minerals. All are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre is composed of many microscopic ‘fibrils’ that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes. – Wikipedia

Asbestos was widely used in building construction before anyone really comprehended the significant health hazards.

As far back as the early 1900s and as recent as the 1980’s asbestos-based products were used in homes and commercial buildings in ceilings, walls, paints, roofing, insulation, flooring materials, and plenty more.

It can be found in many different building materials predominantly from buildings built before 1980.

Often people think asbestos products are white – but they can actually come in a range of colours.

Why is asbestos harmful?

Asbestos is harmful when the fibres are inhaled. It is a proven human carcinogen, and extremely serious as all forms of asbestos can cause cancer. 

What to do if you think you have asbestos in your home

If you think you have asbestos in your home you should contact an appropriate person from the Ministry of Health or a health protection officer.

However, there are a few options on how you can deal with asbestos in your home

• Leaving the affected area alone (not disturbing it)
• Encapsulating or sealing it
• Have it professionally removed

What is asbestos encapsulation?

Asbestos encapsulation is a form of dealing with materials that contain asbestos fibres or products. You are effectively sealing the asbestos product so that the fibres aren’t released into the air or property where they have the potential to cause significant damage to people’s health.

Asbestos encapsulation is a great alternative to asbestos removal if your budget doesn’t allow for a full-scale removal. However, if you do eventually plan a full asbestos removal – using asbestos encapsulation beforehand can help make it safer to remove.

Encapsulation or sealing asbestos makes it much safer to be around. Sealing the fibres with a good quality product means the fibres can not be released.

What product can I use for asbestos encapsulation?

At Cohe Group our Liquid Rubber product range is ideal for applications on asbestos encapsulation.

It is easy to apply Liquid Rubber to any number of surfaces and it can be applied by brush, roller, or sprayed onto affected surfaces.

We have an instruction sheet on our website or you can contact us to find out more about how Liquid Rubber products can assist you with asbestos encapsulation.

We would recommend using:

An undercoat of Liquid Rubber Waterproof Sealant 

• Brown, cures to black • Invisible under deck coat 
• Tensile strength -2000PSI • Elongation/elasticity – 900% 
• Available in 1L, 4L, 10L, 20L 

Followed by a top coat of Liquid Rubber Smooth Coat

• Light grey 
• Can be tinted to any colour on request 
• Elongation – 300-400% 
• Hardness – 72 Shore A
• Available in 4L 10L, 15L

Cohe are providers of innovative, high-quality products that can be used on a range of projects around your home. All of our products are tried and tested and are suitable for the New Zealand environment. Our entire range of products is environmentally friendly and cost-effective whether it be for commercial or domestic use. 

So whether you’ve got a pothole in your drive, a leaking gutter, cracked concrete, or anything in between, our full range of Cohe products for waterproofing, asphalt, and concrete repair has got you covered.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how our products can be used for your projects.