Spotting the Signs Your Garage May Contain Asbestos

31 Mar 2025

Asbestos is a deadly material that was banned in Ireland in the late 1990s, meaning from that point, it could no longer be used in construction. However, in structures across Ireland built before the year 2000, it still hides, potentially posing a risk to anyone carrying out refurbishment or demolition work on them in the future. 

As well as being hidden in homes and office buildings, the former building material was also used in the construction of residential garages. As such, anyone whose garage was built before the end of the 1990s could potentially need to request an asbestos survey to ensure they don’t expose themselves to serious lung health issues such as mesothelioma. 

How to Tell if Your Garage Needs an Asbestos Survey

So, how can you tell if you’re in need of an asbestos survey for your home’s garage? If any of the following applies, that could be the case.

• If your garage’s roof has cement sheets. This was a commonly used garage roofing material in the latter half of the 20th century and is known to have sometimes contained asbestos.  

• If your garage has wall cladding on the outside with a fibrous or corrugated appearance, it could be made from asbestos cement. 

• If your garage flooring is made from linoleum or vinyl tiles, they could contain asbestos, particularly if they appear brittle or have a fibrous backing. 

• Insulation: Ceiling insulation in garages also used to contain asbestos, so if you see old deteriorating insulation in yours, it could be asbestos-based.

The dangers of inhaling airborne asbestos fibres cannot overstated as doing so can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural plaques. As such if you suspect asbestos to be present in your garage or shed, do not attempt to remove it yourself, as your life could be at risk. 

Always Contact a Licensed Asbestos Survey Expert 

When encountering what you believe to be asbestos in your garage, you must contact a licensed professional to carry out a survey. By contacting the OHSS team, our experts will be able to conduct the survey and tell you if safe asbestos removal and disposal need to be conducted. Depending on its condition, it could be safer to leave it in situ. 

At OHSS, we’ve been protecting Ireland from the dangers of asbestos since 2001 and you can learn more about our full range of asbestos abatement services by visiting us at www.ohss.ie, where you’ll also find details of our occupational hygiene expertise. However, if you need to speak to our team after discovering asbestos, just call us on 01 6905907.

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