Eternit, fiber cement
- Applications, products: construction materials like; roof claddings (flat or corrugated plates); exterior panelling; pipes in all areas of building construction and civil engineering; vent pipes and flues (gas heating); gardening products like flower boxes; windowsills
You have old Eternit panels on your roof or house facade? Be careful, there is a risk of asbestos here!
- Types of asbestos: predominantly crysotile, rarely amosite and/or crocidolite
- Asbestos content: generally 0-15%
Old eternit panels built in 1991 or earlier often contain asbestos. If the panels are damaged or worn, carcinogenic asbestos fibers can be released. To protect yourself, always have your material tested for asbestos and take the appropriate safety precautions before renovating or refurbishing.
CRB reliably tests your Eternit for asbestos. Simply send in a sample and quickly have certainty as to whether your building material contains asbestos.
Our services for you
- analysis for asbestos carried out by qualified scientists in our own accredited laboratory
- short processing time, as a rule 3 days after sample receipt
- court-proof analysis
- regular participation in collaborative studies in the field of asbestos analysis
Costs for the analysis for asbestos in fiber cement
Analysis as material sample according to VDI guideline 3866, page 5 for
€ 62.00 net or € 73.78 VAT incl.
Frequently asked questions about asbestos in Eternit and Eternit sheets
What are Eternit panels?
Eternit is the name of a well-known manufacturer of fiber cement panels, Eternit AG. The term has become established as a brand name and is often used synonymously for fiber cement products.
Fiber cement panels used to be manufactured (until 1991) with asbestos to achieve the desired stability. After the dangers of asbestos were recognized and the use of asbestos-cement products was banned, Eternit panels today are instead manufactured as asbestos-free products with man-made mineral fibers or harmless organic fibers. Nevertheless, asbestos still plays a major role today, as many fiber cement panels installed on older homes still contain asbestos.
In which products is asbestos-containing eternit found?
Asbestos-contaminated fiber cement is found, for example, in:
- roof coverings (corrugated and flat sheets, man-made slates)
- facade cladding
- pipes for all areas of civil engineering and building construction
- ventilation pipes and flues (gas heating systems)
- garden items such as flower boxeswindow sills
Fiber cement roofing
Fiber cement roofing and wall cladding
More examples in our info-graphic: Asbestos in the house
Typical fiber cement window sill
Fiber cement flower pots
Facade and roof covering from asbestos cement
What types of asbestos can be found in Eternit?
Chrysotile is predominantly found in fiber cement. In rarer cases, however, also amosite and/or crocidolite.
What is the asbestos content in Eternit?
If your eternit panels contain asbestos, the asbestos content is usually 10-15%, and up to 40% in weakly bound asbestos products such as lightweight panels.
Why was asbestos used in eternit panels?
The use of asbestos cement brought many advantages. Adding asbestos fibers to the cement significantly improved its material properties (breaking strength and tear resistance).
In addition, asbestos is fireproof, insoluble in water, lightweight, and also very inexpensive. These properties made the material one of the most popular building materials of the 1960s.
Of course, asbestos was therefore not only used in Eternit and thus, for example, in roofing, window sills or flower boxes. The building pollutant can also often be found in other places in the house. Asbestos is also found in other materials such as tile adhesives, insulation boards and window putty.
Until when was asbestos used for the production of Eternit panels?
Fiber cement panels, also called eternit panels, were manufactured with asbestos until the year 1989. Therefore, if you have a roof built up to 1991, you can very likely assume that your roof contains asbestos.
How do I recognize asbestos in eternit panels or fiber cement?
For example, asbestos-free eternit panels may be marked with a label such as AF (asbestos-free). In addition, attention should also be paid to the year of construction of the building: There is a risk of asbestos in old houses built before 1991. In most cases, you can only be sure through a laboratory analysis and an asbestos test.
What are the dangers of asbestos-containing eternit?
Asbestos fibers only become dangerous when they are released. However, asbestos cement becomes brittle over the years. Therefore, an old asbestos roof, for example, can always pose a hazard. Therefore, be careful if your fiber cement panels are damaged.
Inhaling asbestos fibers can be life-threatening and can also lead to asbestosis or pleural cancer decades later. Therefore, you should avoid any contact with asbestos-containing materials.
Although the dangers of asbestos-containing components were already known in the early 1970s, asbestos was not strictly banned in Germany until 1993. With an asbestos test, you can get certainty as to whether asbestos is contained in your roof panels, facade panels, flower boxes or window sills.
What to do with asbestos-containing eternit?
As long as the panels are not damaged and the asbestos is firmly bound, there is no danger. Asbestos fibers only become dangerous when they are released.
However, if your eternit panels are damaged, you should have them removed and replaced immediately. You must take certain protective precautions when disposing of them, and a special disposal company must be hired to do the disposal.
Can I clean eternit panels with a high-pressure cleaner?
Eternit panels must never be cleaned with a hard water jet, as this releases asbestos fibers. Prohibited is cleaning by:
- low-pressure or high-pressure cleaners
- brushing (e.g. with a wire brush)
- grinding
Uncoated asbestos boards must not be cleaned at all. You may only clean coated asbestos sheets with unpressurized water and a sponge or cloth. In general, however, cleaning asbestos roofs is not recommended because even coated roofs become porous over the years and the risk of fiber release is too great.
Further details on handling asbestos in Germany are set out in the Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances 519 (TRGS 519) and in the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (GefStoffV).
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May I paint eternit panels?
No, there is a ban on covering. If the lifetime of a building material has expired, which was only grandfathered, no use-prolonging repairs may be carried out.
How can I dispose of panels containing asbestos?
For the disposal of asbestos-containing building materials or components, a specialist company must be commissioned that ensures that no fibres are released while adhering to strict rules. Only certified craftsmen are allowed to remove and dispose of materials containing asbestos.
Identification of asbestos infibre cements by means of SEM images and energy-dispersive element-spectra
