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I have recently bought a late 1970s built house and I am planning to refurbish the garage by improving the electrics and changing the up and over door. When I got a sparky in he sucked his teeth and said the ceiling panelling was probably asbestos sheet and he couldn't work with it for the work I needed. The survey never mentioned it and the neighbours have all said its not asbestos sheet its cement fibre board, It looks like the stuff on an ironing board you stick the hot iron on i.e. its pretty smooth. Is there an easy way of telling which it is without the cost of getting in an asbsetos company? Clearly I'm not going to mess with it too much in case it is asbestos. But given the year the house was built I guess theres a good chance it could be asbestos panelling but I'm going to have to find out. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.

you can get disposable bags for asbestos at the local council but you need to ask environmental health first, I have removed it myself with protective gear in the past, but its the disposal that's the problem.
Only the local council will take it so you have to ask them before touching it. The blue type fibre is the dangerous one they may need to test it before removal, if the results come back positive for blue fibre then its best to leave it alone.