Asbestos insulating board (AIB) is a fire-resistant panel used widely in UK buildings from the 1950s to the 1980s, often containing brown (amosite) asbestos. It looks like an off-white or grey board and is found on ceilings, behind boilers and fuse boxes, in soffits, partition walls and fire doors. Because it is higher-risk than asbestos cement, removing AIB is a licensed job.
What AIB looks like
AIB is a flat, fairly soft off-white to light-grey board, usually 6–12mm thick. It is easily confused with non-asbestos plasterboard or modern fire board, which is why it must be sampled rather than guessed at.
Where it is commonly found
Ceiling and wall panels, soffits under the eaves, around and behind boilers and warm-air heaters, behind fuse boxes and meter boards, in airing cupboards, partition walls, ceiling tiles and the cores of older fire doors.
AIB vs asbestos cement
Asbestos cement is hard, dense and lower-risk (non-licensed). AIB is softer and more friable, so it releases fibres far more easily — which is why it is treated as a higher-risk material and almost always requires an HSE-licensed contractor to remove.
What to do if you have AIB
If AIB is in good condition and undisturbed, it can often be managed and encapsulated. If it is damaged or in the way of works, it needs licensed removal inside a sealed enclosure with air clearance. Get it surveyed before any building work begins.