If you've discovered a board that looks a bit like plasterboard but feels a little lighter and more porous, you might be looking at Asbestos Insulation Board, or AIB. Unlike the hard, grey asbestos cement you often find on garage roofs, AIB is a much riskier material. It was used everywhere in Southampton homes and businesses built before 2000 because it was great for fireproofing and insulation. The trouble is, it's 'friable', which is just a technical way of saying it's easy to crumble or break by hand. When it's disturbed, it releases a high concentration of fibres into the air, making it one of the most hazardous materials we handle at Clear Safe Asbestos. Because the risks are so high, removing it isn't a DIY job or something for a general builder; it almost always requires a licensed professional to ensure your property remains a safe place to be.