Asbestos in pre-2000 homes
What is a bitumen sink pad, and why do surveyors mention it in older kitchens?
It is the black pad sometimes found under a stainless-steel sink or behind a drainer, and older ones can contain asbestos. HSE includes bitumen products and sink pads among places asbestos turns up in pre-2000 buildings. A home survey will not lift the sink to sample the pad. If the kitchen is staying, it is not an emergency. If you are stripping the kitchen, do not let the fitter snap it off unthinkingly.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
The pad is there to deaden sound. Many later pads are ordinary bitumen or foam. You cannot sort them by colour from the floor of the kitchen. The surveyor’s job is to flag pre-2000 fittings when they see them, not to clear them. HSE’s message on materials in good condition is to avoid unnecessary disturbance.
A kitchen quote that says “rip out and skip” has not priced identification. Ask the surveyor if they even saw the underside. If they did not, the right note is a limit. Before a strip-out, ask an asbestos surveyor about the pad, the floor tiles and any textured ceiling in the same room. Those are three materials, not one job.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see the underside of the sink, or is it a general pre-2000 warning?
- Is the pad damaged?
- Are floor tiles or a textured ceiling in the same room also untested?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not kneel under the sink and pull the pad off during a viewing.
- Include it in any refurbishment asbestos check, not as a separate panic.
- If the kitchen is not being altered, leave the pad. Paint is not required.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is every black pad asbestos?
No. Identification is the only way to know. A surveyor’s “possible” is a warning, not a positive test.
Does replacing the sink require a licensed contractor?
That depends on the material, which you do not know yet. HSE distinguishes licensed and non-licensed work by the product and the task. Guessing the licence is how people get it wrong.