People often assume that asbestos demolition is a rather simple task; just bring something big and heavy to break down a house and that’s half the work. However, the reality is that there’s always the threat of asbestos lingering in any home.
Asbestos is a carcinogenic material, meaning that it has been proven to cause cancer. It was one of the most popular building materials used in the past due to its flexible fibres that could resist heat, electricity, and even corrosion. As more research was performed on the material and its carcinogenic properties, construction companies began moving away from its use–but what about all the properties that were built with it?
This is currently the problem that we face today and is why it’s extremely important to practise safety when performing any kind of demolition or renovation.
Can I identify asbestos at home?
Asbestos can be difficult to identify without proper training. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of:
- Australia stopped using asbestos in the 1980s and completely banned the material in 2003. If your home or property was built before this time, then it’s possible that asbestos was used in its construction.
- If you have reason to believe that asbestos may be present in your home, then it’s possible to use an asbestos testing kit to send a sample to be assessed. However, we highly recommend that you do not disturb any area that you believe may contain asbestos. Instead, you should contact us immediately.
Identifying asbestos is difficult as it was used in everything from wall paint to insulation. Therefore, it’s vital that you contact experts such as About The House to help you identify and deal with the potential danger.
Can asbestos be removed?
Removing asbestos is possible, but it must be done carefully so as to not disturb the material and encourage it to spread throughout the air. About The House offers safe asbestos removal that follows strict safety guidelines in order to prevent the release of carcinogenic fibres. We make sure that everyone is protected with proper containment processes, and we use specialised equipment to test for and remove asbestos.
We also dispose of the asbestos correctly to ensure the safety of you, our workers, and anyone who may come in contact with the material. We care about our environment, so the last thing we want is to see these fibres released into the air upon disposal.
What safety measures are used when removing asbestos?
About The House follows strict guidelines on the identification and removal of asbestos. Here are the safety measures that we practise.
Professional expertise
About The House has a large team of highly trained professionals who are well-equipped with both knowledge and tools to identify and remove asbestos in a safe and controlled manner.
Thorough assessment
We use an asbestos testing kit and thorough in-person examinations to determine if there is asbestos in your home. Our experts carry out asbestos sample testing to give us a better understanding of the situation before we devise a plan to help you remove the affected areas.
Asbestos containment
Once we’ve identified asbestos in your home, we’ll enclose the area with an airtight containment structure. This prevents the release of asbestos fibres into the surrounding environment so that we can safely remove it. These areas will be equipped with negative air pressure systems that will control any potential spread of the fibres.
We may also set up decontamination areas for our workers to carefully clean off their gear and ensure that the fibres stay contained in the area.
Safety practices with asbestos
In order to prevent any asbestos problem, we use a variety of strategies to keep the material under control. This can include keeping the materials wet during removal to stop the spread of fibres and using removal techniques and tools that minimise disturbance to the rest of your property.
Disposal is another important step. We follow strict guidelines on the labelling and disposal of asbestos to ensure that it doesn’t contaminate other parts of your property.
Contact About The House today
If you believe that asbestos may be present in your home, then we urge you to immediately contact us. Do not disturb the potentially affected area, and let us know so that we can send a trained operative to your home to assess the situation.