Protecting your health is mainly about operating with a safety-conscious mindset wherever you are. In the home, there are a number of potential dangers, and something like asbestos can cause a number of issues. When it comes to dealing with asbestos problems in the home, we can easily overlook this as a relic of the past, but it’s a silent killer that lurks in many older homes.
Asbestos poses severe health risks when the fibres become airborne and are inhaled, contributing to cancers such as mesothelioma. So, what is the solution if you suspect asbestos in the home? One of the key components for peace of mind is an asbestos testing kit. Let’s show you everything you need to know about asbestos problems, where they lurk, and how home testing can help you.
How asbestos gets disrupted
The most important thing to remember about common asbestos problems is that if you don’t disrupt the fibres, they pose no problem. Asbestos can be found in a variety of home materials, such as roofing, flooring, and insulation. However, as materials age, they deteriorate, which could mean you are running the risk of releasing these asbestos fibres into the air.
Coupled with this, if you plan on renovating or remodelling an older home without the right precautions, this can disturb the materials. What’s more, older infrastructure in some areas may still contain asbestos. Asbestos was not completely banned in Australia until the 31st of December 2003.
Any homes built prior to this may still contain asbestos, particularly in industrial and commercial properties. As we live in a world where there’s greater concern over natural disasters, this, alongside age-old wear and tear, can damage asbestos-containing materials, increasing the risk of those fibres being released.
The importance of asbestos testing
One of the best ways to be prepared if you believe there is asbestos in your property is by sending for a home testing kit. While this can detect the presence of asbestos, they are not as comprehensive as professional asbestos sample testing.
We provide a testing facility where you can seal a small sample of the area that you believe contains asbestos and drop it off at our office. We can then identify if your home contains asbestos.
How we check samples
After you drop a sample off, we perform microscopic analysis with a quick turnaround and can advise you on the next plan of action if you uncover asbestos problems in the home. We can also determine the type of asbestos, for example, amosite or chrysotile and how best to deal with it, which can include professional asbestos removal and/or demolition of the offending area(s) in the home.
What to do if you find asbestos
If you discover any asbestos problems in the home, rule number one is not to touch it. Many people believe that we can identify asbestos on-site alone. Our asbestos testing kit can determine if you are dealing with asbestos in the home, but in the meantime, you need to do the following:
Leave the area alone
Asbestos-containing materials in good condition will not release fibres unless disturbed. Therefore, not touching it or disrupting it in any way will give you the best chance of not releasing these fibres into the air.
Limit access
You cannot do anything to disrupt the particles, including vacuuming or sweeping. If you think something contains asbestos, you should not disturb it and cover it up with a plastic tarp.
If you find asbestos, you can potentially safely remove and dispose of the material. However, this depends on the conditions and where the asbestos is found inside the property. We offer safe removal of asbestos, and it’s far better to do it safely rather than to expose yourself to the potentially dangerous fibres.
Why testing for asbestos is essential
It is the only way to ensure you know how much asbestos your property contains. With the likelihood that approximately one in three Australian homes built prior to the 1990s contain asbestos, this is the one true way of ensuring you prioritise your health. Asbestos sample testing in a laboratory is the only way to confirm the presence and type of asbestos.
The best approach to removing asbestos on the Central Coast is to ensure you work with professionals. Protecting your home and health from asbestos is a combination of vigilance and informed decision-making. For peace of mind professional asbestos testing services are the only way to mitigate any asbestos problems and give you and your family peace of mind.
if you believe a property to contain asbestos, we test it. If there is no asbestos present, you have peace of mind, but if there is, we can also get to work at removing it to ensure that you are healthy and happy in your home.