Asbestos is very common in older homes on the Central Coast, and throughout Australia. In fact, if your house was built before the 1990s, it is highly likely that it contains asbestos or composite asbestos in some form.
You can legally remove asbestos yourself and dispose of it safely if the area is 10 square meters or less. Any more than that and you are legally required to get a licenced professional to remove it for you.
If you’re not sure whether you have asbestos or not, you should really get the material tested. You can collect the sample yourself or have a professional service do it for you. It is absolutely imperative that you know whether you have asbestos in your home if you plan to renovate or otherwise disturb the suspected material.
What do I do if I think I may have asbestos?
If you think you have stumbled across asbestos, the most important thing is not to touch it or move it unnecessarily until you’re sure whether asbestos is present or not. Your next step is to get the material tested.
What does asbestos testing entail?
Asbestos testing means a sample is taken of the material and sent away to determine whether asbestos is present or not. You can collect the sample yourself, but you must be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid inhaling any fibres.
If you would prefer not to collect the sample yourself, you can get in touch with About The House to come and collect the sample for you.
What is the About The House Asbestos Sample Drop Off?
We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our Central Coast community. A service that collects and sends away suspected asbestos samples to be tested is part of that commitment.
Here is how to use the service
- Wearing PPE, collect a small sample (10 squared centimeters is enough) of the material and seal it in a zip-lock bag. Make sure your name and contact details are clearly visible on the bag.
- Complete the sample testing online form.
- Drop off the zip lock to our office. The address is Kariong Shopping, Shop 2, 10 Curringa Road Kariong, NSW, 2250.
- We will contact you about the results of your test. It usually takes about a week.
In addition to the asbestos sample drop off service, About The House offers collection, testing and asbestos removal throughout the Central Coast, Northern beaches, and Newcastle areas. We have more than 30 years’ experience managing asbestos removal and demolition. When in doubt, get in touch with our expert team to determine the safest way to proceed.