If your home was built sometime before 1980, it’s likely there will be a certain amount of asbestos on your property. Most materials that were utilised in the construction of homes before 1980 had a certain amount of asbestos due to its fire-resistant and insulating properties. It was used in a number of different features such as wall boards, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, floor mastics, wall plasters as well as vinyl floor backings as well as a number of other places.

As long as the features that contain this material are undamaged and intact in every way, there is no danger from the asbestos on your property. This material poses danger to your health only when fine asbestos fibres become airborne. This can happen in case of any kind of disturbance or damage to the asbestos while carrying out repairs or renovations.

Here’s What You Do In Case You Feel That Your Home Contains Some Amount Of Asbestos…

It can be extremely difficult to identify whether the features contain asbestos unless they have some form of labelling on them. Only licensed asbestos surveyors would be able to test the installations that you suspect contain this hazardous material. Trying to test for it yourself isn’t recommended because there’s always the danger that the asbestos fibres will be released into the air while you’re trying to obtain samples.

Asbestos Removal- EPA recommendations

  • If you feel that the materialhasn’t been damaged in any way or that it won’t be disturbed, simply leave it untouched. Attempting to remove asbestos actually increases the risk of the fibres being released into the air.
  • The material would need to be encapsulated. In this method the surface of the materials will be sealed completely in order to ensure that the fibres do not become airborne.
  • Encapsulation is ideal only if the features are in good repair and haven’t become crumbly or soft. If you find that any deterioration in the installations, this procedure isn’t recommended.
  • The asbestos-containing features could also be enclosed or covered. This involves covering the entire material with sleeves or sheets, depending on what the feature is.

We at BreathEASY are an asbestos removal company that has been approved by the Australian Government. We can handle projects of any scale and complexity. For more information on our services, feel free to contact us by calling 02 8093 5461 or request a free quote via this form and we will respond shortly.

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