If your home was built in the late 20th century or earlier, there is a strong probability that you have asbestos lurking around your premises somewhere. Perhaps the asbestos will be obvious, such as that in a shed roof, but at other times it may be concealed, hidden away inside other materials, and only come to light when you are engaged in renovations or repairs.

While today there is an Australia-wide ban on the use of asbestos in homes, it can still sometimes find its way into the building supply chain and then into your home where it poses a potential risk to you and your family. If asbestos is found in your home, you will need to contact an asbestos removals company to safely take it away from your property.

Testing for asbestos

Asbestos is a killer; if you breathe in asbestos fibres, you risk developing serious medical conditions such as asbestosis. Yet, identifying asbestos isn't as straightforward as you could wish. Not all types of asbestos have a similar appearance, and there are other, non-harmful substances that can look similar to some types of asbestos. To tell these different materials apart, you cannot rely on simple visual inspection. You will need to have the suspected substance identified by a professional laboratory so that you can find out exactly what needs to be removed from your property.

Taking out the asbestos

When you know exactly where the asbestos is in your home, then it is time to call an asbestos removals company who will be able to come in and use their expert staff to safely take out all of the asbestos from your premises. Issues which you may want to discuss with the asbestos removals company before they arrive include the availability of electrical and water supply systems, and how conveniently the location of the asbestos can be accessed.

How an asbestos removals company will operate

An asbestos removal professional will understand how to carry out every step of the removal process to minimise the risk to you and your neighbours. Asbestos removal starts with careful preparation. Depending on your location, they may want to notify your neighbours before they start work so that they will have time to shut their windows and doors before the removal work starts. When they reach your property, they will identify which of your internal doors should be sealed and which external windows and doors will need to be left open to effectively ventilate the premises. They will then get to work making your home safe.