Does your Home have Asbestos?
In Australia, the majority of homes were built before the mid eighties, which means that asbestos could have been used legally for the construction of the building. While the use of asbestos was banned in the majority of materials from 1986, it was not until 17 years later that it was nationally banned. Up until it was banned, asbestos was commonly used in building products, including shingles, ceiling tiles, insulation, sheeting, pipes, floor tiles, and pipe cement.
Checking your Home for Asbestos
Visually inspecting your home is generally not enough to discover whether or not you have an issue. Asbestos removal in Australia is always best preformed by a professional company. It is possible to take samples of suspected asbestos and send them into a laboratory for analysis which can help identify it. While there are guidelines available about how to contain a sample of asbestos correctly from the home, it is typically a better idea to contact a removal service to have your home checked as this reduces the risk of exposure.
What to do if Asbestos is Found in Your Home
The method used for dealing with asbestos in your home by an asbestos removal service in Australia will depend on the asbestos found, the condition the material is in, and whether the asbestos is friable or not. Non-friable asbestos is tightly bound with another type of material and therefore, not easily released. This type has to be cut, sanded, or sawed to be released in the right way.
Friable asbestos is easily reduced to powder and can become airborne in a matter of seconds. If the material containing asbestos is in good shape and is contained in a way that fibres are not going to be released, it may not be dangerous, but it is still best to call a professional asbestos removalist to check.
Asbestos Removals Australia uses the most up to date tools and technology available to decontaminate any asbestos found at home. It is important to contact a professional asbestos service such as asbestos removals Australia to deal with the removal of potentially hazardous asbestos. The health risks when exposed to asbestos are high and there may not be any symptoms of exposure for years. All professionals will tell you that it is not a good idea to try to take care of the problem yourself as you could potentially affect your own health.