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How Can I Tell if Asbestos is Present in My Home?

This is a question that many Australian homeowners ask and for very good reason; asbestos can be a deadly substance if the minute slivers of fibre are inhaled. The history of this naturally occurring material goes back centuries, when asbestos was discovered to have great heat resistant properties and throughout the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was integrated into every sector, especially construction.

Pre-1970s Builds

If your home was built prior to 1980, there is a real possibility that asbestos was used in the construction; items such as plasterboard and partitioning, pipe lagging and insulation and duct tape, are all materials that could contain asbestos. In the event you decide to renovate your kitchen, rather than ripping out the old cabinets and partitions, you need to verify whether there is a risk of asbestos exposure and with affordable Perth asbestos removal, you can have a specialist carry out a few tests to determine if, in fact, there is asbestos on your property.

Airborne Fibres

When material that contains asbestos is disturbed, it sends many thin slivers of the material into the atmosphere, which are invisible to the naked eye and should a person inhale these, the tiny fragments can become lodged in the lung tissue. They might remain dormant for years and without warning, the person suffers from inflammation of the long tissue and cancer is a very real possibility.

Products That Might Contain Asbestos

The following products could contain asbestos:

  • Adhesives – Pipe lagging, roof sealant, furnace cement, wall panels and ceiling tiles. Duct tape and some forms of glue contain small amounts of asbestos.
  • Felt roofing – The best way to find out if your felt roofing contains asbestos is call in a specialist provider who does nothing but search for and remove this deadly substance.
  • Insulation – Due to the heat-resistant properties of asbestos, the substance is often incorporated into forms of insulation; pipes, cladding and heat partitions. If you are about to remove old building materials in your kitchen, you need to determine if asbestos is present or not.
  • Vinyl products – Some vinyl floor tiles do contain asbestos, along with some wallpaper and sheeting.

If you suspect there might be asbestos present in your home, the safest solution is to call in a local asbestos removal company, who have the resources and know-how to test for the presence of asbestos.

Once the tests show there are no traces of asbestos, you can go ahead with your renovation, safe in the knowledge your property is asbestos-free.

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