Worried About Asbestos? Get A Survey Today!

Asbestos is a serious problem. There’s just no getting around that fact. Although it has been illegal to use as a building material since 1999 – with the ban on blue and brown asbestos going all the way back to 1985 – many older buildings still have as yet undiscovered asbestos lurking somewhere in the materials. Today we’re going to talk about what asbestos is, why you still find it in so many older buildings, and what to do if you think you might need asbestos removal services.

What Is Asbestos?

For many years asbestos was regarded as one of the most useful and versatile naturally occurring building materials in existence. A fibrous silicate, asbestos could be used in everything from fabrics to roofing and had many valuable qualities. Asbestos products were cheap to produce, the material could be mined in large quantities, and it is extremely resistant to fire.

In the modern day, attitudes to asbestos are very different and the reason for this is widely known. Despite all its useful properties, asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma – a serious form of cancer that can take many years to show symptoms, but once it does is almost always fatal.

Why Do So Many Buildings Contain Asbestos?

For a number of decades, asbestos was commonplace in building materials for its fire-retardant properties. As a cheap source of fire-proofing, it made its way into many seemingly innocuous places such as cladding and roofing.

To this day, asbestos is still being discovered in many buildings. Once discovered, asbestos removal is immediately necessary and you should not wait to contact a reputable asbestos removal company. You should also cease from using the space immediately until all asbestos has been removed.

What To Do If You Think You Might Have Asbestos

Before asbestos can be removed, first a survey has to take place. Asbestos removal experts will come in and examine your building. At this stage, you should make sure that people aren’t using the building until a survey has taken place.

If asbestos is found then those same experts will be able to do the asbestos removal. This process may take anywhere between a day and several weeks depending on the quantity of asbestos removed. After that, the building will need to be left clear for 48 hours to ensure that there are no fibres left in the air.

Don’t Ignore Asbestos

Asbestos is a very serious problem and ignoring it will only expose more people. If you have any reason to believe that your home or a building you are responsible for contains asbestos then you should contact asbestos removal experts as soon as possible to arrange a survey.

Ignoring asbestos costs lives.