Why would you get it tested ?
Our advice to anybody and everybody is GET IT TESTED ! Before any renovations on buildings built before 1990, there should be samples of the building linings taken every time . These will establish if asbestos building products were used in the construction or renovation of the home.
You can never be to careful we have had samples from homes built in 1992 come back positive for asbestos. And we removed the lining of an in-ground pool that was built in 1996 that contained asbestos .The use of asbestos in the building and construction industry was banned in 1985 but many people were still using existing stock illegally after this total ban was introduced Australia wide . Don’t even get me started on imports that is a whole other blog.
- It could save your life
- It could save you thousands of dollars
- It could save your life!
Lets have a look at number 1, it could save your life . Pretty straight forward you would think as we all are aware asbestos is deadly and there is no cure for asbestos related diseases . Having samples taken and tested is the only way to know 100% that the wall you are looking at does not contain asbestos. Samples are cheap and easy to obtain there is really no reason not to sample before you start works in any pre 1990 home in Australia. And if your house has some “dodgey or unorthodox ” building practices used in its construction you need to take samples.We recently completed a job and we found that the home was so poorly built and renovated that asbestos was hidden everywhere.Most alarming was the presence of asbestos under gyprock . There is no way you could tell just by looking at the walls . The owners of this home had screwed screws into the walls to hang paintings . Unbeknown to the owners the screws were through the gyprock and through the asbestos sheeting behind it . Other traps were such poor building practices such as just holes knocked in walls to bring pipes and wiring through these walls were asbestos. Just holes in walls concealed behind fittings not only not vermin proof but the debris was in the wall cavity releasing fibres. Remembering you must get testes done at a NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities ) Laboratory and look for this symbol
- It could save you thousands
If you get a negative result for samples and by negative I mean no asbestos contained in the sample then you can save thousands of dollars if you are stripping out a full house . Seems pretty simple , because it is you just need to be informed.
So everybody repeat after me GET IT TESTED!
