Many homes and commercial buildings throughout Australia contain potentially dangerous asbestos. While the use of asbestos was phased out in Australia many years ago, properties that were built prior to the last date in which asbestos was used may still contain this dangerous building material. The tips below can assist you in identifying the presence of asbestos on your property.
Identifying Asbestos
1. Know where to look:
Among the most important ways to determine whether your property may have asbestos is to understand the sources of asbestos. Commercial products that may contain asbestos include thermal insulation, some roofing materials, some vinyl floor tiles, and exterior cladding.
2. Common types of Asbestos:
One of the more common types of asbestos that may be found in a property is flat sheet fibro asbestos. This type of asbestos was commonly used for exterior cladding on homes, garages and sheds. You may find this form of flat sheeting simply nailed to the structure.
3. Consider the age of your property:
Any structure built between the 1950s and 1970s is at risk for containing asbestos. Check with local authority records, neighbours, or past owners to determine when the property was built. You should also be aware of any renovations that may have used asbestos. Properties build in the early to mid-1980s may still be at risk for containing asbestos.
4. Check the nails:
One of the most common give a ways that asbestos sheeting may have been used is the presence of special nails that do not have a point at the end.
5. Check the joiners:
You should also check for the presence of aluminium joiners, which were commonly used with asbestos fibro materials.
6. Leave it alone:
It is really important that you do not disturb any asbestos material found. The asbestos is at its most dangerous to your health once the particulars become airborne and can be breathed in.
7. Turn off air-conditioning:
If you do find asbestos or think that you might have found asbestos in your home, shut down any cooling or heating systems in the property to help in minimizing the spread of any fibres that may be released.
8. Call an Asbestos Removal Company:
It is important for the safety of you and your family that you call an asbestos removal company as quickly as possible. They will be able to detect and confirm the presence of Asbestos, check all the other areas of the building for the dangerous material and safely remove it for you. An asbestos company will also be able to take the asbestos material to a facility where it can be properly disposed of without further risk to the public.
Be vigilant:
As we have mentioned, the presence of asbestos in a property can be dangerous to the occupants and visitors. This is a point that we cannot stress enough. However early identification and remediation is crucial to reducing the risk of danger. So if you think you may have identified asbestos in your home, call in the experts.
At R.O. Steel Roofing, we look after the removal of asbestos in large buildings like industrial warehouses and residential apartment blocks. If you own or manage one of these types of buildings in Sydney or Newcastle and have a concern with Asbestos then get in touch with us. We offer a free consultation and can inspect your area of concern.
Thanks for reading,
R.O. Steel Roofing
(02) 9660 5937
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