Asbestos in exterior walls
Asbestos in walls can be found both in external and internal areas. The most common places to look out for asbestos in exterior walls are:
- Imitation brick or stone cladding
- Sheet cladding – flat or corrugated
As materials often look similar, it can be very difficult to detect from a visual inspection only if the cladding does in fact contain asbestos.
If you are planning on carrying out any repairs, maintenance or renovations and your home or building was built prior to 2000, we recommend you have samples taken prior to commencing work so you know what you are dealing with.
Our team can carry out onsite asbestos testing and provide you with accurate and timely results and recommendations so you can keep your project moving. Contact us today.
Asbestos in interior walls
Generally speaking these would be the places you might find asbestos inside your home or building:
- Sprayed or textured wall finishes (including wallpaper)
- Insulation boards, e.g. around fireplaces or fuse boxes
- Partition walls – asbestos may have been added to the plasterboard or in some cases these walls have been made from asbestos cement sheeting.
As with external walls, it is very difficult to ascertain if asbestos is present by a visual inspection only. Contact our team to carry out the required testing to be sure.
When is asbestos in walls dangerous?
If you are occupying a building or house that has asbestos in walls but the structures are in good condition and you are not planning on disturbing these in anyway, then it is very unlikely that these would pose any sort of health risk. So your best course of action in this case would be to do nothing and put an asbestos management plan in place.
However, if you are in any of the below situations (and your home or building was constructed prior to 2000), it is a good idea to have an asbestos survey carried out:
- You have noticed the walls are starting to crumble or deteriorate
- You are planning on starting a renovation (i.e. knocking down a partition wall, scraping of textured or sprayed walls), or carrying out repairs or maintenance
- You are planning to demolish your existing property
- You are looking to install a new fireplace or fuse box
- You would like to water blast your house
Our team of Asbestos Surveyors can visit your property and conduct safe and cost-effective testing for asbestos and provide you with speedy results and recommendations for any necessary management.