Asbestos Removal & Audits

If you are renovating, demolishing or buying a home and not sure if there’s is asbestos present or maybe you need Asbestos Materials removed please give us a call.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral found in the surface of the earth. It contains strong fibres that have excellent durability, fire resistance and insulating properties. Asbestos fibres are 50 to 200 times thinner than a human hair, can float in the air for a long time, can be invisible to the naked eye and can be breathed into the lungs. In the past, asbestos was mined from the ground and manufactured into many different materials. Materials containing asbestos were very common in the Australian residential building industry between the 1940s and late 1980s before their production stopped. The use of all forms of asbestos has been banned nationally since 31 December 2003.
The ban does not apply to asbestos installed prior to this date (e.g. asbestos materials in houses).

What are the possible health effects of asbestos?

Asbestos can cause health effects if fibres are breathed into the lungs.

The possible health effects of asbestos are:

• Asbestosis (progressive and irreversible scarring of lung tissue that impairs breathing)
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma is a cancer of the linings around thelungs and abdomen
• Non-cancerous diseases that affect the linings around the lungs and abdomen (commonly called ‘benign pleural diseases’)

Do I have materials containing asbestos in my house?

It can be difficult to tell whether your home has materials containing asbestos in it just by looking, Only after samples are taken and sent to a NATA laboratory can we sure.

As a general rule, if your house was built:

• Before the mid 1980s, it is highly likely that it would have materials containing asbestos.
• Between the mid 1980s and 1990, it is likely that it would have materials containing asbestos.
• After 1990, it is possible it would have materials containing asbestos. If you are not sure that a material contains asbestos, play it safe and assume that it does.