Once a renowned, popular, and very common material in the construction industry, asbestos has been banned in the UK since the 1990s. While this means that new build owners are safe from the harmful material, those who live in renovated or older traditional properties across Colchester in Essex and beyond may find that asbestos is not only present in their home but could be causing unseen damage to their long term health.
As part of our commitment to giving homeowners, business owners, and property owners the peace of mind they need to ensure optimum safety, our asbestos surveys in Colchester provide comprehensive management plans and solutions according to the individual requirements of each job. But what is asbestos, what does it do, and how do you know if you’ve got it?
Everything you need to know about asbestos
Known for its insulating properties, asbestos was once one of the top used materials in walls, roofs, and around pipe networks across both private and commercial properties. In the 1990s it was found to be directly responsible for health conditions which can cause respiratory challenges and can be linked to early death – and so it became banned in the UK in all uses. Any property that was built prior to the 1990s ban, however, may well still have asbestos lurking in the walls and ceilings – and it’s the job of our asbestos survey team in Colchester to identify, isolate, assess, and in many cases undergo a safe removal process.
The different types of asbestos survey
There are two main types of asbestos survey that we offer in Colchester.- The first is an asbestos management survey, during this a consultant will identify any signs of asbestos and then proceed to assess and test the stability and structural integrity of the material. The report that you receive following this survey will let you know the next recommended steps, with some asbestos able to be left under close monitoring and surveillance to ensure it does not become damaged, while in other cases the material will need to be removed by a professional company.
- The second type of survey is an asbestos renovation and demolition survey, which is used when a property owner or developer is planning significant structural or renovation work or plans to demolish a building altogether. This survey cannot be conducted on an inhabited property as it includes the full removal of the material.