Unless you live or work in a newly constructed property in Perth, the materials used to construct your home are likely to contain asbestos. If you are planning any DIY projects or repairs to your home, you should consider hiring a professional team to analyse whether there are any items that contain asbestos and to remove them safely.
Asbestos? What is it?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals that are composed of heat-resistant, soft, and flexible fibres. Asbestos is still present in hundreds of consumer items across the world; It can still be used, but, there are extremely strict guidelines about how much can be used for making a product. If you are exposed to asbestos then it can cause cancer and other diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. In older homes or offices, the asbestos concentration of materials will be of an unsafe level, making it critical that the materials are handled properly and professionally.
What was it used for?
Walls – Most older houses had been designed with heat drywall sheets, which, when drilled or demolished can unleash asbestos fibres into your home.
Pipe work – Asbestos dust can get airborne when old asbestos insulation around pipes and boilers begins to degrade. Experts in Perth asbestos removal have even seen it used on some water pipes, which were commonly used in water distribution systems. Asbestos fibres may be discharged into your drinking water as a result of asbestos cement water pipes that have degraded.
Floor tiles – From the 1920s through the 1960s, asbestos floor tiles were popular, and they may still be found in homes built as recently as the 1980s. Consult a qualified and accredited asbestos specialist before replacing any floor tiles in your house that you believe contain asbestos.
Ceiling panels and roofing shingles – When asbestos becomes airborne, it poses a safety risk, and ceiling fans may unintentionally carry asbestos particles. If your ceiling becomes increasingly fragile with age, asbestos fibres may get free and contaminate the air in your house.
Why on earth was it used?
Because of its longevity and excellent fire resistance, asbestos was utilized in construction materials from the 1930s until the 1970s. Although stronger policies and guidelines surrounding the use of asbestos in construction materials and goods in the 1980s, there is now a major concern about asbestos exposure, so if you still have an older home, you should call removal services to ensure that the materials are removed in an ethical and secure way.
