If you have an older home and you're considering a renovation project, a worrying word may have come up in recent conversation – asbestos. Unless the property has had some significant work done in its past to remove this, then it's likely that you do, indeed have this substance at home. There is no need to panic, however, as it will remain safe as long as it's not disturbed. You just need to be concerned about the areas where you're planning to renovate. What should you consider?
Going through the Process
Unfortunately, there is no "quick fix" here. You mustn't assume anything. In other words, you need to treat any area as suspect until you have proven otherwise. This means that you have to first of all conduct an asbestos inspection, where samples are taken and sent to an accredited laboratory for inspection. It is possible to do this yourself if you take due care, but you should know that there are
Where Can It Be Found?
Asbestos is commonly found in a number of areas in an older home. It can be found in insulating board, around heating systems, fascias and soffits. It may be within your vinyl floor tiles, or contained within textured coatings applied to walls or ceilings. It's also possible it is contained in some cement products as well, so it's not difficult to imagine its presence in a number of different locations in the house.
Leaving Asbestos in Place
You don't always have to remove asbestos, even if you are renovating in that area. It may be possible to leave the material as is and just treat it instead. This may mean simply painting the area with a special material that is specifically encoded for the job. It may also be possible to cover up the area with different boarding or other materials and even drill holes into areas that contain asbestos in order to apply these new fixtures.
Handing over to the Experts
However, there is quite a significant risk that asbestos
