Many older homes, properties and buildings in Australia have asbestos in them. That’s because, before the early 2000s, asbestos was commonly found in many building materials.
Asbestos was used in building materials because it’s strong, lightweight, heat resistant and very durable. It also happens to be a natural material that was abundant. However, while asbestos had some good qualities for building homes, it actually poses a significant health risk.
When you inhale loose asbestos fibres, they can become lodged in your lungs and lead to incurable health conditions. However, loose asbestos fibres are unlikely to be present, unless you perform a renovation or maintenance of your home that involves cutting, sanding, polishing, water blasting or drilling of asbestos-containing materials.
If your home was built between the 1950s to early 2000s, there is a chance that asbestos might be present, however, it’s impossible to tell just by looking at it. You need professional asbestos testing services to confirm its presence.
If your home is found to contain asbestos and you’re planning on renovating, doing maintenance around your home where the asbestos materials are, or you just want peace of mind, then your best course of action is to have the asbestos removed – by a professional.
So, if you find yourself in a position where you need asbestos removed from your property, how do you go about finding the right asbestos removalist? Well, keep reading, because we’ve got the answers.
What to look for in an asbestos removalist
1. What kind of experience do they have?
Asbestos removal is not something that should be done by amateurs – it’s certainly a job best left for professionals.
As we said, asbestos has some pretty major health risks associated with it, and removing it increases your chances of exposure to it – especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.
The experience of the asbestos removal company you work with is very important and ideally, you want to work with someone who has extensive experience, at least 10 years of it.
But it’s not just the length of time that is important when it comes to experience, it’s also the kinds of asbestos removal they have done before, some companies specialise in only residential, some only in commercial properties, and some are only licensed to perform specific types of asbestos removal. So, don’t be afraid to ask about their experience – you only want to work with the best.
You can consider asking them about the equipment they use and the types of training they provide to their staff members. It’s important that you work with someone who remains up to date with the latest techniques and training.
2. Do they play by the rules?
We already mentioned this a couple of times, but there are some pretty serious health complications that can occur from asbestos exposure.
So, as you can imagine, removal of asbestos and the subsequent disposal of it requires following incredibly strict guidelines.
In addition to the guidelines, asbestos removalists must be licensed. A Class A License allows the removalist to remove both friable and non-friable asbestos – which means loose asbestos fibres, and building materials that contain asbestos materials but are not loose. A Class B License only allows the removalist to remove non-friable asbestos materials.
It’s best to work with someone who can remove all kinds of asbestos, that way you won’t be limited in what can be taken away.
3. Do they offer free quotes and fair prices?
A great asbestos removalist will provide you with a free quote for their services. That’s because they know it’s an important job that should be done properly, and they are confident in the services they provide.
When it comes to how much you should pay, this is where the free quoting comes in handy, you can get quotes from several companies to be able to compare their prices.
You’ll likely find that many reputable asbestos removalists will offer similar pricing for their services, however, if someone is offering a significantly lower price than everyone else, we suggest you potentially avoid them unless there is a clear explanation for this price difference. This is a service that you don’t want to cut corners on, so the cheapest isn’t always the best.
4. Do they have good reviews?
Customer ratings can make all the difference and provide a real insight into how a business really operates.
While some companies might show off their awards and affiliations, these only mean so much, you want to understand how people have found the asbestos removal process with them.
If a company has hundreds of 4- or 5-star reviews, this is a great sign. However, if they have lots of really high reviews but also a similar amount of bad reviews, we recommend looking elsewhere.
