Asbestos Testing North Shore
Your Auckland Asbestos Testing Experts
Worried about asbestos in your home? Exposure to asbestos is the single biggest cause of death from work-related disease in New Zealand.
Asbestos, a minute fibre invisible to the naked eye, was mixed with many building materials and used in most older houses in New Zealand. The only way to be sure a material doesn’t contain asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory. To keep suspect materials safe, samples should be taken by a properly trained and accredited asbestos inspector.
You can only assess the risk in your home if you have the right information. We provide accurate, expert advice and we are fully independent of all asbestos disposal companies.
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Don’t leave health and safety to chance
Whether you’re about to carry out renovations on a heritage home, an industrial warehouse or a home built before the late 1990s, you’ll need an asbestos check to protect your family or staff from the asbestos products that will probably be lurking somewhere in the building.
Exposure to asbestos fibre can occur when materials are in poor condition, such as flaking or crumbling. Renovations can expose asbestos through sanding, sawing, drilling or demolition.
Don’t take risks with asbestos.
If you have any doubts, seek advice and get an asbestos check.
As the building or home owner you have a responsibility to protect any tradesperson from exposure to asbestos fibres. You are obliged to check, just to be sure.
As of April 2018, landlords must also have an asbestos management plan in place which includes a register of all materials potentially containing asbestos. We can undertake an asbestos check for you. Following the guidelines and requirements set out by WorkSafe NZ, we can prepare a registry of all ACMs (asbestos containing materials).
If you’re renovating or demolishing a building you must always inform all tradespeople if your home contains, or might contain, asbestos. You need to ensure repair work can be undertaken safely or that asbestos removal is performed competently and in accordance with Health and Safety requirements.
Why was asbestos so popular in the building industry?
Asbestos is both fire and moisture resistant.
It was often mixed with other materials in the building process as the fibres provided strength without adding much weight.
It was hidden within many commonly used building products and widely used in cladding and roofing.
Signs of asbestos are very hard to see.
How to identify asbestos
Main areas where asbestos can be found:
- roof sheeting, capping, roof ventilators, skylights, eaves/water pipes and flues and manhole frames
- door and window mouldings, exterior louvre blades, side flashing, and cement downpipes
- exterior wall sheets and cement cladding
- interior wall sheets, soffits, baseboards and shingles
- lino and flooring tile underlays and adhesives
- insulation lagging for pipes and around the doors of domestic heaters and inside fire places.
- fencing, carports and sheds.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos fibres are microscopic fibres broken down from mined rock.
There are two main types of asbestos:
- Friable asbestos is loosely packed and sealed, and therefore potentially very dangerous because it can crumble and release fibres into the air.
- Non-friable asbestos is a bonded asbestos found in a number of building materials. It can become friable if it is weathered or damaged.
If removed incorrectly, asbestos dust is easily ingested into the lungs, endangering the health of you, your family and your staff.
What should I do if there is asbestos in my home?
If you are worried that your property might be contaminated, the best solution is for our asbestos inspector to take samples and then have them analysed by a registered laboratory.
Hawkeye House Inspections can handle this for you. We are accredited to undertake asbestos surveys, approved by Worksafe NZ and all work is 100% independently tested by a third-party laboratory. We work completely independently of any asbestos removal companies.
The presence of asbestos within a building or property does not necessarily mean that it will need to be removed. At Hawkeye House Inspections, we will work with you so that you understand your safety and legal responsibilities as a business or property owner under the 2018 Asbestos Code of Practice.
If asbestos is undisturbed and intact, there is no need for removal. We do not recommend risking your health or the health of other people through the unnecessary removal of asbestos. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. Just keep an eye on the condition of ACM (asbestos containing materials) to make sure they haven’t been damaged or have started to deteriorate.
If you are unsure whether your house or building contains asbestos, then talk to us about our asbestos testing services. Make an appointment today for your on-site risk assessment. You can be certain that our services meet the strictest criteria for public health and safety.