We’ve launched a free online guide for asbestos to help homeowners
We’ve launched a free online Asbestos in The Home Finder to help people identify where they might have the potentially dangerous materials in their homes (December 2024).
Save lives
Our Asbestos in The Home Finder could help save lives and protect people from the potentially hazardous material. It could also save people money when looking to buy a home built before 2000.
Our Asbestos & Demolition Director, Vicky Owens, who is the granddaughter of the company’s founder Sam Roberts, explains: “We’re qualified and HSE licensed experts when it comes to domestic and commercial asbestos removal & surveying.
Serious health issues
“Once believed to be a useful building material, asbestos is in fact deadly and exposure to it may potentially lead to many serious health issues. We wanted to produce a guide, available on our website, to help homeowners get to grips with where asbestos may be within a home and to alert them to this potentially life-threatening risk.
“Asbestos can cause fatal asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and pleural thickening of the lungs. Sadly, unbeknown to most people, it’s often contained within the fabric of buildings that were built before 2000.
Threat to the public
“It’s a threat to members of the public but also to those tradespeople employed to work on homes and commercial properties that may contain the material. Asbestos still kills approximately 5,000 workers each year and around 20 tradespeople die each week because of past exposure.
“Any building, domestic or commercial, built more than 24 years ago is at risk of containing asbestos. Our free online Asbestos in The Home Finder helps people identify where they may have may the substance within their homes.
Do not remove without expert help
“However, it’s crucial that individuals do not try to remove it or tackle the problem themselves, as it could be dangerous to their health to do so. They should seek the help of an experienced expert in this field, who can advise them if they do have asbestos and help remove it safely.”
Home buyers save money
Anyone buying a home built before the year 2000 should have an asbestos survey carried out by an experienced, specialist surveyor to check if there are asbestos containing materials within the property. Asbestos identified and priced for removal usually reduces the sale price, saving home buyers money and giving peace of mind.
Important to check
Our Asbestos and Operations Director Sam Lawson explains: “It’s important to check before you buy or sell a house, as asbestos, identified by a surveyor as being within a building, can impact on the transaction. It may be best to have it removed professionally before a house is put on the market, so as not to put anyone at risk and to facilitate a smooth sale.”
How to use
Please use our online Asbestos in The Home Finder here to help you see if you have asbestos in your home and to find out more, please get in touch with our team of experts for a free, friendly and informal chat.