Demolition time!
If you have ever seen the aftermath of an Asbestos Demolition Survey, you will understand why we usually ask for the property to be empty before we get started.
Not seen what happens on an Asbestos Demolition Survey? Let us show you more….
What is an Asbestos Demolition Survey?
This type of survey must be carried out before the demolition of a building. Even if only part of the building is going to be demolished. We do it because asbestos was used in the construction of buildings built or renovated throughout the 20th Century. It isn’t always obvious where asbestos was used, it was often hidden as buildings were finished and decorated.
So that is why we do an intrusive survey, getting behind the decorative finishes to find what asbestos was hidden away. We can’t do this kind of investigation as part of our normal asbestos inspections as you would be upset by the amount of damage we cause! An Asbestos Management Survey is fine for day-to-day building use. But this is why you need to get more survey work done before you do renovations or demolish a building.
The aim of the Asbestos Demolition Survey is to find and sample all suspect materials so any asbestos containing materials can be removed before the demolition begins.
Why?
Because asbestos is bad for our health and workers cannot be exposed to asbestos fibres while working. This includes demolition contractors, builders, tradies, ground engineers, drainlayers, or anyone who will be working in the demolition process.
So we do our surveys for you so it can be removed safely by a licensed asbestos removal contractor before the demolition works start.
There are times that we can’t find everything in a building due to other asbestos containing materials, but we do our best.
Check out behind the scenes of a house Mikela and Sarah recently surveyed:
Yes, it is a bit grimy, but it was vacant and all personal belongings had been removed. This is ideal. It means we can work our way through the building efficiently without damaging personal items. We will leave the building safe, but it won’t be suitable for reoccupation!
What if your property is still occupied?
This isn’t ideal. With good planning, we can arrange to do the survey as soon as everyone has moved out. This goes for commercial properties also. We also need the isolation of services like electricity, water, gas etc. for the safety of our team.
We are very limited with what we can do when a property is still occupied. One option we suggest is getting an Asbestos Management Survey completed with the view of demolition happening in the future. This will find a good portion of the asbestos, so you can start planning removal. Then we can pop back to do the intrusive work. Easy!
Once we are set up on site, with isolation, we will assess the area for safety and carry out our risk assessment. Then we can get started with our inspection, sampling all suspect materials and making holes where needed.
What the team did on this straightforward building:
Pulled up all the carpets and modern vinyl floor coverings
Opened up wall voids
Removed door trims
Removed skirting boards
Opened up boxings
Opened up around window frames/under window sills
Opened up around fireplace and chimney
Accessed under bath and shower
Accessed the roof void
Accessed the subfloor
Accessed beneath non-asbestos floor tiles
Inspected the roof, external areas and outbuildings
What else do we sometimes come across that may be more complicated:
Lift shafts - we need a lift engineer to provide access
Risers - access can sometimes be tricky and we need to plan our entry carefully
Locked areas - we need to access all areas on site
Plant and boilers - we sometimes need specialists to help us access these
This is not an exhaustive list! But if any of these apply to your building, be sure to let us know so we can keep everything running smoothly. Each project can have it’s own challenges, but you can use our extensive experience to keep it on track.
What about salvaging the old building materials?
If this is your plan, again, let us know. Everyone loves a rimu floorboard! We even had a client wanting to keep the old hot water cylinder in their house for a pretty cool art project. We will work with you and the demolition contractors to make sure everything is asbestos free before it goes elsewhere.
What else might you need?
If you do have asbestos in your property, we can make sure it is removed safely. Being independent of asbestos removal contractors, we will be able to create a removal technical specification so you can get some quotes. We recommend getting at least three quotes. We can then make sure the quote covers all the work required thanks to the technical specification.
We will then carry out the necessary air monitoring and clearance inspections so you can hand the building over to your demolition contractors with confidence.
In a hurry?
We have a panel of pre-qualified asbestos removal contractors, so you don’t need to spend extra time doing your due diligence.