What To Expect From An Asbestos Survey

What To Expect From An Asbestos Survey


Asbestos inspection and surveys are an easy and simple way to find out whether there is materials containing asbestos in your new home, or even existing home. Asbestos surveys are carried out by a number of companies in the UK, however you should ensure any company adheres to ISO 17020 accreditation and also UKAS accredited. This means you are getting the best in surveys and all asbestos in a home should be identified.

UKAS , or the United Kingdom Accreditation Service to give it, its full title ensures asbestos surveys are carried out in the best possible manner and provides a badge for companies once they are happy this is happening.

Asbestos surveys are broken into two kinds of survey - management and refurbishment/demolition. The former is to protect those living/ working in the area from the dangers of the material and involves managing the threat. The latter is if you are looking to refurbish the area, or demolish the property.

So, what happens during an asbestos survey?

Initially the surveyor will visit a home, or a premises and then walk through it. This is so they can identify the areas where asbestos may be most likely to reside, such as in ceilings, floor tiles, pipe runs and other areas. This allows them to take notes and then create a plan for how they are going to approach the whole procedure. They will also ask questions about your property, whether you know if there is asbestos, or whether there are areas that are hard to access.

The surveyor will then decide on how he is going to do his survey and may leave and then come back at a later time. The surveyor will then walk from room, to room surveying the material in each room for asbestos. You should give them access to seldom used areas, such as risers, the loft, basement area and outside, as well as allow them to lift carpets and tiles.

What the Surveyor Does

Surveyors often then take photos of the room, as well as materials they consider may be dangerous. They may also sketch the room and in this sketch point out areas they think there are suspect materials. The surveyor may then take samples of the materials they deem suspect and bring them away to analyse and assess them for risk.

When the survey is completed, the surveyor sends off these samples and will have to wait for these returned. This often takes a few days. Afterwards a report will then be issued with information of where asbestos has been found in the home. It will also indicate the level of risk involved with the particular form of asbestos, allowing you to decide on what should be done with the area.

As not all asbestos is dangerous, this may mean you can leave the asbestos based material and not have to worry about it. In other cases, it may mean that it needs to be taken care of by a professional asbestos surveyor.

Doing Your Own Home Survey

Doing Your Own Home Survey

Home surveys aren't as complex as builder's surveys and if you have a little building knowhow and don't wish to pay for someone to come in to do a short survey of your potential new home, you may want to do it yourself.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will tell you most homes need a home survey, whether new or old and this is most certainly true. By surveying your potential home for problems you can limit any future problems you may have with the home, that may not be evident on superficial viewing. Of course, we're not saying you can be as comprehensive as a professional surveyor, but there are some things to look out for.

Damp

Damp walls are a key clue to problems with a home and mean that you should seriously consider a more comprehensive survey from a professional person. Damp can leak into homes and is a terrible problem as it can rot the structure of a home. Older homes, or ones with timber will seriously be damaged by this and alarm bells should ring. Keep an eye out for damp behind cupboards, in corners, around windows and in the attic. It's usually where you won't check, so be very careful where you look.

Roof

One of the most expensive parts of a home to repair is the roof. Roofs can cause all sorts of issues in homes and can be down to age, poorly constructed roofs, or badly fitted ones by roofers that don't know what they're doing. Keep an eye out for indentations and uneven roofs, as well as loose tiles, or problems with rafters in the attic. These are often all signs of issues with a house's roof. Be aware that these problems can cost up to tens of thousands of pounds to fix and really are of issues in the long term.

Flat roofs can also be a severe problem and incorporate both issues with damp and problems with the home's structure. Be very wary of these roofs, which though cheaper to add, can really cause issues in time.

Insulation

A well insulated home will save you money and also heat and is better for the environment. Many older homes are badly insulated and can really cost a lot of money to heat because of this. Make sure to ensure that all the home is insulated, especially the roof as this is where a large amount of the heat exits the house and really means extra money in the long term. Poorly insulated homes also are more inclined to be damp and this is where money is really haemorrhaged.

Make sure that the areas around windows are well insulated, as well as around doors. Of course, double glazing and uPVC windows tend to be a lot better at keeping heat in then single pane glass for instance. This is also something to consider when doing your survey.

Keeping an eye out for such issues can go a long way to ensuring a home is okay, however, you'll never beat a chartered surveyors more comprehensive examination.

Getting Quotes From Surveyors

If you decide that you would rather obtain a home buyers survey or building survey from a professional building surveyor, you can use our free service to compare several quotes from local surveyors - no obligation of course.