Why asbestos removal is necessary in Hamilton properties

It’s easy to believe that asbestos is not your problem, and turn a blind eye. After all, our generation is not the one that used a deadly mineral in building materials for decades, only for it to kill tens of thousands of people. 

Even though asbestos may not have been our idea, it’s up to us to solve the problem. Knowledge is key to keeping safe, but removal for the eventual phasing out of it in New Zealand is essential too. But, why is asbestos removal in Hamilton more heard of than in other parts of the country? Read on to learn why asbestos removal is necessary for Hamilton – as well as throughout New Zealand.

Hot housing market

Hamilton’s housing market is hot. In September 2019, house prices broke a new record and reached a median of just under $600,000. The median price of 8.7 per cent and lower interest rates also saw increased buyer activity. People are buying houses, renovating them, increasing their value, then sitting on them or selling them.

Notice the word renovating.

While we don’t know the age of the average Hamilton home, we do know that asbestos was present in a myriad of building materials for a period of 50 years. That’s half a century of house-building using potentially deadly products.

If you don’t know what you are working with, then you could be putting yourself and others at risk. Either before you buy your new home, or begin renovations, it’s worth bringing in an asbestos detection service to either confirm its existence or give you the green light to proceed.

For your health

Simply owning a home that has been constructed with asbestos building materials does not put you in immediate danger. As long as you do not break, expose, or damage those building materials, you and they can exist together peacefully.

But as soon as you take a sledgehammer to something that has asbestos, you are putting those around you at risk of severe health conditions. Asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and a myriad of asbestos fibre-related conditions. The more fibres you inhale, the higher your risk of illness. If you smoke cigarettes, that risk is even higher again.

Symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses include lung scarring on X-rays and breathing difficulties. Your lung membrane thickens, known as pleural plaques, and malignant tumours can develop on your intestines and lungs. Asbestos diseases can be life-altering and life-threatening.

For your property’s value and future

The asbestos building materials within your home are not likely to stay in pristine condition forever. Deciding that asbestos removal in Hamilton is necessary for your residence could improve your safety and its value at the same time.

The best way to identify asbestos’ existence is by calling in a removal team to take a sample. They will then send it off to an approved analytical lab. Once you receive a confirmation, you can seal, enclose, or remove the asbestos with the help of a certified asbestos removal team. If the asbestos is in good condition, then enclosing or sealing it may be their recommendation to limit the risk of exposure.

The likely places within a property in Hamilton to find asbestos is textured paint on walls and ceilings, old gas-fired fireplaces, old stove-top pads, vinyl floor tiles, old hot water pipes, the walls and floors around wood-burning stoves, roofing, and insulation. Once again, a certified asbestos removal expert in Hamilton can alert you to the presence of asbestos, where it is likely to be, and if it requires removal. 

Appropriate removal measures

New Zealand is a country of DIYers. We love getting stuck in and can spend hours in any hardware store just for the fun of it. But asbestos is one thing you don’t want to get too DIY-happy with. Every year, around 170 Kiwi workers die from asbestos-related diseases – still. Control measures are essential, as is hiring the best asbestos removal team in Hamilton and beyond to handle the job for you.

In 2016, WorkSafe required anyone removing bonded asbestos over 10m2 to have a Certificate of Competence. If the asbestos was friable – as in, powdery, or potentially powdery, then you also needed a Class A Licence.  If you were to remove more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos, you would require a Class B Licence. No licence is necessary for up to and including 10m2 of non-friable asbestos.

Taking care of asbestos in Hamilton

With a hot property market and reasonable interest rates, houses are being bought up and done up at a rapid pace. Are you doing all you can to care for and remove asbestos? If you are dealing with a potential hazard in your home, then don’t delay in taking action. Get on the phone to a certified asbestos removal team such as Chemcare that can instruct you on what to do next.