In this current market, land in built-up cities is a valuable asset. The problem is, there isn’t a lot of it, so prospective purchasers often have to look at old homes they can demolish and build their dream homes on.

Given the dilapidated state of some Kiwi homes and the almost-guaranteed presence of asbestos, the demolition process can be complicated. A demolition company can’t use all of the same practices for a new home as it would for an old one.

With that in mind, there are a few things to consider when hiring a demolition company. Your health and wellbeing, and that of your neighbours, may just depend on it.

The Company’s Understanding of Regulations

According to WorkSafe, any business carrying out demolition or refurbishment work must identify asbestos or asbestos-containing materials before work commences if:

• The structure was built before 1 January 2000

• Asbestos has been identified

• Asbestos is likely to be present

Suppose your home fits any of these criteria. In that case, the demolition company you choose to handle the entire process must remove that asbestos before demolition begins, unless demolition is required to get to that asbestos.

As a homeowner, it pays to have a general understanding of asbestos rules and regulations. Though, it’s even more critical for a demolition company you hire to understand and abide by them.

Their Safe Handling Practices  

A surprising number of building materials contain asbestos. From your vinyl flooring and insulation to your roofing materials and home siding, you may be surprised at how many places it can be lurking. Even that box of old Christmas decorations from generations ago could be a health risk!

Just because your entire home is being demolished doesn’t mean a great degree of care shouldn’t be taken with building materials. Knowing they contain asbestos means your chosen demolition team must have safe handling practices.

According to WorkSafe, this can include putting appropriate control measures in place and using power tools in an enclosure or with dust suppression or extraction controls.   

They must also wear appropriate PPE for the task, including clothing that protects against fibre penetration, masks, and coveralls. WorkSafe outlines comprehensive information for homeowners and business owners on how to handle asbestos and asbestos-containing materials safely. Ensure that the demolition company you hire is familiar with what this information entails.

Safe Removal Measures

When you are demolishing an entire house, rather than undertaking minor renovations, removal practices can be complicated. You’ve got an entire home’s worth of building waste to remove, and only a portion of it will contain asbestos.

Because regulations dictate that you must remove asbestos materials before demolition begins unless that’s not possible, the disposal process can be a little easier. There are a few different methods that demolition companies use.

The most common one is bringing in an asbestos removal team to take care of the asbestos materials before they begin their demolition process. Otherwise, they may have the appropriate Class A and Class B licenses to manage it themselves.

Either their chosen licensed asbestos removalist or their own company team will then use several disposal methods, including waste bags, polythene sheeting, waste drums or bins, and waste skips, vehicle trays, or large containers.

Any waste bags used in the disposal of asbestos must be heavy-duty 200 µm minimum thickness polythene bags. Their maximum size should be 1,200mm x 900mm. They should be half-filled, marked with warning labels, and double bagged.

Any asbestos sheeting, asbestos lagged pipes, and long or large items should be wrapped in brand new heavy-duty 200 µm polythene sheeting. The bundles should be labelled as containing asbestos and double wrapped with adhesive tape.

Demolition companies or asbestos removalists using waste drums should ensure they use drums in good condition with lids and no hazardous residue. They should be lined with heavy-duty 200 µm polythene and wetted while filling. Once filled, the lids should be sealed and the drums marked.

With an entire house load of asbestos-containing building materials, a skip might be necessary. All materials going into the skip must be packaged using the methods above then emptied at an appropriate waste-disposal site.

Licenses and Insurance

When hiring a demolition company for the removal of your home, it’s essential to ask about licenses and insurance. Do they have the correct licenses to operate in your area? Are they fully insured for any eventuality? If handling asbestos materials, do they have the correct Class A or Class B licenses?

Accurate Quotes

When undertaking demolition tasks, you want an accurate idea of how much it’s going to cost you. You likely have a budget you need to stick to, especially if you plan on building a new home on its site.

Make sure you ask demolition companies for quotes rather than estimates. If they refuse to provide them, consider using another company, instead.  

Soil Remediation

During the demolition process, it’s easy to forget about the soil on which your home sits. There is always a chance that an asbestos-containing house is also sitting on asbestos-contaminated soil. Ask about their soil remediation services. This can involve a sample being taken before safe removal and disposal of the affected dirt.

Be Armed With Asbestos Information

There can be more to a home demolition process than merely clearing a home to provide vacant land. If your home was built before 2001, there’s every reason to believe you’ll need both a demolition team and expert asbestos removalists.