Asbestos Testing

When it comes to the presence of asbestos in a residential or commercial property, it’s not always easy to detect – at least not to the naked eye. More often than not, it’s located behind walls or ceilings, or makes up the wall or ceiling itself. While asbestos is no longer used in the construction of homes or commercial properties, it was quite popular from the 1950s to the late 1980s and is suspected to still be in about one third of homes in Melbourne and across Australia.

If your home was built in that period and has not been tested, get in touch with Aussie Asbestos Solutions for comprehensive asbestos testing in Melbourne. Servicing the entire metropolitan area as well as the Mornington Peninsula, we can determine how much of the harmful substance is on your property, if any, and provide you with options for its safe removal and disposal.

Where asbestos testing is most useful

You cannot identify asbestos just by looking at it. Many building materials from before the mid 1980s look almost the same whether they contain asbestos or not, and some products used later may also contain it. Testing gives you a clear answer before you renovate, buy, sell or remove anything. We commonly test:

Fibro wall and ceiling sheeting, eaves and cladding
Vinyl floor tiles, sheet vinyl and the backing underneath
Roof sheeting, flues, gutters and fencing
Wet area linings behind bathroom and laundry tiles
Insulation, lagging, textured coatings and suspicious debris

Testing is a common first step for renovations in Brighton, Chelsea and Mornington, and for older properties around Frankston and Dandenong. Once you have results, we can plan any work needed, such as asbestos bathroom removal or asbestos wall removal.

Our asbestos testing process

Taking a sample involves disturbing the material, so it should be done carefully:

Discuss your plans: we ask what you intend to do so we sample the right materials.
Prepare the spot: the area is dampened and protected to limit dust.
Take the sample: a small piece is removed using hand tools, not power tools.
Seal the sample: it is double bagged, labelled and recorded with its location.
Make good: the sample point is sealed so it does not keep releasing fibres.
Laboratory analysis: samples are sent to a laboratory for identification.
Explain the results: we walk you through what was found and your options.

If you need a full picture of a property rather than a few samples, our asbestos inspection service may suit you better.

When should you test for asbestos?

The best time to test is before anything is disturbed. Good moments include before a kitchen, bathroom or laundry renovation, before replacing floor coverings, before drilling into walls to add power points or air conditioning, and before removing eaves, sheds or fences. Testing is also worth considering after storm or fire damage, when you find broken sheeting on your property, or when buying an older home. Knowing the answer early lets you plan, budget and brief your builder properly. It can also save money: if a material comes back clear, you can proceed with normal building work, and if it contains asbestos, you can build safe removal into your schedule rather than stopping work halfway through.

What affects the cost

Testing is quoted based on your needs. The main factors are:

The number of samples and materials to be tested
Access to roof spaces, subfloors or hard to reach areas
Whether testing is part of a larger inspection or removal job
How quickly you need results from the laboratory

Your safety and compliance

Sampling suspected asbestos disturbs the material, so it should be done with the right protective equipment and controls. Poorly taken samples can leave broken edges that continue to shed fibres. WorkSafe Victoria guidance encourages anyone who suspects asbestos to have it identified before starting work that could disturb it.

If testing confirms asbestos and you plan to remove it, remember that more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos, or any friable asbestos, must be removed by a licensed removalist in Victoria. Our testing results help you make that decision with confidence.

We test homes and workplaces right across Melbourne. Get a free quote for asbestos testing.

Asbestos testing: common questions

Can I take an asbestos sample myself?

Some people do, but it carries risk. Breaking off a sample releases fibres, and the sample point can keep shedding dust if not sealed. Having it done professionally means the area is dampened, protected and made good afterwards, and the sample is properly labelled and sent to a NATA accredited laboratory for analysis.

How long do asbestos test results take?

Timing depends on the laboratory and the number of samples. When we quote, we will let you know the expected turnaround so you can plan your renovation or purchase. If your project has a tight deadline, tell us early and we will do our best to work around it.

Is asbestos testing the same as an asbestos inspection?

Not quite. Testing identifies whether specific materials contain asbestos. An inspection is a broader look through a property to find likely asbestos materials, assess their condition and record where they are. Testing is often part of an inspection, but a few targeted samples may be all you need for a small job.

My house was built in the 1990s. Should I still test?

Asbestos was widely used until the mid 1980s and was not fully banned in Australia until 31 December 2003, so homes built later carry less risk. However, older materials were sometimes reused in renovations. If you have a suspicious material and plan to cut, drill or remove it, testing is a sensible precaution.

How Many Types Of Asbestos Do We Test For?

The three most common types of asbestos are Chyrsotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos) – which is considered to be the most harmful. Asbestos products come in two forms – friable, which is the product in its loose, fibrous state that can be easily crumbled up into dust form, and bonded, which finds the asbestos fibres bonded together to form sheets, tiles or other moulded products. While all three types of asbestos can be found in either of these two forms anywhere throughout the home, we can provide asbestos testing for all.

Whether you live in metropolitan Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula or anywhere in between, if you live in a home or own a commercial property built between 1950 and 1990 and suspect that asbestos testing hasn’t occurred on the premises, get in touch with Aussie Asbestos Solutions today. Call us now on 0410 336 410 or contact us online.