Homebuyers are advised to have the house they are thinking about buying inspected thoroughly. For houses that were built before the ‘90s (from 1940 to 1990), it’s a must for potential buyers to have them inspected and tested for asbestos.

Asbestos was commonly present in many building materials: ceiling materials, wall cladding, flooring, cement compound, cement pipe, gaskets and thermal insulation products.  It was only formally banned in 1991 even if products using asbestos ceased to be produced in Australia in 1987, so there remain a lot of commercial buildings and houses in Adelaide and other parts of the country that still have some form of asbestos material, in them — and that are actually up for sale.

Asbestos testing, Adelaide inspectors say, is one of the reliable methods of establishing whether an old home for sale is truly worth investing in or not (some may be charmed by the old world appeal of the house, but if it’s going to challenge their budget to have asbestos removed and then to renovate the structure, they’d much rather buy something else). Testing is something that must be carried out by sellers and buyers of old homes because not only is asbestos a banned material, but it is banned for a really good reason: It poses serious health problems if inhaled.

One example would be asbestos is (this is a chronic lung disease in which there is scar-like tissue formed in the lungs called pulmonary fibrosis; this fibrosis reduces the elasticity of the lungs, making breathing difficult), lung cancer, mesothelioma (this is an often fatal type of cancer that arises from the mesothelial cells that form the lining of the lung, and abdominal and heart cavities), pleural abnormalities, laryngitis, and weakened immune system (which is a common symptom for a wide variety of illnesses). Determining the material’s presence or absence in the structure, and the potential health risks it comes with, will certainly play a major role in the final decision to buy an old home.

When testing is done, clients can be sure to get accurate results because it is a very strict and structured process. There are set guidelines (created by Safe Work Australia and relevant state legislative bodies) for assessing the respirable fibres. The process also includes the careful determination of appropriateness and effectiveness of asbestos removal control measures. So, if you’re seriously considering buying an old home, you can be sure that asbestos testing will work to your advantage.

You don’t have to worry about finding the right professionals for the job. In Adelaide, there’s an inspection, monitoring and testing service that you can hire; they have properly qualified, highly experienced, and licensed Asbestos Assessors to conduct air monitoring tests and safely procure samples to be analysed in NATA-accredited laboratories. They’ll have the job done in no time so you can proceed with removal and renovation, and have the house ready for moving in as soon as possible.